Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sonic worked alone. Although he had his friends like Amy, Knuckles, and sometimes Sticks, who would help him defeat Eggman, or at least scare him away for a bit, they never really were a team. Sonic was reluctant to call them friends, but he made sure to keep them at an arm's length.

All of Green Hill knew Sonic. Of course fame came with extraordinary power, being a “hero”. Everyone knew him, but no one really knew Sonic. But he made sure to keep it that way.

If he didn't get too close, that would protect him from being too hurt if they go. So despite their countless attempts, (especially Amy's), Sonic worked alone.

That was, until he found that fox cub.

—

Sonic was doing his daily run around Green Hill, on the lookout for any of Eggman's new “botniks”, cats in trees, or just a good chili dog. He’d wave hello to the local townspeople, but didn't stay long, cause he had to go, fast. Thanks to Sonic, most real crime was kept to a low. But of course, there was petty theft, and vandalism.

As he was passing through the market, Sonic heard the familiar sounds of teenage delinquents, most likely not up to anything good. Sonic sighs as he turns into the alleyway, ready to do his job as the “Blue Blur”- or, hero, he guesses.

Two brown foxes, probably around 10-11 years old, about 6 years younger than Sonic, were laughing as they were crowded around something. That in itself- wasn't a crime, but the graffiti on the walls said otherwise.

“Well, I'm no artist, but that's certainly a… creative concept.” Sonic steps into the alley, giving a sideways glance at the picture of what appeared to be a familiar blue hedgehog with his eyes X-ed out.

“Oh yeah, you little freak?” One of the foxes says. Sonic almost laughs. “Haven't heard that one in a while.” He mutters, voice dripping with sarcasm. “I wasn't talking to you, Sonic.” The fox glares at him, his tone in a mocking demeanor. Yes, everyone knew Sonic. But that didn't mean everyone liked him.

Before Sonic could process what Fox 1 said, Fox 2 joined in, turning his head around to look at Sonic, seeing what he was referring to. “Hah, did the all-powerful hero get his feelings hurt?” He mocks. Sonic rolls his eyes. “Alright, I don’t care about what you think about me, but this is private property, so I am gonna need you to clean this up… And I’ll be taking those.” Sonic hums, swiftly picking up the bags of stolen… stuff. The foxes groan, confirming that the contents were stolen. “No one actually likes you, y’know?” Fox 2 snarls, as if throwing a pebble at Sonic, trying to hurt him, but with his words. Not very effective.

As the two foxes mutter between each other, getting a bit heated, Sonic looks into the bags. Inside, there were little trinkets, candy, a lot of rings, and a few of Eggman's robots’ remains. Sonic makes a mental note to remember to clean them up next time.

“Listen, because you two are so… young, I'm just gonna tell ya to get out of here,” The foxes quiet up at that, suspiciously looking at the hedgehog. “Yeah, just- go. It's late, and I don't wanna go through the whole process of-” Sonic stops, hearing another noise. “Is that crying?”

One of the foxes steps aside, while the other pushes the bag that was behind them with his foot. The bag was moving. An expression of concern grew on Sonic's face. “It's probably this… Thing.” Fox 1 spat, grimacing at the bag. Whatever was in there was getting louder, wailing and bawling. “UGHH- You can have it, just make it shut up!” Before the fox could kick the bag, Sonic picked it up.

The hedgehog shot an even harder glare at the fox, his voice low and warning. “Go.” And surprisingly, they did. Sonic smirked, happy to have gotten rid of them and- Geez- this baby was loud.

That's when he looked down into the bag, and saw it. A yellow baby fox, and just barely a year old. Those jerks. How could anyone pick on a literal baby?!

Sonic set the bag down, and gently picked up the cub, cradling them in his arms- or, trying to. Sonic didn't know anything about babies. Their sobs slowed down into small hiccups, softly coping into the hedgehog’s fur. They were so small, which left Sonic to wonder how they even got here in the first place. Sonic adjusted his arms to try and hold the cub better, and that's when he saw it.

The fox had two tails.

Chapter Text

After notifying the nearby authorities about the stolen goods and incident he witnessed today in the alleyway, Sonic made his way downtown, passing many people with glances of confusion regarding the fox cub in his hands. But to be honest, Sonic was just as confused as they were. The sun was already setting, and Sonic just wanted to go home, eat some chili dogs(leftover in his fridge), and go home. But he had to make a detour first.

They finally made it to the daycare, and the door was locked. The door was locked. Sonic looked at the sign, and saw that they were past hours. He was hoping the people working there would know about this little guy's parents, but I guess that couldn't happen tonight.

“Who the heck has closing hours for a daycare?” Sonic complained, and the cub laughed. The hedgehog couldn't help but smile, but he quickly shook it off, trying to keep his expression nonchalant and cool. The cub laughed again, squealing with content.

Okay, fine. He'd give the cub a place to sleep tonight since there wasn't anywhere else to go, but first thing tomorrow morning, Sonic was dropping the kid off at the daycare or police, or something. He'd figure it out tomorrow.

Sonic pushed open the door of his house, quickly realizing it was much harder to do things with a baby in his arms. He kicked a few wrappers and papers that were on the floor aside, making his way through the house. The house was pretty messy, which was probably due to the fact that Sonic always felt like he was in a hurry. Always had to rush, doing things fast, never looking back, but- now… he had to be slower. More careful. Or he could quite literally drop the baby.

He scanned the room for a place for the fox to sleep. “Aha!” Sonic declared. The hammock would do alright. But just to be sure, Sonic put a cushion in there, so the cub wouldn't get squished by the sides of the hammock or suffocated by other pillows. He finally set the fox down, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.

The cub didn't cry, but they definitely were not tired at all, telling by the squirming. “Well uh… good night.” The hedgehog ran his fingers through his quills, not really sure what to do. Maybe he was supposed to rock it, or something. Yeah, maybe sway the hammock a bit, that might work. Gently, Sonic started rocking the hammock, swaying back and forth.

After what felt like hours, the fox cub finally fell asleep. Sonic silently celebrated, and made his way over to the kitchen, pulling a chili dog out from the fridge, and putting it into the microwave. Finally, he had some time to relax. But just as the microwave beeped, there was crying, again.

That was just great. The hedgehog groaned, walking back towards the hammock. “How can something so tiny be so loud?” Sonic sighed, gently rocking the hammock again. “Go to sleep little buddy..” Sonic pleaded, in a sing-song voice. The fox cooed, their sobs quieting. They were curled onto their side, and what looked to be hugging their tails for comfort.

Sonic couldn't help but wonder what the little fox's life was before this. What would their parents think? Did they have parents? Who took care of them? What was it like having two tails? Did they have a name? After pondering for a while, the cub fell asleep again. And with one hand on the hammock, leaning against the wooden post that keeps it up, Sonic slept too.

—

The next morning, Sonic woke up on the floor. He was confused at first, but then remembered that he'd put the cub to sleep last night. As he stood up, he stretched, trying to relieve the pain of the wooden floor on his back.

The sun was already up. Usually Sonic would be awake before that, going on a morning run as the sun rises. As Sonic was finishing up his morning chili dog, he heard a squealing from the hammock. Looks like the fox was up. And they actually were up, and somehow found a way to sit up. “Good morning little buddy.” Sonic smiled.

The fox cooed, clapping their paws, and wagging their tails. That was… Adorable. But- it wasn't like Sonic cared that much anyways. And besides, today he was gonna find the place where the cub was actually supposed to be, maybe find his parents or caregivers. After gathering a few things, Sonic picked up the cub, and made his way out the door. Usually, he’d be running, but considering his current situation, that would be very risky.

Despite being a (self-considered) wise 17-year old hedgehog, Sonic, as you may have noticed, did not know a whole lot about taking care of babies. Anyone who passed the two on the street would immediately notice, based on the fact that every 30 seconds Sonic would adjust his arms, trying to find a better way to hold the cub. This was impossible. The cub didn't seem to mind, however, they seemed to find it quite funny, actually. “Waaah!” The fox exclaimed, giggling. Sonic couldn't help but smile.

“Sonic!” Called a familiar voice. The pink hedgehog ran up beside him. “Hey Amy.” Sonic simply said, trying to keep the conversation to a minimum. Amy had her bright and bubbly personality with her, like usual. “So I was just making my way over to the gym, after I finished a card reading, when I passed by Meh Burger, and I was like, ‘Hey, I haven't seen Sonic around for a while!’ So then I decided to take a walk along this path- cause I know you li- WOAH YOU HAVE A BABY?!” She suddenly exclaimed. Sonic wondered why it took her that long to notice, but then again, she speaks really fast.

“Keep it down..” He shushed her, not wanting to draw much attention. However, it's not like he could avoid much attention, considering he was the town's “hero” and all that jazz. “And they're not my kid, I just found them… yesterday… they got mixed up in some alley with a few delinquents I scared off. They didn't have anywhere else to sleep, so I brought them home and put them in a hammock for the night.” He explained, although it still was confusing to himself. “Anyways, I'm taking them to the daycare, maybe they'll know about their parents or someone.”

Amy nods. “Can I come?” She asks. Since Sonic couldn't think of a believable excuse fast enough, he gave in, and nodded to her request. Besides, maybe… some company would be nice.

Along the way to the daycare, they made small talk, which was probably the most interaction Sonic's had with Amy- or anyone, in a while. Although the talk was mostly Amy, Sonic did find her stories interesting. The cub seemed to enjoy their presence too.

Chapter Text

“What do you mean, ‘Find a better place'?” Sonic tilted his head, almost scowling. The daycare worker, Ms. Walrus, leaned back in her chair, adjusting her glasses. “I do apologize, but I just don't think our organization can provide such… specialized services for… that.”

Sonic could feel his blood starting to boil. Did she really just refer to this living, breathing, child, as “that”?! “Excuse me?” He scoffs, his face with an expression of utter bewilderment. The Walrus pulled her chair closer to the desk, still avoiding much eye contact with Sonic, instead only sometimes shooting a glare at the cub.

“You do understand, I'm just trying to do the best for the other kids. We wouldn't want them to get confused… it's just not natural.” Her smile was sickening. That last phrase felt like a million knives had been twisted into Sonic's chest at once. “Not “natural”?” He's heard that one before.

So. Many. Times.

“I'm sorry, you won't take in a literal child, because they're not ‘natural’?” He chuckled with disbelief. “Because they have 2 tails- because they're A BIT DIFFERENT, you think that makes them any less deserving of care, THAN ANY OTHER CHILD DOES?!” The worker remained silent, her expression stoic. “I can't believe this.” He scowled.

“Let's get out of here.” Amy suggests, putting her hand on Sonic's shoulder. As they walked out, Sonic could barely process his surroundings. He wanted to scream, hide- and run. Not physically, but away from all the memories of what happened back- no, NO. We're not going to think of that today, it was all a long time ago, it doesn't matter- it doesn't fucking matter, just stop thinking for a damn second, and get back to reality- BREATHE. You have to breathe, you're not there, they're not here, you're okay, you're not alone- JUST CALM DOWN, OK-

“SONIC!” Amy’s voice snapped him back. Somehow he was behind a bench now, and Amy was holding the cub. Oh, and his gloves- and eyes, were wet. Ugh, that was great. Now he looked stupid, crying in front of them. “Oh yeah, um, sorry about that.” He quickly wiped his tears and coughed, trying to ignore the fact that his heart felt like it was going to pop out of his chest at any moment now.

The other hedgehog wasn't buying it. She looked into his eyes, her mouth forming a frown of genuine concern and sympathy. Sonic instinctively tries to move on as quick as he could, immediately trying to move the topic away from… whatever just happened. “So! Uh… I have- no idea what to do with this little guy here now.” Sonic mentions, gently ruffling the fox’s head fur.

Amy hesitates before responding, changing what she was initially going to say. It was clear Sonic didn't wanna talk about it, so she wouldn't try to push it. She nods. “Those jerks back there… But don't worry, I'm sure we'll find a place for the cub soon!” She smiles, hopefully. “Um… by the way… do they have a name?”

“That's a good question. I'm getting tired of calling them “little buddy”.” Sonic sighs. “I have no idea.” “Oh well.” Amy shrugs. Then, she suddenly gets an idea, based on the way her eyes lit up. “You could try to guess their name, maybe?” She suggests.

“Y'know what, why not.” He takes another look at the little fox cub in his arms. “Tiny. Small. Uh…” As he thinks of more words to describe the cub, Sonic admits that feeling the rise and fall of their small chest breathing actually helped Sonic's own heartbeat slow down. It was… calming.

“Okay, what about… orange? Uh… fuzzy… what do people name their kids?” Sonic muttered, unsure what to say. Amy chimed in, “Maybe something about their tails?” The fox’s attention suddenly was guided to Amy. Sonic thought for a moment, and decided to see if what he was thinking was right. “Their tails?” He said, and just as he suspected, the fox now looked at him.

“Yes, their tails, what if…” Amy quieted up, realizing what Sonic had noticed.

“Tails?” The hedgehog tried, and just like that, the cub- or “Tails” looked up at him with their big blue eyes. Their ears also twitched at the familiarity of the sound of their name. Although he was happy they found what the cub would respond to, Sonic felt a twinge of sadness, knowing that name was probably used in an unpleasant way towards the cub in the past.

But starting from now on, Sonic would make sure that they'd never have to go through… whatever it was, again. So when Sonic found a better place to put them, this fox- Tails, would be in a place that's safe. Sonic would make sure of it. Because it was his job to keep EVERYONE safe.

Tails cooed, tugging at Sonic's fur. “Seems like they like you.” Amy smiles. “Maybe.” Sonic said, letting the cub hold his finger. Suddenly, a horrible stench fills the air. Sonic looked over at Amy, and when she noticed, her expression said “really?”. “Sorry.” Sonic chuckled. Amy shook her head, frowning. “did you really think it was me- oh wow that-” she coughed, “that is awful.”

“Waaa!” Tails exclaimed, their face distressed. It was as if trying to communicate something. Sonic suddenly had a realization what that meant. And yes, for the fastest hedgehog around, he was a bit slow when it came to noticing things. “Oh no, nonono.” He muttered. Amy raised an eyebrow.

Sonic cleared his throat. “Uh I mean- I can change them.” He claims. “I think..” Sonic mutters. They weren't too far from the local grocery store, which would probably have diapers, and Sonic's house wasn't too far either. After forming a plan, Sonic and Amy get to it.

Amy goes to buy some diapers, while Sonic rocks Tails, trying to keep them from crying. A few people see Sonic, and have an excited look in their eyes at first. He expected they'd be cheering, asking for pictures, or claiming to be Sonic's “biggest fans”, but strangely, after a few more seconds, he got a weird look, and they just walked away. Huh. That was weird.

Tails squeezed Sonic's finger, complaining again. “Don't worry buddy, I didn't forget about you.” Soon after, Amy comes out of the store with a box of diapers, and they quickly head to Sonic's house.

They really gotta go. And fast.

Chapter Text

The trashcan opened, and there it went. The smell remained, though. Sonic let a breath out he didn't know he was holding. Now that the panic and the diaper change was over, Sonic realized just how inhospitable his house was, and Amy was right here.

“Well, we did it!” Amy exclaimed, cheerfully. She put her hand up to give Sonic a high five, but quickly put it back down, realizing that was not the greatest idea, considering current circumstances. “Um… where's your sink?”

“right.” The hedgehogs walked to the kitchen, not too far from where Tails was. They were on a blanket on the floor, seemingly fascinated by how the diaper fasteners worked. Or just randomly fidgeting like babies do.

“So, uh.. how'd you know to… change diapers?” Sonic asked, making more small talk. Amy brightened up at the question, answering immediately. “I sometimes help my neighbor, Vanilla, by babysitting her daughter, Cream. She's about… 7 months old now- so just a few younger than the fox- er, Tails.” Speaking of Tails… they head back into the other room.

But when they looked at the blanket the cub was previously on, they weren't there. Sonic’s mind started racing. Where did they go? Did someone take them? Were they hurt? Sonic's thoughts were interrupted by a clatter of- noisy things.

Phew.

Behind Sonic's 1-person couch, sure enough, there was Tails. They were holding(what was left of) one of Eggman's old… flying robot things. To be honest, the only reason Sonic kept it was because the metal hand was a good back quill scratcher. But Tails was ripping this thing apart, and discovering other functions it had, like a lazer gun?! Even though it probably didn't work anymore, it probably wasn't safe.

“Gah!” Tails pouted as Sonic took the machine from their hands. “No.” Sonic scolded, but not too harshly, pointing his finger. Tails frowned, matching Sonic's own expression, before crawling somewhere else. Amy giggled at the two.

“Hey, look.” She said, picking up a semi-folded piece of paper that tails was sitting on previously. A newspaper. ‘The Weekly Zone: Eggman defeated by Sonic The Hedgehog once again, (seriously, why doesn't he just give up)’ Amy reads off the paper, but in her head, and nods in approval. “You can have it, I don't read these anyway.” Sonic comments, looking back down at Tails, who was currently trying to take Sonic's shoe off.

Amy smiles, before a wave of realization hits her. “Shoot, speaking of reading, I have a card reading to do- 10 minutes ago!” She laughs, almost in disbelief. “Yeah,I really gotta go. Bye Sonic! And you too Tails!” she waves, as she runs out the door. “See ya Amy!”

Sonic smiles, still looking at the door after Amy left. Honestly, other than today, the longest conversation they had was probably at Meh burger. Sonic was her waiter. They discussed food.

But anyways, today was actually nice, it was like… they had actually become friends, and- “uh, ow.” Sonic winced at the slight pain in his left shin. “ba?” Tails cooed innocently, sitting on Sonic's shoe, their fists still clenched. “Did you just punch me?” Sonic looked down at the cub, his hands on his hips, with fake annoyance.

Tails cooed, then pointed to their stomach, whining and hitting the floor. Sonic tilted his head. What did that mean? It was almost as if Tails pouted, seeing that sonic didn't understand. The fox pulled over one of their tails, and pretended to eat it. “Ohhh, you're hungry!”

It was around lunchtime anyways, and Sonic hadn't even realized how hungry he was himself.

The hedgehog gently picked up the cub, subconsciously avoiding touching their tails. Sonic looked around his kitchen. There wasn't much in the fridge except 2 (probably old) burgers from Meh Burger, 5 eggs, and a chili dog wrapper.

There was a bag of bread on the counter though. 10-month-olds can probably eat that, right?

Sonic put Tails back on the ground. “Okay, stay, this time. Stay.” He instructed, even though he was sure the fox wouldn't understand him. Sonic ripped up the slice of bread into a few smaller pieces before giving it to Tails, putting the plate in front of them. Tails looked up at Sonic, confused. They started stacking the pieces, then titled their head, waiting for approval.

Sonic chuckled. “No, like this.” He picked up a piece and ate it. Tails watched carefully. “Now you.” Immediately after, Tails picked up a small piece and ate it, quickly chowing down. It was really cool to see how fast they understood things.

Tails wagged one of their tails as they ate, clapping their paws together after. Sonic smiled. “Glad you liked it buddy.” He reaches out to pat Tails on the head. Tails ducks a bit at first, but eventually seems to accept Sonic's touch. Tails continued munching on some bread, chewing what they could with only 5 teeth.

After eating, Sonic decided to go on his usual run as the sun set. “Well, let's get going then!” Sonic smiles, looking out as he opens the door. Just before he was about to run, he looked back at Tails. “Oh yeah.”

After some searching, Sonic grabbed a scarf he didn't use and tied a makeshift baby sling that went over his shoulder and across his chest like a bag would.

He picked Tails up, but right when he tried to put them in the sling, their tails were in the way and got squished a bit, to which they started crying. Tails was holding onto one of their tails, and having the other one almost hugged around their stomach.

“Hey, uh, it's okay, shh.” he comforted them, gently bouncing the cub in his arms. After they calmed down, this time, Sonic paid attention to where their tails were, making sure Tails wasn't accidentally sitting on them.

“Alright!” Sonic smiles, seeing his makeshift sling work. It was strong enough to hold the cub, and allow Sonic to have his hands free.

Tails cheered as Sonic ran through town, the speed and wind brushing the cub’s fur was exhilarating to them. The market vendors were closing up for the day, the usual hustle and bustle quieting down at the end of the day.

Finally, Sonic sits down on the spot atop a hill. He pulls Tails out of the sling, and holds them on his lap, not wanting the cub to fall.

The glow of the warm amber and pink light dimmed, welcoming the darkness of night into the sky. The blades of grass swayed as the gentle breeze passed, as well as the leaves on the palm trees dancing. And although it was closing, the slight smells of smoke and spices still remained. But nothing seemed to be wrong.

Now that all the chaos of the day was under control, there was… peace. Sonic redirected his gaze to the fox cub cradled in his arms. Sonic still didn't know much about babies. But this one needed food, water, and a place to stay. This one needed a home. They need him. So… Sonic would be there. Because the world's scary when you're a child and alone. Sonic wasn't that first one anymore, but maybe he didn't have to be the second. Maybe the world would be a bit less scary if they weren't alone.

Sonic just realized that the cub was holding onto his finger, softly tapping on it. The hedgehog couldn't help but smile. So. This was his life for now. Local hedgehog hero, and temporary caretaker of a fox cub who happened to have 2 tails.

Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have some company for a while, even if it did mean occasional crying, and incoherent conversations.

At the end of the day, Sonic was a little bit less lonely.

Chapter Text

It's been about two weeks now, since Sonic took in Tails, and was finally getting adjusted to having a baby as a roommate. Of course, taking care of Tails meant a lot of effort, time and supplies. Most days were spent at home in the morning, then in the town for the rest. And although Sonic could manage Tails on his own, he had to admit that having Amy and Knuckles help him out sometimes was nice.

It was around late morning now, Tails was occupied playing with his new toys, and Sonic was sitting on the couch, half-watching Tails while sipping on a Chaos Cola, half-watching the local news on TV. Nothing much was happening, lately so there wasn't much a hero needed to do lately. So instead, he took on his (part-time) role as a caregiver.

The doorbell rang. Sonic opened the door. “Hey Knux, what's u-”

“SONIC.” The echidna stated, urgently. ”I have urgent news to- uh- why is the tiny fox destroying the cars and robots?” Sonic turned around to see that yes, Tails was seemingly pulling the limbs off the toy robots and disassembling the toy cars. It also wasn't just mindless destruction, it was organized rows and columns of the different pieces. Sonic knew it would be best not to interfere.

“Yeah, they do that sometimes.” Sonic simply smiled. Knuckles still seemed confused, watching as Tails continued to organize the pieces. “Oh yeah, it's about our lunch time, want a chili dog?”

Knuckles shook his head. “That is… the only food you ever eat.” He sighed. “Do you feed that to the fo- Tails, also?”

Sonic nods. “Yeah, but you have to put it in the blender” Knuckles stares at Sonic, with a concerned expression on his face. “Th- the chili dog, not the baby!” Sonic specifies. Y'know, for a great echidna warrior, Knuckles didn't pick up on things too fast.

Sonic grabbed 2 chili dogs, and put them in the microwave. He turned back to Knuckles, who was currently sitting on the floor, watching after Tails. “He's a funny lil guy, huh?” Sonic smiled. Knuckles didn't respond.

“Sonic?” The echidna suddenly said.
“Yeah?”
“Have you noticed… that tail… it doesn't move.”

Now that Knuckles had mentioned it, it was hard to ignore. One of the Tails’ tails remained still, or moved significantly less than the other did. Sonic shrugged. “Maybe that just happens when you have 2 tails?” he guessed. Knuckles tilted his head, resting it on his fist.

“soo… what'd you need to tell me anyways?” Knuckles’ attention was guided back to Sonic, giving him a small nod. “Right. Uh-” Knuckles let out a breath. “Eggman's back, he was by the plaza, came to make this whole announcement, or something, but I'm pretty sure he's coming here, like…” Just then, a faint sound of whirring and metal crawling gradually got louder from outside.

“OHHH SONNIIICCCC!!!” Robotnik taunted. A blast hit the sand outside the hut, a way to try and intimidate his opponent. Sonic couldn't help but grin before rushing out the door.

“What's new, Egghead?!” The hedgehog jeered from behind him, and using the nickname he knew his enemy hated. “Don't call me that, you blue imbecile!” Robotnik shouted as he fired another blast at Sonic. Obviously, the blue blur wasn't even close to being hit, moving away with plenty of time to spare.

“Thought you gave up after the last fight.” Sonic fake yawned. Eggman got even angrier at that comment, based on the new weapons he deployed. One of them in particular was more annoying, with an excruciatingly whirring sound.

“what’s that, a pizza cutter?” Sonic genuinely asked, whilst doging different blades and blasts. “It's a sawblade!” Eggman insisted, using a robotic arm to swing the sawblade at Sonic, which, surprisingly, he was only just able to dodge, having but a singular quill get sliced right off.

Robotnik cackled, noticing Sonic's surprise and uneasiness. This wasn't too uncommon, where the hedgehog would actually get hurt, but oh boy, did Eggman love it every time.

“What's wrong? I thought you'd like my new toy?” He mockingly pouted. “Blue, spiky, spins real fast, and of course, LOUD! remind you of anyone?” Sonic rolled his eyes before spin-dashing into (and destroying) one of Eggman's Badniks. The saw whirred again as it spun.

Sonic cringed at the noise, wanting to cover his ears. “Ugh, you weren't kidding about loud…” Eggman swung it at him again, the two exchanging hits, (mostly dogged by Sonic).

A crash is heard behind Sonic, as well as multiple bangs heard on the metal of the robot. “Thanks Knuckles.” He thanked, looking back at the Echidna. They jumped over a few more blasts. “The fox is crying, I think you should go.”

Sonic feels a small pang of guilt, realizing he left Tails and Knuckles in there without telling them anything. And for just long enough, the fox's cries were able to reach Sonic, the noise sharp and desperate. The banter and brawl in the background slowly faded as the hedgehog's focus began to shift. “I gotta end this..” Sonic gritted his teeth, beginning to charge up for another hit at his opponent.

“No, you go, I'll hold him off!” Knuckles shouted, as he launched himself at another one of the robots, punching it into the ground. Sonic nodded, and hurriedly sprinted towards the house. He was able to avoid the sawblade as it plummeted towards him– but he couldn't think about the fight right now, Tails needed him.

“Tails!” Sonic shouted,an urgency in his voice as he opened the doors. His ears were immediately met with the heart wrenching sound of cries.

But this wasn't like his usual crying he'd come to recognize. Tails was stiff, trembling, curled up into a tight ball, gripping on to his tails for dear life. His cries weren't only scared, they were horrified screams that screamed “DANGER”.

“Tails, it's okay, I'm here Sonic's here!” he tried, trying to keep his voice calm and cheerful, crouching down to Tails’ level. No response. Sonic could feel the weight of Tails' terror pressing on him with every passing second.

What did this mean? Sonic's heart raced as he worried about… everything. All Sonic knew was that he needed to help, save the fox from the terror he was experiencing.

“I'm here little buddy.”

Chapter Text

Noisy.

Cold too.

“what’s it doing?” “Move- I can't see!”

Loud.

Shaking?

“Eewww what…?” “Shut up, it's waking up!” “why’s there two?”

Noisy.

Hands. Close. Grabbing.

OW.

The little fox’s eyes watered. Insistently babbling, he yanked his tail out of the paws of the stranger, curling it close.

Blinking away the tears, he saw faces.

Blurry.
Too close.

All staring at the same thing. The tails. His tails. Two.

No one else had two.

Only him.

At just 8 months old, he knew he was different.

The other cubs were pulled away by the adults, voices from the hallway calling them for breakfast. But he didn't go. He stayed alone, eating in a different room. Just like when the others played outside, he was kept in a separate area(even though he did manage to escape most of the time). Always separated. But the fox didn't know why. Didn't understand.

But, there was one word he did understand.

“Tails.” He heard it when they looked at him. When they whispered. When they laughed.

Tails. That was him.

-

The fox trembled, hugging his tails close. The whirring of the saw cut through the air, making itself impossible to be unheard.

That noise- Was it happening again?

He shuddered, as if pleading for it not to happen again. His watery eyes darted around the room, for any way to get out, escape- get away from whatever it was. But he couldn't move. Cold sweat dripped down his fur as he was frozen in place.

The whirring only seemed to get louder, like that- thing was close again, like he was back there, back in that room, all over again.

The fox wrapped his tails around himself, covering the one with the other. He started to cry, but almost no noise came out.

-

“...need to fix him… it's just unnatural…”

Tails was crawling around the building, holding a small plane toy. He took it from outside– no one was using it anyways. He liked how the part at the front has two things that could spin. Just like his tails. It didn't work very well, but he still liked it.

“Tails..” He turned his head around, at the word, seeing the older fox. She worked here. Took care of the other cubs here too. Tails instinctively tensed up. He didn’t like how she would pull on his tails. It hurt.

She crouched down and saw the plane, taking it out of his hands. “Gah!” Tails protested, reaching out his arms, as if asking for it back. “That's not yours, is it?” She said, managing to take it out of his paws.
The worker chuckled, and lured him in with the plane, quickly picking him up too.

As Tails was being carried down the hall, it got darker. Quieter. Not safe.

“It’s so quiet here.” The other fox said, as if reading his thoughts.

“Everyone else is outside.” The fox bounced a bit, as he was being carried down a few stairs. “It must be lonely here alone, huh?” A door creaked as it was opened, and the flick of a light switched. “Don’t worry. You’ll be just like them soon.” The fox winced. She was pulling on one of his tails again.

-

The saw whirred again, the sound impossible to ignore. The fox pulled on his ears, begging for the sound to stop. The stench was horrible, the smell just like it was back there…

He couldn't breathe it, and couldn't breathe. Couldn't speak, couldn't move. TRAPPED. Just like he was back then.

“Tails!” His name was called, but he didn’t know- and couldn’t focus where or who it was coming from.

The noise of the machine whirred, and spun so fast it didn’t have a shape. The table was cold. Not safe.

Suddenly the lights were too bright, the ground was cold. And the noise- THAT HORRIBLE SOUND– was louder than ever.

It was getting closer, he could see it- he could feel how he was being held down again, and squirms, wanting to just get away. The grip only tightens even more.

The machine only got louder, and the smell more prominent. He pressed his ears against his head, desperate to quiet it. Tails begins to cry- he's stuck here, stuck in a grasp, trying to free himself using his small paws. “Stop moving!” She yelled at him.

Why here again? Didn't he leave? Doesn't make sense. Why?

TAIL. OW.

One of his tails was being grabbed, tight, and stretched out. Suddenly, the machine seemed to get bigger. CLOSER. He looked up desperately, but he was greeted with no emotion or care at all.

His heart pounded, beating faster than it ever had. Frantically, he pulled and squirmed, but his tiny paws were no use against someone much bigger and stronger.

“I'M DOING THIS SO YOU'LL BE NORMAL.”

The fox screamed, unlike he ever had before. His tail- red. HELP. The PAIN was happening all over again.

Too cold- Alone, can't escape. Get out, get out, GET OUT- his mind begged. The fox clenched onto his tail tightly, tears falling onto his fur as he shook.

“-little buddy!”

Tails' ears perked up, trying to find the sound.

“hey- it's me- it's Sonic, um…”

Sonic? Tails slightly loosened his grip on his tail.

“You're safe buddy, it's okay, I'm here.”

Safe. Tails cooed, his vision becoming less blurred, able to see the familiar blue. “Gah!” Tails got out through his sobs, reaching out.

“Eggman's gone, but he says he will be back, like always.”

“Thanks Knux.”

This was not that other place anymore. Sonic's hand. Warm. Slowly, Tails let himself be picked up. At first he flinched at the contact, but remembered who it was. The fox leaned into the hedgehog’s chest fur, still curled up holding his own tail. Sonic held him tight, but not too much.

Slowly, the fox was able to come back.

With his head against the hedgehog’s chest, it was soft, and warm. Sonic gently rocked him as tails could hear his heartbeat, slowing down from the speed.

Safe.

Warm.

No more noise.

It is okay.

He was too tired from crying.

But it was okay.

Sonic is here.

And Tails could close his eyes, and be okay.

Chapter Text

The world felt like it froze.

Sonic sat still as he held the little fox. Careful, as if he'd just realized how fragile the cub was.

The realization was like finally putting together pieces of a puzzle he didn't know existed. Sonic wasn’t trying to assume the worst, but if it was true… then- that was… horrifying.

The fox was cradled in Sonic's arms, protected from any harm- well, hopefully. But one of his tails… How could Sonic not have noticed before?

The scar.

Tails had been holding it, no- GRASPING onto this tail, LIKE IT HURT. And Sonic hadn't noticed. It wasn't a fresh cut. But it was deep. The scar was jagged, like– No, Sonic couldn't handle thinking about it.

Sonic swallowed, feeling a lump in his throat. What should he do? What could he do? Could he even protect him? Tails' cry echoed in Sonic's mind. It wasn't just a cry, it was a scream that sounded scared, hurt- alone.

Alone, was a horrible word. And it didn't always mean solitude. It could mean being surrounded, but… still scared. Not knowing who or where to go to. Being hurt by, or by the absence of certain people. But Soni- TAILS, Tails wasn't alone anymore, he had Sonic. Or maybe it was that Sonic had him.

But… did Sonic even deserve to have him? Tails was hurt, he IS hurt, and Sonic never noticed. Maybe he wasn't cut out for this after all. He was better alone anyways, and Tails needed someone who could PROPERLY take care of him, and notice when he was hurt. This was a mistake, wasn't it? Sonic the hero, taking on too much.

Sonic the CURSE. Always doomed to mess things up. That's all he was– a curse. That's what they thought anyway. Maybe he was wrong for thinking he could actually protect someone- and Tails deserved so much better.

All Sonic did all day was run around, kick a few robots, smile for the cameras, then go home and eat a chili dog. That's all he was, and would ever be good for. Not taking care of a kid…

He held Tails just a little bit tighter, as if it were to bring some more comfort… to Tails, and/or Sonic. Still… staying still.

“Have you been wounded?” Knuckles asked, holding another ice pack. “Ah, no thanks, I'm good.” Knuckles nodded, walking back to the freezer. To be honest, Sonic did kinda forget Knuckles was there. But he didn't blame the echidna for thinking something was up. After all, it was an extremely rare sight to see Sonic sit still.

Usually, after a battle, Sonic would usually have a small but proud grin, laugh at his enemy, then dash onto the next thing after helping clear up the mess of metal or rubble. But he wasn't even thinking about the conflict between him and Eggman. Right now it was all in his head.

“How is the fox?” The echidna asked, walking over to where Sonic was sitting on the floor. “He's… uh…” Tails nuzzled against Sonic's fur, his breathing still shaky, but now much more steady. “He’s calmer, now.” Sonic couldn't stop looking at the way the cub wrapped his arms around his tails, and of course, the scar.

“Looks like he's been through a lot.” Knuckles said, his tone a bit softer. “Yeah.” Sonic muttered, almost a whisper. He adjusted his arms a bit, making sure the cub was comfortable.

“Are you sure you aren't wounded?” Knuckles asks again. Other than a bit of a scratch on his arm, Sonic was completely fine. “Yeah, I'm alright. Why'd you ask?”

“You're very still.” The echidna had observed.
“No I'm not.” The hedgehog denied.
“Yes, you are.” Knuckles retorted.
“I'm just- relaxing.” Sonic claimed, trying to play it cool. Knuckles stared at him blankly. “What? I can't just be still for a minute?”

The echidna shook his head. “You… Staying still? On purpose?” Knuckles genuinely laughed, to which Sonic half-jokingly frowned. “You, hedgehog, are NEVER still. You’d usually be celebrating by now, or at least have that dumb grin on your face.” Knuckles shook his head. “Seriously though, you okay?” Sonic exhaled, then nodded again. “I'm okay, thanks, Knuckles. It's just… -yeah. I'm fine.”

The echidna sighed, seeing that he wouldn't get a clear answer out of the stubborn hedgehog. “I’ll be going now, back to my duty of protecting the master emerald. With Eggman out again, I better make sure he doesn't try anything.” He explained. Sonic nodded.

Before walking through the door, Knuckles stopped and opened his mouth again. “Whatever battle’s happening inside your mind right now, it’s okay to ask for help fighting it. You do not have to fight alone.”

The echidna spoke, a truly unexpected and unusual poetic piece of wisdom– coming from Knuckles, of anyone.

As he walked off, Sonic let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He looked back down at the fox cub in his arms, and was overwhelmed by so many thoughts and feelings. And amidst all the chaos, it felt so uncomfortably still.

–

The next two weeks were even worse. It was like the usual Eggman attacks on the village, but happening every other day. And usually, before for Sonic, the only person he had to look out for during a fight, was himself, and even if he got hit, once or twice, it would only be a problem for himself as well. But now, there was Tails.

And of course, it wasn't his fault– nothing was. But now while kicking ro-butt, instead of adrenaline, there was anxiousness that the cub would get scared, or hurt. Less banter, because Sonic just wanted to get it over with. Even after the battle was done, Sonic didn't celebrate, he couldn't. Instead, he just had to make sure Tails was okay. And even though he always was okay, Sonic couldn’t stop blaming himself for putting Tails in possible danger.

And then even on the occasions where there was nothing in trouble, no screams, destructions, or lasers- Sonic's mind said otherwise. Every time he just sat to relax, or was trying to peacefully watch Tails take apart and reassemble new toys (it was impressive, honestly), the hedgehog’s head ran a million thoughts a minute. He didn’t deserve this. Tails needed to grow up in a home with someone else who actually knows what they’re doing. Sonic didn’t. Even though he tried to learn, every little failure felt like a hard punch to the gut. He once forgot a chili dog wrapped in foil in the microwave, so it exploded and made a mess, and even though it wasn’t a big deal, he just wanted to break it down.

He was so anxious about messing up another thing, every second of the day, that his head felt like it was gonna explode. There were too many thoughts.
Or somehow- none at all. A horrible internal silence just about to be broken, but he'd never know when. At times, he didn't even feel like he was there. And in a way, he hadn't been.

With everything going on, he hasn't been himself lately. -Whoever that was anyway. But recently, the beloved blue hedgehog hero was in too many places, too much of the time, that he didn't even know where he was. And worse, he wasn't- and couldn't be there for anyone.

Not to Amy, or to Knuckles. Not even to himself. And worse, but honestly should've expected it, he couldn't be there for Tails.

Physically, Sonic was present, beside them, or in the same room. But every word spoken to him seemed to zip past his head. Time didn't make sense anymore, hours would go by in blinks, yet minutes still felt like hours. What time was it now? Where even was he>

“Gah!” The fox demanded, pounding at the floor. Sonic shook his head, snapping back to reality. “Sorry little buddy, I… what'd you need?” Tails’ stomach growled, and he whined again. Sonic nodded, smiling, “I should probably get you some food, huh?” Tails started chewing on his paw. Sonic dashed to the fridge, only to find nothing in there again. He could’ve sworn he bought groceries yesterday… or was it last week..? Well, that didn’t matter, he’ll just go to meh burger, they have a sale on tuesdays. What day was it? The hedgehog zoomed to his calendar. It was Wednesday. “Wednesday - DINNER WITH AMY AT 6 (DON’T FORGET!!)” Oops.

“Right.” He then quickly zoomed to his room to get something, and came back to the living room.

Somehow, during this week of chaos, Amy asked Sonic out to this new restaurant that just opened up, and apparently, Sonic agreed. He also definitely didn’t forget about it either– He was tired, okay?

“It's a bit of a fancy place, so… which tie, Tails?” He asked the fox, switching the blue and the black ties in front of his neck. Usually Sonic didn't wear anything, but it was a special occasion, so he threw on a white button up. Tails stared at him blankly, frowning, indicating that he didn't really care. Sonic just went with the blue one. He grabbed the baby sling, secured Tails, and they walked through the door.

Maybe tonight they’ll finally be able to relax.

Sonic almost laughed at that thought.

Chapter Text

The doctor slammed his fist on the table in frustration. “None of my plans have been working!” He says, looking at the monitors displaying each robot’s final view before being brutally destroyed by that blue menace. “Well, at least you tired him out?” Orbot suggests. “I didn’t ask for your opinion.” Eggman mutters.

“What’s so important about getting the fox anyway, boss?” Cubot tilted his metal head, hovering beside Orbot.

Eggman sighs in annoyance. “BECAUSE, you fools…” He opens a file onto the big screen. “According to my research, two tailed foxes contain a mutated gene which is connected to high intelligence levels.” The bots stared at him blankly, their clueless blue eyes blinking in confusion. Eggman frowns. “I want to analyze its brain… And perhaps take an apprentice under my wing.” He explains, standing up from his seat.

“You see, all of society, most animate beings in this world, are nowhere near my level of intellect. Being the smartest person in the room is exhausting, because everyone else is stupid. The only way out is to build, create, and show them all your superiority. And finally… an apprentice! A new project to perfect- A mind sophisticated enough to understand true art and engineering… Two evil geniuses! -we'd be unstoppable. And as his mentor, and the only one who would ever understand what it's like, I'll ensure he carries on the Robotnik legacy.” Ivo finishes his speech, and glances back down at his bots expectedly. “Well? What do you THINK, bolts for brains?”

“Oh! So, it's like… a mini-you!” Cubot exclaims.
“What!? No- Well, yes, but…ARGH, that's not-!” Eggman trails off at the end, not wanting to admit the cube head was right. "More like..." He searches for a word, but Cubot interrupts. "A buddy?" "No." "An intern?" "Not quite-" "A friend?" "Definitely not..." "A protégé?" "YES. And STOP! I'll put you in the scrap heap if I need to." Cubot quiets up at the threat.

“I, for one, think it's a great idea boss!” the other bot chirps, praising the doctor so he wouldn't blow up at them. Ivo nodded, taking it in.

Once he was at a calmer state, Orbot continues. “H-however, how do you know the fox won't resist? And how will we get it to the lair?”

Eggman sighs. He hadn't quite thought of that yet. “Yeah!” Cubot adds on. “And it's not like you could just ask Sonic to hand him over.” he says, almost laughing. Robotnik hated to admit that was true. There was no way Sonic would just hand over the fox after all the attacks.

The attacks.

Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Robotnik’s brain, a plan forming together quickly.

“Unless… We could.” He begins to pace.

Orbot and Cubot stare at their boss, confused about what he could mean this time. “There's no way in green hill that blue menace wouldn't try to take back the fox after all our attacks. He never stops until he knows- or believes… that the fox is safe. And if he sees flying, laser shooting machines take him away, of course he's not gonna stop.” he pauses, for dramatic effect. “While my machines are perfect, for this mission, we'll need to use a more… subtle, ‘human’ approach.”

Just as he finished speaking, there was the sound of the automatic door opening, and footsteps. “Your latte, doctor?” Robotnik smiled, holding out his hand to take it. “Steamed Austrian goat milk, your favorite.” The assistant mentions, a bit proudly. Robotnik takes a sip, then dabs away the coffee that got his mustache. “Always the exact right temperature, too.” He takes another sip, satisfied.

Robotnik slowly turns his chair around to face the man in the suit,

“Agent Stone, I’ve been hatching up a new plan, a mission. And you'd fit the job perfectly.”

Chapter Text

Sonic sprinted towards the restaurant, not using his full speed, but a comfortable one(for him, that was). Still, he didn't want to be any later than he already was– y'know, for someone who can go the speed of sound, you'd think he'd usually be on time to things. You'd be wrong.

The cool island breeze ran through his quills as the sun began to set, painting the sky a purplish pink. Sonic caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window of a shop that was closed for the night. He made a quick stop, running his hand through his quills, fixing them. From the carrier, Tails saw his reflection too, and cooed at himself. Sonic smiled, and affectionately petted the fox’s head before continuing to the restaurant.

Huh, Amy wasn't kidding– This was a pretty high-class restaurant. Definitely not a Meh-Burger, that's for sure. The pink hedgehog waved from her table. Sonic walked over that way, trying to ignore the obvious looks and whispers he got as he passed people at their tables.

Yeah, he was used to having heads turn to him wherever he went, as the “well-known, but not always well liked-fearless town hero” that defeated Eggman every week. Of course the whispers weren't always positive, with some seeing him as a threat to public safety. But he was used to all of that, knowing what they thought about him. And he didn't care (well, tried not to). But now- they weren't staring at him, they were staring at the cub in his carrier.

“Hey Ames- sorry we're late.” Sonic apologized, finally being able to sit. Amy waved it off, smiling. “I'm just glad you're here now.” He noticed her eyes looking down at the carrier, at Tails– who was currently messing with Sonic's tie. “Hey little guy” She said softly, with a hint of… disappointment? But not exactly disappointment— in her voice. Or maybe Sonic was just overthinking it. After all, there was a lot going on right now.

But, just to be sure, he added– “Ah, sorry if you had a more one on one kinda thing in mind..” he runs a hand through his quills. “It's just, he goes where I go y’know?”

Amy reached out to his hand. “Hey, don’t worry about it, honestly. I know you care about him a lot.”

Sonic relaxed a bit at Amy's response, though was caught off guard by the way she reached for his hand. He wasn't the greatest at these kinds of things– noticing what people actually felt. But he had to admit, Amy was comforting to be around.

“Yeah well, someone's gotta.” Sonic shrugged, ruffling Tails’ fur.

Speaking of, the fox was getting a bit squirmy now; grabbing at Sonic's quills, and kept trying to turn around to look at stuff. Sonic sighed and lifted him out of the sling, letting him sit on his lap. Tails wagged his tails slightly–which made him a bit hard to hold, but if he was happy, then Sonic didn't mind.

Sonic picked up the menu, seeing Amy do the same. “So, what’cha gonna get?” She asked. “I dunno, but I'm wondering if they have any-” “Chili dogs?” Amy guessed before he could finish. Sonic laughed. “Am I really that predictable?” Amy grinned. “Just a bit.”

A few minutes later, the waiter came by, and took their orders. Sonic, of course, got a chili dog. …And a certain look from the waiter that said “really?”. Amy, on the other hand, got a fancy pasta with a name Sonic wouldn't even try to pronounce. He also ordered Tails a blended vegetable soup.

The conversation wasn't anything too deep– casual back and forth through bites of food, and of course, while trying to hold onto Tails through his squirming.

“Gah!” Tails suddenly exclaimed, almost knocking over the soup. Sonic was quick to make sure the fox didn't fall, but wow, it was getting difficult to hold him and eat at the same time. Not to mention the people staring- the glances, the whispers…
‘Can he even take care of that?’
‘Do you think that's Sonic's own kid?’
‘Why does it have two tails..?’
It was getting really hard to ignore.

Possibly noticing Sonic's anxiousness, Amy speaks up. “So how's the chili dog?”
“ah- what? Oh, yeah, uh it's good.” He nodded. Geez, Sonic, what were you doing? Probably making Amy uncomfortable too. Get it together, man! “Well, it's definitely better than the one I exploded in the microwave last week” he shrugged, hoping to get a laugh. Amy chuckled, but was confused. “ha- uh, you what?” She asked.

“Welp, I don't really remember how it all exactly went, but..
Last week, this lil guy was upset, and I couldn't figure out why- I tried feeding him but he wouldn't eat, and I just changed his diaper too. Anyways, as I'm running around the house trying to find something to calm him down, I completely forget about my dinner, and hear a BOOM from the microwave, and even before I open the door: oof, I know it's a mess. The chili splattered on every wall, somehow! Then, I open the door and all the smoke gets out, setting off the alarm and now it's all total chaos, and worst of all, my chili dog’s gone, so I drop to the floor and start crying along with Tails.”

He laughs as he finishes his story, as if he'd just told a joke with a half-unfunny punchline. However, his smile faded at Amy's silence- and her expression. “Oh, wow, Sonic… ar- are you okay-?” crap. “EVERYTHING WAS FINE AFTER!” He interrupts, a bit louder than he expected. He cleared his throat. “Yep, yeah. I eventually realized Tails just needed to sleep, and the day went on the next morning, y'know?” He grinned, as if trying to prove his point. Damnnit- he was really just making everything worse.

The two were silent for a moment that felt too long. Sonic avoided looking at her right now, how could he? Amy just wanted to get food with him, not a whole rant of the emotional mess he was. Even Tails stopped his blabbering to notice how quiet they were.

The waiter came by to check up on them. “How's everythin-”
“GOOD!” Both Sonic and Amy proclaimed, unintentionally scaring the waiter. The waiter nodded hesitantly, and walked to a different table. Ugh, today Sonic was more of a mess than what Tails made in his diaper two days ago, and felt like it too.

“Hey, Sonic?”
Sonic opened his eyes, looking at the pink hedgehog as he took his head out of his hands.

“I… you're going through a lot right now, I can see it. Taking care of a kid- one you didn't even expect to have to take care of, is probably a lot.” He wanted to nod, but it came out as another shrug. Amy continued. “But you're not alone. It's okay if it gets overwhelming, but just know you can ask for help. I don't know much about babies, and I couldn't do what you're doing now, but I'm here for you, whatever you need.” She smiled.

Sonic tried to smile back, but internally, it didn't match. Did Amy think he wasn't capable of taking care of Tails? That he wasn't good enough? And maybe she was right. She saw how exhausted he was– maybe everyone saw, that's why they started. And maybe that was a sign that, no, he couldn't do it.

“But y'know, he's really lucky to have you. And despite everything, he still seems happy– that's what matters the most, right?”

Yeah, but Tails was only lucky to have Sonic because no one else would take him in. And ‘despite everything', what did that mean? Fighting Eggman every other day? Constantly putting the cub at risk, or maybe just barely being able to handle daily household tasks- it couldn't be good. Was Tails even happy? Maybe this was better than wherever he was before, but no. He deserved better.

Sonic kept up the smile, and thanked her. But it wasn't true. He just hoped it looked convincing enough. Sonic quickly took the last few bites of his chili dog, and saw that Tails was just about finished too. The dinner was cut short after that, he came up with the excuse that he needed to get the cub to bed on time, and couldn't stay for dessert. Amy looked disappointed, but said she understood. He felt really bad about it, but really, really, couldn't hold the act up anymore.

As he walked home, every step seemed to place another thought in his brain. The fearless, indestructible, dangerous, hero-hedgehog freak was at his breaking point. And people saw. But worse, he just wasn't good enough. He never would be. Not for Tails. The fox in the makeshift sling cooed, gently stirring in his sleep. He deserved so much better. And Sonic couldn't be that for him.

He placed the fox in his hammock when he got back home, and slumped down onto the floor. Absolutely nothing felt okay. He felt… small, again. Like he had the weight of the world on his quills, and no one actually understood.

He felt separate from everyone else, even or especially on this metaphorical pedestal people put him on, always expected to be the best, fastest, strongest- or separate like in the way he was looked at as a child: a curse. Unnatural. Bringer of bad things, to anything, or anyone around him. These beliefs being the reason why he was left alone as a child. Because he was ‘dangerous’.

And maybe he still was.

Chapter Text

5:00AM, Sonic's hut

The hedgehog was awake earlier than usual. Well, no. To be honest, he hadn't been sleeping much lately. Sometimes it was the cub’s wails, until Sonic could rock him back to sleep, but even after he was quiet, Sonic’s thoughts were the new noise. Or sometimes it was his thoughts alone.

Voices worrying about the cub, or what happened to him. Voices worrying about, (and also cursing) Eggman and what he'd do next. Voices making him feel like a scared little hedgehog again. Voices saying he'd never be good enough, especially not for Tails.

But he tried to keep busy.

So here he was, awake before the sun. So tired, but so restless. Because lately, he tried to be the one to slow down, but everything else felt too fast. And oh, god, did that thought annoy him. Sonic was the fastest thing he's ever known, yet if he were to be in a race against the rate things happened, he was pretty sure he'd lose. So he sat on the beanbag chair holding a book, though he'd just been staring at the same page for about 20 minutes now, and 20 more minutes after. He wasn't reading it, his thoughts convinced him his current situation would make a better story anyways.

-

6:30AM

The cub woke up, crying. He wasn't hurt or scared, just crying; a normal thing for babies to do. Soon enough, the hedgehog came to the hammock and picked up Tails. He almost immediately stopped crying when he felt the comforting embrace.

Safe. Warm.

But.. not as much bounce as before. Tails, even at his young age of about 9 months now, was able to perceive and pay attention to a lot of things, a lot. He noticed how when he was being carried, his carrier wouldn't move very quickly. And how when the arms that carried him weren't, they were always hanging down, like his own tails did when he was sleepy. The cub felt like the hedgehog was sleepy too sometimes.

Sonic placed Tails on the carpet, and handed him the nearest toy, a little car. Tails cooed excitedly at the object, taking it eagerly in his paws. He felt a hand ruffle his head fur, and then the footsteps faded as they went somewhere else. Tails liked the way the wheels spun. Round, and round, and round, like his own Tails.

He looked behind himself, and started to wind up his tails when he suddenly winced, the sudden pain a reminder of what happened.

That place.
The hurt.
The red.

So loud, stop, so loud, no, no-

Suddenly it all went fuzzy. Everything- nothing. Just blank.

“-Little buddy?” said a voice, pulling Tails back to where he was. Oh, he dropped the toy, but- ooh food! Tails crawled over to his blue caregiver and saw the plate, wanting to eat.

Sonic tore the waffle into small pieces, handing them individually to the cub, and occasionally eating a few himself. He was sitting on the beanbag while the cub sat on the floor, his tails wagging happily as he ate. Sonic smiled at the cub, but couldn't help but still feel guilty. Yeah, he was eating, but was it healthy for babies? Was it too much for the cub to chew? Or were the pieces too small, too big-,what if he might choke? He felt like he was doing everything wrong.

The hut was messy, and it was messy even before Tails was here, and now it was still messy, just– with different stuff. Sonic looked back down at the cub, and was reminded how heavy his head felt. He was struggling to stay awake, but refused to fall asleep, not when Tails needed him. But Tails SHOULDN'T need him. Not him.

Tails should be with someone who had a decent sleep schedule and could feed him properly, someone who could stand up and walk out the door without wanting to disappear every time someone gave them a look or whisper that just knew they were doing a bad job. Well, Tails needed someone who WASN'T doing a bad job. Tails needed someone who actually knew what they were doing.

The fox tilted his head, noticing the way the blue hedgehog’s leg shook. Also, he forgot to give Tails the next piece of food. “Sah?” Tails tried, but it was like he didn't hear him until a few seconds later.

There we go, another piece. The fox munched on it. “Sorry, little buddy.” the hedgehog yawned, his attention going back to… well, it wasn't Tails.

Just then, the doorbell rang, both yellow and blue heads turning towards the door. Sonic picked up Tails, and the fox cooed as he nuzzled against the fur.

Sonic opened the door with the hand not holding Tails. There was a human, dressed in an all black suit and tie. He was holding a briefcase of some sort, and had a small badge on. He also smelled of coffee, with steamed goat milk. “Hi, this is the residence of Sonic the Hedgehog?” he asked. “the one and only.” Sonic nodded. “So, uh… you want an autograph or something?” He guessed. In the past, crazy fans had found his address and just wanted a picture or something, but sometimes it got really out of hand- like with Mark the Tapir-

“I'm here from Cub Protection Services, about the fox you have here.” He explains, gesturing to Tails. But even though he smiled, something about it felt… off. Sonic instinctively tightened his hold on Tails, just a bit. “Oh. Uh… What'd you… did you hear anything?” Sonic asked. It was no secret that Sonic had been taking care of the cub, but he was confused as to why someone would be sent or called here.

“I'm afraid to say, Mr. Hedgehog, you don't have legal possession of the cub, and some believe he may even be in unsafe living conditions.” The man explained, and the words hit Sonic like a cold bucket of water. It was true, he kinda just found Tails on the street and picked him up, so he was not a legal guardian. But “unsafe living conditions?” What did that mean?

As if reading his mind, the man spoke, “Unsafe, considering the certain situations you tend to be in.” Oh, Eggman. The man nods at Sonic's realization, and continues. “And, on top of that, not many see you as the… kind of type to take on this responsibility, especially with your other heroics and such. It's unexpected, is all.” The hedgehog can feel his insides crumbling, but manages to keep himself upright. Had the town really been noticing that much? But… he wouldn't just hand over Tails this quick, even if this guy was part of an organization, he was a stranger. And Sonic… he wasn't just gonna give up Tails like this.

“-I'm sure you're concerned.” Said the man, as if reading the hedgehog’s thoughts, yet again. “But I assure you, he'll be in great hands. We know about this cub's… certain, uniqueness– the rare mutation.” Sonic found himself giving a nod, unsure why, but he did. He continued. “and, I'm sure such a hero like yourself would be grateful to have this off his hands.”

‘off his hands?’ Sure, taking care of Tails was a responsibility, and took a lot of his time and energy, but… Tails needed Sonic. Or- was it that Sonic needed Tails? …Was this selfish? No- this guy had no idea what he was talking about.

Sonic hesitated before responding. “I'll keep it in mind.” He finally said, beginning to close the door, but the man's foot stopped it. Sonic looked back up at him to see him holding a card with a phone number on it. “When you're ready to contact us.” He explains, still with that unmoving smile on his face. Maybe it was supposed to be comforting? Sonic didn't know. He finally nodded, took the card, and closed the door.

He sat slumped against the door, and looked at the cub in his arms, who looked back up at him curiously. “Brrp? Gah.” Tails declared. Sonic chuckled, but his smile quickly faded.

This fox had brought him so much joy.
But had Sonic brought enough for him?

Maybe he didn't want to leave Tails, so Tails wouldn't leave him. He knew that he had to consider what the fox needed for himself. He needed real care, someone who knew what they were doing. And Sonic was exhausted. He loved the cub, and the joy that he brought, but he was so tired. And he wasn't cut out for it. But what else was he cut out for?

So maybe the man was right. Maybe everyone was right.

Being the blue blur might be a curse. Because no matter how much he gives, it just won't be enough.

But this cub deserved more than not enough, this cub deserved anything better than whatever the hedgehog could(n’t) do.

Maybe it was time.

Chapter Text

Sonic had always tried to do the right thing.

But lately, he didn't really know what to do. And it was getting tiring.

“Don't you ever get tired, Egghead!?” Sonic said through gritted teeth, dodging another piece of rubble. Usually, it'd be Eggman complaining, and the hedgehog would reply with a witty taunt. But honestly, he just couldn't. He was tired. Day after day, Eggman targeted city celebrations and gatherings, or what seemed like wherever Sonic was at that time. “Trust me, I am tired- Tired of you, you pesky rodent! Just let me win for once!” Eggman yelled, firing at a nearby roof. Ugh, that was gonna be a lot of damage.

“Why don't you just give up?” He said, spin dashing into the arm of Eggman's new robot. “What do you even want with the- 20th bi-annual anniversary of Comedy Chimp?” Sonic sighed, reading the sign of the event. The Doctor simply laughed.

The battle continued as Eggman’s lazers hit various things while Sonic did his best to get people out of the way and save whatever was left of the building. Amy was hitting some other of Eggman's goons with her hammer, and Knuckles helped her with his fists. “Sonic!” Amy called. “Need any help over there?”

“I'm alright!” He assured her, despite the laser that just barely grazed him. He was Sonic the freaking hedgehog, for chaos’ sake. He always thought fast, fought hard, and did right. Right? Sure he was tired, but that didn't mean he had to annoy anyone else with his own problems. Speaking of problems, Eggman wasn't the only one.

The past few weeks had just been getting worse in terms of… “fans” and paparazzi. Critics... The whole town, the whole city had things to say about him; they always do. He tried to keep away, but the volume's never zero.

Even now, as he's literally doing whatever he can to save their sorry butts, the words slip out from the crowd about how he should've done something differently, how he doesn't deserve to call himself a hero when there's this much destruction, how Eggman only comes back because Sonic can't finish the job. They weren't as loud as lasers, but sometimes it hurts more. All Sonic had ever tried to do was do the right thing.

Sonic had been so caught up in his head he didn't realize the debris that was about to fall and under it was no one but a small fox- a cub-

“TAILS!” He yelled, immediately leaving his position of trying to knock the robot over– to roll up in a ball around the cub and spin away.

‘Oh chaos, please please please be okay.’ he prayed, just trying to get out of the way.

Once he was a bit away from the fight, he held the cub in front of himself, to see the watery blue eyes and arms reaching to go back to him. The cub wasn't crying or hurt, but it was clear he was scared. Sonic swore at himself. Tails COULD'VE been hurt. And it would've been Sonic's fault. He held the cub close and ruffled the yellow fur, trying to soothe him. But Sonic was everything and anything but calm.

It turned out that Eggman got away, stealing a crate of metal or something in the process. No civilians were harmed but the building would probably take a while to put back together. Of course, as soon as they found him, crowds began to form and people took pictures, either upfront blaming Sonic for what happened, or passive aggressively giving him “advice”. And endless invasive questions and hurtful statements.

“Stupid blue blur can't do anything right”

“and he calls himself a hero..”

“Who's the cub freak? What's up with the tails?”

“Putting that thing of a child in danger too…”

Sonic stood up and glared in the general direction of the crowd. He ran. Away. Away from all the noise. Back to his hut. But one voice of all of those stood out. “Putting that “thing of a” child in danger too.”

First of all, fuck off. But also- It was like hearing the story of his own childhood- painfully too accurate. He knew what it was like to be called horrible things. To not even be recognized as a person. But being in danger? Feeling unsafe at every turn? Alone..? He tried his best to protect this cub from that, but it just wasn't realistic. It was wrong.

No matter how hard he tired to keep other's voices away people would always still be talking. And no matter how hard he tried and tried to learn to take care of a cub, he couldn't even take care of himself properly. And on top of all that, he couldn't handle being a caregiver and a “hero” at the same time. And he wasn't even good at either of them.

People thought he was weak. He was. Amy knew, she knew he couldn't handle it on his own. Knuckles thought the same. He shouldn't have to make his problems anyone else's to deal with. Especially not this cub.

As the hammock swung gently, Tails tugged on Sonic's fur. “I'm sorry.” Sonic said, his eyes being the only thing to reach towards the fox. “You need a home, not… this. Not… me.” Tails cluelessly cooed. Sonic sighed, leaning back. It was selfish and overconfident of himself to think he could take care of the cub just because- well, he saw himself in him. That maybe… he'd be the only one to understand what it feels like to be alone. Surrounded by so much, yet so, so, alone. But that was Sonic's issue. For himself. So he had to say goodbye.

With a final contemplation– he nodded to himself and stood up. He picked up the phone. This was the right decision.

Chapter Text

The hedgehog sat slumped on his couch, mindlessly watching the TV with a bag of ring-shaped chips in hand. But he felt so… empty. What else was there to do? And ever since that terrible day- Eggman's been quiet. But of course, the public wasn't. When were they ever?

Just then, a reporter at the scene of what happened a week ago, popped up on the news, asking people about the recent destruction of that building, the headline ”Hedgehog Hero or Hazard?”. The owners of the building as well as employees were obviously upset, some using… harsher- words than others. But for Chaos’ sake, couldn't they be grateful? He saved their lives. He does it every other week.

But for some reason, they thought it was better to criticize everything he did WRONG. But maybe it didn't matter anymore. At least he was doing one less thing. 

And maybe he did do that thing wrong, and didn't know how or what to do, but he knew why he needed to… But it didn't matter anymore. Because that …thing wasn't his responsibility anymore. It couldn't be, after all. Right?

He switched off the TV. Listening to this hurt his head.

He just needed a moment of quiet to himself. Maybe he'd lay down and sleep. 

Nope, who was he kidding? He had to move now, or he'd probably get buried under all this… junk. Or explode. And he was Sonic. Sonic the freakin hedgehog. He runs. So he went for a run.

Sonic stepped out the door, and he just ran.

He ran past shops and people, although this time he avoided them whenever possible. He didn't stop for fans or critics, and he didn't stop for news reporters. Sonic didn't want to deal with any… well, anything else. He hated being constantly judged.

All he wanted was to do the right thing. 

That's all he ever tried to do. But maybe he was just wrong. 

He kept running, as if the speed would distract him from his thoughts. It didn't. Usually it would, but today it just didn’t. Oh, Gaia- make it STOP. His head was so loud and there was always this dread- this impending sense of doom he was never able to outrun.

Run, run, run. 

It was all he could think to do.

It was all he knew how to do.

Run, to make it stop.

Run away, to get away.

Would getting away make it go away?

WOULD HE EVER BE ABLE TO GET AWAY?

“AAAH!” The pink hedgehog yelped as the books and papers flew out of her hands, and she spun around. Sonic stopped himself and turned back around immediately, just in time to catch Amy by the hand. The last of the papers just hit the ground as the two were finally able to process what just happened. Amy blinked a few times, rubbing her head from the dizziness. Sonic scolded himself internally for being so unaware of his surroundings. He could’ve seriously hurt someone- he could’ve hurt Amy. 

“Hmm..” Amy mumbled as she regained her stability. “Oh! Hey, Sonic..?” She said warmly, noticing the guy in front of her. It took the blue hedgehog an embarrassing amount of milliseconds to realize that yes, she was talking to him. “Oh- uh… Sorry, Amy.” He apologized.

She shrugged it off, and smiled. They both then realized their hands were still together as Amy was standing back on her own two feet now- and after a quick glance they let go of each other. “So um… What’s the rush? Where ya going?” She gave a small laugh, crouching down to pick up her papers. Sonic began to help with that. He didn’t really know how to answer. “I… Y’know how it is. I’m always… somewhere…” He trailed off, trying to make sense of his own words.

“I’m not going anywhere, really.” Sonic wished he knew where he was going. He shook his head. “So! Uh… What’s been happening with you?” He changed the subject, a bit too loudly.

Amy’s head perked up at the question, caught a bit off guard, but interested anyway. “Oh! Well, today I helped Sticks with something about a can opener- it’s a long story actually… And then I went to the market for a bit, bought a new stand for my hammer– because I accidentally broke the other one… Went back home, installed that, spent a few hours gardening… ooh! -and my orchids are just starting to bloom! Aannd… now I’m here, on my way to the gym! I usually go with Knuckles, but he was busy today, helping out these guys Vector and Espio. I was also gonna stop by the library first to drop these off, and I bumped into you, and yeah!” She took a big breath after all of that, and shrugged.

They continued to pick up the books. “Sounds like an average day in the life of Amy Rose.” Sonic smiled. “You know it.” She sighed.

They both stood back up and held her books. “Hopefully there’s not too much sand in the pages.” Sonic chuckled. 

Amy smiled, but her expression wasn’t hiding her concern very well. “Hey, uh… How are you doing though? I mean, with everything that’s been happening… The news, the townspeople-” She hesitated. “Are you… Okay?”

Sonic opened his mouth, but he couldn’t find the words. He exhaled, unsure where to go from there. Amy waited. 

“I don’t know.” He simply said. “I don’t know what I’m doing. Or what I should be doing. I don’t think I’ve been doing anything right.” He admitted. Amy tilted her head.

“That’s not true. You’re always trying your best to save the village, helping out whenever you can. You have a big heart, Sonic- You care about people. As long as that stays the same… Well, that’s what matters.” She said as if she truly did believe every word.

“And aside from that- no matter what they say, you have Tails now! I’m sure the fox-” Sonic winced at the mention. Amy stopped herself.

“Hey um… Where is he?”

“He’s… in better hands now. Some… Cub Protection Agency- that’s what they said.” Sonic couldn’t look at her as he spoke. The words almost hurt as they left his mouth.

“What who said?” She asked, clearly concerned.

“This- this guy? He came up to my hut with a card– saying something about how he was part of this organization and could help find a real home for the kid. And I declined at first, but y’know how it’s been, it hasn’t been easy. And- I- I dunno. I called the guy back a week ago, and it was hard seeing Tails go, but- I… realized I wasn’t right for him. I can’t take care of a kid. Every other week- sometimes every other day, I’m trying to save the city, takedown Eggman, and when I’m not doing that, I just gotta find ways to tune out whatever the public has to say about me! I-”

Sonic stops himself, not wanting to dump all of this on Amy here. She didn’t need to know about all his problems. She was probably tired of them too. Sonic sighed. “He needed to be somewhere better. Somewhere… safe.” 

Amy shook her head. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this?” She asked.

That certainly wasn’t the question he was expecting.

“I mean- Sonic..? I know you’ve been stressed. It’s a lot of change, especially on top of what you regularly have to go through already. But..” Amy sighed, and continued.

“These past few weeks..? You’ve been brighter than ever. I mean, I think we got closer too, if I can say that. We both know the whole town knows who you are. The solo speedy blue hero with an attitude.” She chuckled. “But I’ve seen that you’re also caring up close, and you have so much love to give. That cub… He looked at you like you were his home. So much trust and safety. And the way you looked at him, the way you held him? I know you’d fight the craziest monsters or run the greatest lengths just to keep him safe.”

Amy looks into the sky, as if the memories were right there. She looked back at the other hedgehog.

“It’s just- Not everyone is as good as you. You really cared about him, and I know you know you did. I like to think there’s good in everyone, but he’ll never meet someone just like you again.”

Sonic didn’t know what it was, but he began to cry. He hadn’t really cried in front of anyone for a long time. Or any time that he could remember.

“I’m such an idiot.” He forced a laugh between a sob. He brought his hand up to his eyes to try and wipe away the tears. No point in trying to hide it though, it was already clear he was crying. “I don’t know why I did that. I thought- maybe he’d be safer if he was away from me.” 

“You were probably one of the safest people he could be with.” Amy pointed out, a bittersweet smile. Sonic let out a shaky breath, and ran his fingers through his quills. “I don’t wanna question your judgement.” Amy said. “But- I mean it when I said it, and I’ll say it again. I’m here for you. You don’t have to deal with– all of this, alone again. And if you really do think Tails has a chance finding a safer home out there..? I guess it was done already.” She shrugged. 

“But it wasn’t because of you. I just wish you didn’t feel like you had to keep it all from us.”

Sonic blinked at her, listening deeply. She really meant it. And she didn’t look at him like he was that little helpless pup all those years ago- no, she looked at him like she saw strength. He didn’t know why, but she did. Maybe if Amy saw strength in him, even when he tried to hide the pain by running, it was something of the truth. 

“Thank you, Amy.” He smiled.

Amy smiled back and set the books down, wrapping him in a hug. “Anytime.” He leaned into her hug and let the warmth rest on them for a few seconds.

She pulled back and patted him on the shoulder. “Just… Think about what I said, alright? If you think you did the right thing, I guess I won’t push you any further. But if you have any doubts- I’m sure they’ll let you see him. Maybe we could look into the organization- And see what happens then.” 

–

Sonic stepped inside the doorframe of his hut and let out a big breath. He was back here, news and radio off, and the mess wasn’t something he was actively thinking about. His head… It was quieter. Never fully silent, but calmer. He was able to realize how much of a wreck his house was in. It looked like it did the day before the first time he’d picked up– the cub. And wow, it was pretty gross.

Sonic picked up a few empty takeout boxes and tossed them in the trash. He swept up some crumbs too. Within a few minutes, it was looking better. He sat down, looking around. 

No, something was missing. Sitting didn’t feel right. So, he got back up and looked around. One part of the main area still remained untouched.

The hammock.

It swung too easily from the light breeze, it was too empty. The only thing inside was a chewed piece of cardboard. Sonic picked it up, but couldn’t get himself to throw it out. It was so empty here. It was so quiet. 

Oh, Chaos, Sonic knew he never handled change all that well. 

And it was just then, in that moment he realized how much he regretted everything. 

What would he do now, with all these scattered kids’ toys? How would Sonic let himself sleep at night not knowing if the cub was able to? Was he crying? Would he be able to stop? And they were all questions Sonic didn’t know the answer to. Oh Chaos, he was an idiot. 

Sonic didn’t know if he meant it for himself or the cub, but he wanted nothing more in that moment than to be able to hold the fox once more, rock him to sleep and say everything will be alright. But- it was too late now. He’s in a better place. Sonic kept trying to tell himself.

That night, he laid down on his couch- still in the habit of sleeping there for months, beside the hammock- which was now empty. Sonic slept. Noise didn’t keep him up, but thoughts did. Eventually he was able to go to sleep.

The next morning he awoke to a call.

“Hey Ames.” Sonic greeted groggily, knowing the number. 

“Morning Sonic!” Amy said in her usual cheerful tone before continuing to something that sounded a bit more urgent. “So uh, last night- after we parted, I decided to look into the organization, the ‘Cub Protective Services’ or something? I got some friends- well, Knuckles’ friends, to search some things up and-” She hesitated, taking in a breath.

“..Yeah?” Sonic asked, dying in anticipation.

“Cub Protective Services- It doesn’t exist.”