**Disclaimer I only own Marisol and Eliz, everything else belongs to Sega**
He was finally going to tell him, finally going to tell Professor Gerald Robotnic how he felt about him. That made him smile at his imagination of a complete family for him on Earth or not on Earth here. Shadow entered the Professor's some spit he had in his mouth he said "Professor I need to tell you something important," weakly and his voice was shaking. His creator spun around in his chair and looked at him, Shadow was immediately more nervous than he was before he entered "What is it Shadow can't you see that I'm busy." Gerald yelled causing Shadow to flinch but continued any way
"Sorry Professor b-but I r-r-real-l-l-ly need to t-talk to you. Shadow apologized scared of what Gerald would do to him "Well what is it?" Professor Robotnic questioned his hedgehog looking at him like he was in trouble for something he did wrong. "For awhile now... I've been starting to think of you... as some sort of... Parental figure in my life. Since well you did create me,... take care of me when I get sick,... teach me education wise... and how to take care of my self." He explained slowly not making eye contact with his creator.
Gerald nodded him to continue with what he was saying "Go on." he softly nudged wanting to have Shadow stop stalling so he tried Maria's technique of getting him to talk.
Gulping down some spit, he took a deep breath and continued " Professor lately I've been having these dreams about me having a family on Earth. With Maria as my sister, when Eliz comes to visit her as my mother, her granddaughter as my other sister and you... as...my...my...my" he stuttered to scared to finish what he was saying
"SPIT IT OUT SHADOW! YOU SAID THIS WAS IMPORTANT" he yelled causing Shadow to jump backwards in fear,
Taking another deep breath he said"... With you as my... father." after he said that he felt a wave of relief wash over him. "So what do you think f-f-f-father?" he asked, Gerald stood up from his chair and walked over to him.
Kneeling down to his level he put a hand on his shoulder. The next thing he knew he was on the ground and his cheek was stinging from where Gerald had hit him.
"Don't you dare call me your father!" he yelled "I creator you yes but the reason I don't keep you in the lab all day is because of Maria. so I allow you to wander around with her. I need you to help with the cure for my granddaughter that is why you have not been terminated yet. Once Maria is no Earth she will have other friends and will not have to rely on you for your friendship that much!" Then he picked up Shadow by the scruff of his neck and tosses him into his old cage "You'll stay in there till you learn not to waste my time, with petty ideas. (Dream Ends)
Shadow's eyes snapped open and he quickly sat up. After a while he sees that there is a figure at the end of his bed. When the lamp on his nightstand is turned on he sees that it is Gerald, in on of his hands in a damp rag and in the other hand was a cup.
"Here Shadow this will help you get back to sleep" he said softly and carefully handed the cup to his hedgehog. Slowly the black hedgehog drank the warm milk that was in the cup when it was finished Gerald took the cup and wiped Shadow's mouth and forehead of sweat and the milk mustache. Slowly his eyes started to close and before long he was asleep again. Waiting there for a while Gerald watched his creation sleep wondering why this was happening to him and why Shadow was having these nightmares. Before he left he tucked Shadow back in and smiled at the hedgehogs peaceful expression, then turned off the light. When he reached his lab and put the cup in his built in kitchen room, and went to his computer and took out his journal. He wrote and spoke
"Shadow's nightmares have started to get worse and first it was just him whimpering but now it is having him wake up in fright. I want to help him out but he seems afraid of me . yes he trusts me but he seems to be afraid of me for some reason. Maybe it has to do with his nightmares, I'll have to take it slow and if I can't get him to talk to me I'll see if one of the girls will. Either Eliz, Maria, or the newest arrival, Eliz's granddaughter Marisol." he signed off and went to his room. On his way he checked on Shadow to see how he was doing, smiling that Shadow was still asleep he left and headed to bed. HE had heard that Shadow had started to call Eliz, mom and was starting to feel a little jealous that he hadn't receive the title Dad, Father or Daddy yet by his creation.
(next day)
It was the same as the night before he finally told Gerald that he thinks of him as his father except this time Gerald tossed him over his legs and proceeded to smack him till he went limp. Laying on the floor Shadow cried from the harsh treatment his creator gave him. Believing that he did will not deserve this for thinking of Gerald as a father maybe a few hits or sent to his cage if he was not supposed to feel that way but making him go limp was taking it too far. At lest that is what he thought till "This should make sure I never have to deal with you ever again and will keep the cure safe. All I will tell Maria is that something happened and this stuff will keep you alive." Gerald said as he got close to Shadow with the needle. "NO!" Shadow yelled in fear "Please no. I... Stop please." he begged tears starting to fall from his eyes. Once the needle penetrated his skin he screamed and bolted up. (Dream ends)
"Calm down Shadow you are safe here." a voice said and he then felt a hand with a damp rag wipe the sweat from his face. The cold water on the rag made him shiver from the chill it left on his face. "Shadow drink this, before you go back to sleep. It will help cool you down. Do you want to take a bath Before you go back to sleep?" Gerald asked concerned for Shadow's well-being. "I'll take it tomorrow," he took the glass of water, and took a drink from it and feeling the ice cubes touch his upper lip, "Thank you for the drink professor, sorry to keep you up." he lay back down only to be covered up with blankets by the professor "No trouble at all Shadow. I'll level this hear for you. Good night." He left turning off the light and went to his lab to report in his journal, a bout Shadow's recent nightmare.
(The next night)
Shadow sat in the lab waiting for Professor Gerald Robotnic. He sat there thinking on what to say and how to avoid getting killed or sent to G.U.N. When the door opened Shadow smiled warmly at the professor.
"You seem to have something on your mind, usually you are playing with the girls." Gerald said as he walked by Shadow, to sit down in his seat and looked at the hedgehog on the lab table
"Yes, Professor...there s...I would like to talk to you about if you don't mind." he said
"Well I have a few ideas as to why you are coming to me and not to one of the girls" Gerald said and laughed at how red Shadow's face got
"N-N-No i-it is not t-that." He took a few breaths to calm down "Professor I have been thinking of you as a parental figure in my life. let me explain, you take car of me, teach me yourself, you watch out for my well being." "What are you saying Shadow?" Gerald asked calmly "You treat me very kind Sir, and I have been starting to think... of you... as my... f-father" Shadow said slowly " If you don't think of me as a son I understand, but please don't hurt me. I don't think Maria could stand it if I am dead. Please I am willing to just go back to the way it was with you as my creator instead of my father." He added quickly.
Gerald stood up and made his way over to Shadow then pulled him toward him. Shadow relaxed in his arms smiling brightly happy to know that he was part of a family. Then he felt something hit him hard and he fell to the ground out of surprise. Then he was roughly picked up and lied down on his stomach over someone's lap. He felt a hand wipe him multiple times. Then he felt something punch him in the back of his head, and toss him into a small cage, and was viciously yelled at for believing in stupid fantasies then he heard.
"This will make you sleep for a while till your immune system kicks in and you are cured. To bad we can't give you something to cause you to become paralyzed but still feel the pain we will put you through." the voice said all he could tell is that this time his tormentor was not Gerald and he was even more terrified of this. He knew that Gerald even if he didn't feel the same would not kill him personally, might knock him out fr a few days but never kill or tormentor him after paralyzing him he knew that for a fact since when one experiment left him temporarily paralyzed Gerald protected him from G.U.N, and other scientists till it passed. When the needle pierced his skin it burned his whole body. He felt something hit his head after the needle left his arm and he woke up screaming.
Gerald was sitting there with a cold rag "Come here Shadow." he commanded, but Shadow only pulled away in fear "I won't hurt you I promise." he added softly. Slowly Shadow crawled closer to Gerald. Once Shadow was in his arms he made his way to his lab. setting Shadow down on one of his lab tables he went into the kitchen tart of his lab and came out a minute later with a cup. He gave it to Shadow and waited for him to finish drinking the cup of ice water. once it was done he spoke again "Follow me Shadow." then left his lab with the black hedgehog tailing him half scared half curious as to where his creator was leading they reached the bathroom Gerald filled up the tube then said " take off your gloves then hop in." Once the only hedgehog on the Ark did as he commanded he started to feel relaxed already in the lukewarm water it was cold enough to make him stop sweating and warm enough to lull him into a relaxed state.
After five minutes Shadow was dried off and Gerald spoke to Shadow again "Shadow do you want to talk about them? You have been having them for a while now. If something is bothering you please, tell me. I would like to help you." Shadow shook his head and launched himself at Gerald and latched onto him crying. Gerald lightly patted Shadow's back as his hedgehog cried. Gerald, Once Shadow calmed down, Gave him a glass of warm milk to help him get back to sleep, and tucked him in, then checked the monitor in his room he kept to make sure Shadow was both safe and not troubled; he then left and came back with a glass of ice water for Shadow in-case he woke again, and put it on his nightstand near his bed.
"Oh, Shadow I wish you would just tell me what is wrong. I won't be mad at you I promise. I...I...I want to help you, your my hedgehog Shadow. I can't hep you if you don't tell me what is wrong... Good night." Gerald said and left. Little did he know Shadow was awake and heard everything he said. 'Does that mean he loves me as a son or just property that he wants to make sure is not Physiologically damaged.' Shadow thought as he drifted off to sleep.
(With Maria and Marisol)
"He won't tell him Maria he is too scared" Marisol exclaimed
"Well like you said Marisol, he is scared so of course he won't tell." Maria pointed out to her telekinetic friend in pink. Looking at her friend in blue,
Marisol sighed "I don't mean Shadow, Maria, I was talking about Gerald." Maria rolled her eyes at how dense Marisol was being, even though she admitted she was not a genius, she still could fool people with her talk about how Chaos and Cosmic energy are different and the same.
"I'm talking about grandpa too Marisol."
"Well I guess Shadow could have also counted since he is afraid of what G.U.N would do to him and of what Gerald would do to him as well, but that is besides the point neither of them are going to tell the other that they think of the other one as family and they are not going to admit it soon because of how much G.U.N wants to get Shadow." Marisol said thinking out loud, and Maria smile this was one of those times. Mathematical no she was not unless you counted with her scary actuate shooting of her bow an arrow.
(Next morning)
Shadow was hanging out with Maria and Marisol that morning since it was his day off of both experiments and G.U.N training. "Shadow can I talk to you for a minute." Gerald requested
"Sure." he replied still seated next to Maria
"I mean alone Shadow." Professor Robotnic added calmly
"O.k" he said getting up and shaking with fear as his creator lead him down the halls of the Ark to his lab. When they got there Shadow asked "W-W-What do y-you want t-t-t-to talk ab-bout.?" his voice shaking with fear
"Look Shadow I want to know if your feeling... alright. That and to remind you that the Tornado drills are starting up soon."Gerald Robotnic said
"A lot has been on y mind that's all. Thank you Professor for reminding me about the drills." the hedgehog replied getting off of the lab table he was sitting on as he spoke to Gerald thinking it was going to be an exam to see if any of the scientists left any lasting damage on him.
"If something is bothering you, just tell me now; it will not be on record. You will not be in trouble. Just tell me." he stated to his hedgehog child
"N-N-No I-I-I can't. Y-You'll be mad. Please I don't want to get hurt." Shadow cried backing up to the door
"What did you do wrong?" Gerald asked concerned as to what happened to cause the black hedgehog to behave like this.
"Nothing, I just know if I tell what's going through my head you'll hurt me." he cried then ran out of the lab leaving Gerald shocked as to why his hedgehog would think if he talked to him about what was going through his mind he would hurt him, was he really that tough on Shadow or did the commander's son make him think that.
