Here it is! Chapter numero dos in my latest long-shot. Hey, I think I'll use that for my multi-chaptered oneshots. LOL Sorry. I'm hyper. It's 5 am and I haven't slept yet. Go figure. ;)

Anyway, heres the next chapter. I've added song lyrics to this one, so be prepared for that. The few lyrics in this story is from the song I'm Still Here, by John Rzeznik, who is from the Goo Goo Dolls:D Good singer, in my opinion.

Sanctuary

Chapter 2:

Projections

For the rest of the day, Tails avoided Sonic, going out of his way to make sure the two never crossed paths. Sonic couldn't control his thoughts, couldn't help but worry about Tails, and be concerned about what he was going through. And he heart ached when he thought of Tails, simply avoiding him all day, fearful of him leaving again. Sonic couldn't focus on anything, not even the T.V. that afternoon.

So, becoming frustrated, Sonic decided he would go for a run.

Sonic stepped toward the doorway around 12:30, and looked down the hallway, his green eyes narrowed. He was thinking of leaving without telling Tails, but what would that look like? Like he left him, and Sonic was leaving that impression.

"Hey, Tails," Sonic shouted down the hallway, opening the door. "I'm going for a quick run. I'll be back in about an hour, okay?" When no answer met Sonic's ears, the colbalt hedgehog flicked an ear, and continued outside, slamming the door behind him. His head pounded, and his heart was torn. Frustration filled his mind with fog, making him unable to think straight about anything.

Growling under his breath, Sonic took off, fullspeed, down the hill leading to his and Tails's home, and raced toward the lake.

Almost immediatly, the blast of wind and the pump of adrenaline filled his bloodstream, and Sonic's mind cleared. He focused on Tails, on the facts surrounding how he felt about his father leaving him. Of course, it was obvious Tails would suddenly fear Sonic leaving, but why not believe him when he had never lied to him before? James had told Tails the same thing, but the twin tailed fox had left before. Sonic had always been there, from the time Tails was abandoned until now. So Sonic couldn't understand why Tails would doubt him so suddenly.

His thoughts were jumbled together, and he felt like screaming from frustration.

Sonic raced past the lake, and up into the mountains, the wind blasting cold around him. Still running, he shivered. Maybe he should've brung a jacket...

Sonic focused on his thoughts once more as ruins rushed past him at the speed of sound. Somehow, he had to get Tails to trust him again. But how could he bring the broken 10 year old back? If Tails didn't believe Sonic, how could he bring him back? For 8 years, Tails had never doubted a word that came from Sonic's mouth. But the appearance of James had changed everything.

If only James hadn't come back...

Sonic gritted his teeth, focusing back on his run. The trees and ruis rushed by him, and he let his mind focus only on the feeling of adrenaline pumping through his body. He let his mind wander, not focusing on any thoughts at all. When he felt he had gone far enough, Sonic whipped around and started running back, this time unable to stay away from the concerning thoughts of Tails.

He had to think of something to bring him back...Anything that could help the old Tails return. Maybe he could take him out to do something, just the two of them. Or could just staying with Tails anywhere help bring him back?

Either way, Sonic would try anything to bring his little brother back.

By now, Sonic was speeding down the mountain and past the lake. He would be home soon, and then the healing process for Tails could begin.

He raced up the hill to their home, and skidded to a stop near the door. The run had cleared his head, though it still pounded, and got his heart racing. Running always healed the stress for him, and helped him think clearly afterwards. He took a deep breath and exhaled, opening the door and walking inside.

There was no difference inside. Tails was still in his workshop, and the T.V. still blared in the living room. Sonic walked inside, plopping down on the couch with a sigh. The news blared on the television, but Sonic payed no mind to it. He listened intently for any noise from the workshop, but all Sonic heard was a clang of tools and then silence. He sighed quietly, looking down at his shoes.

It just wasn't the same without the normal Tails.

Trying to keep himself from becoming frustrated, Sonic stood from the couch, deciding to go out shopping. Sighing slightly, Sonic walked into the bedroom, feeling small chills run up his spine. He felt like he was becoming sick, but he hoped it was just something about the weather. Right now, he couldn't afford to get sick. Sniffing slightly, Sonic grabbed a red jacket from the closet and slung it over the shoulder, sticking a few dollars from the desk nearby into the pockets. Resisting the urge to sneeze, Sonic walked out of the room, wrapping the jacket snuggly around his arms. He walked toward the door, looking down the workshop hallway, and closing his eyes.

"I'm going downtown, Tails!" he shouted, waiting for a response. When none came after a moment, he continued. "You need anything?" For a moment, silence met his ears, but then Tails answered his call, making Sonic's heart drop even more.

"No, nothing," he called, his voice small and emotionless. Just as Sonic opened the door, he heard Tails shout, "Have fun". Lingering a moment at the door, Sonic closed his eyes again and sighed, walking outside relunctantly. He hated leaving, but he knew that Tails wouldn't talk to him right now, wouldn't share anymore of his fears. Sonic lingered outside the house a moment, contemplating if he should go back. He knew it wouldn't help anything, but he still couldn't help thinking he should.

Sonic took a deep breath and slowly walked away from the door, feeling worse with every step.

For the first time in forever, Sonic decided not to run to the train station. Instead, he decided he would walk, just so he could think clearly for a few moments. After all, the train station wasn't too far...Just past the lake.

He begin walking down the hill, his hands buried deep into his warm jacket pockets. He watched his breath rise from his lips in a puff of fog before it disappeared into the rest of the air.

For a moment, Sonic wondered why. Why James had to come back, just to leave and destroy his younger brothers life. The thoughts and whys were so frequently running through his mind, they sounded like a broken record, playing the same note over and over. But the feelings...The feelings the thoughts brung had yet to become numb. They still plagued him, making him cringe each time they struck. Sometimes, like now, Sonic wished they would become numb.

The sound of a train whistle jerked Sonic from his thoughts, and he blinked to find himself at the entrance to the train station. Slightly surprised, Sonic quickly bought a ticket and raced to the train, barely making it past the doors before they closed and the train began moving. Sighing deeply, Sonic sat down on a seat on the train, closing his eyes as the train went into a tunnel, blocking the light from the sun and drenching the inside of the train into darkness.

As the train rumbling down the tracks, Sonic let himself become lost in his thoughts once more.

He wondered why Tails would let James destroy his trust in Sonic like he had. Of course, the man was his father but, he had only been there for a few days, whereas Sonic was there for 8 straight years. Sonic still couldn't understand why.

He wondered if his feeling under the weather had something to do with Tails sudden distrust in him. And he suddenly wondered how much of his physical and mental help depended on Tails. That thought struck him hard, surprising him slightly. How much really did depend on Tails? He had never thought of that before. Maybe...Sonic and Tails were the type of brothers who relied on each other for survival, as if they were one soul in two bodies.

Wow, he had never thought like this before.

He opened his eyes, finding the train through the tunnel and light streaming through the frosted windows. They would be arriving at Station Square any minute, and Sonic shifted in his seat, placing his elbow on his knee and his chin in his hand. He watched as the people around him chatted with one another, laughing and joking with each other. And he suddenly felt very empty, very...alone.

Like he had no one in the world.

The train began to slow down, and in a few moments, Sonic was fighting his way out of the crowd of people hurrying from the train. He pushed through the groups of people, and when he found himself outside, he sighed gratefully, walking slowly down the street.

Maybe with him and Tails so distant, Sonic was beginning to feel alone. It was a scary thought, but he wondered how much farther under the skin his and Tails brothership was. He cringed at the thought of ever losing Tails. That was something he never wanted to think about again.

Sonic walked down the sidewalk, looking through the windows of the shops, looking for anything he could use to help Tails. He kept his focus outside of his thoughts, concentrating on anything besides them. He looked into the windows of clothes shops. He saw candy hanging from windows in the candy shops. And above him, he heard music blaring loudly, and he concentrated on it, doing anything to keep his focus from his thoughts.

...no, I'm a man
You can't take me, and throw me away
And how can you learn whats never shone?
Yeah, you stand here on your own
They don't know me
Cause I'm not here

For some reason, the song lyrics brung him back into his thoughts instead of away. He pictured him and Tails when they were younger, goofing off and playing around. And, as if a movie began playing in his mind, Sonic watched memories play before him, fading into one another. One minute, he saw him and Tails, playing tag outside. And in the next, he saw Tails, no longer smiling, tinkering with tools in the workshop, with Sonic in the background, running through the woods.

The short 'film' lasted for only a few seconds, and when it ended, Sonic stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide. Had that really happened? Had him and Tails become distant over the years. Had James simply have been the last straw for Tails?

Sonic suddenly felt very sick at his stomach, but he continued walking some more, this time staring at his feet with his hands buried inside his pockets.

...to hold on and feel I belong
And how can the world want me to change
They're the ones that stay the same
They don't know me
Cause I'm not here

Sonic turned his head up to the stores around him, looking inside the shop of the nearest one. Inside, he saw sleeping bags and tents, and outdoor items used for camping. Camping...not a bad idea for reconnecting with Tails. He looked for a moment before continuing down the street, wondering why he had spent all that time ignoring Tails.

Obviously, Sonic had taken his friendship with Tails for granted, and now, he was paying for it.

...want to tell you who I am
Can you help me be a man?
They can't break me
As long as I know who I am

Sonic shivered gently as the cold wind whipped against him, and he pulled the coat tighter around his colbalt blue body. The wind was picking up, and Sonic could feel his face becoming numb. He looked up from the ground, around at the now nearly empty streets. People were hurrying along, fighting against the cold wind, getting to their destinations, and pretty soon, Sonic was the only one left on the streets.

...the ones that stay the same
They can't see me
But I'm still here

They can't tell me who to be

Sonic stopped where he was, the wind blowing his quills along behind him. He narrowed his green eyes.

Cause I'm not what they see

He looked at the empty streets, the wind whipping around him. He still kept his hands in his pockets, fingering the money inside them. Then he looked over his shoulder.

Yeah, the world is still sleeping while I keep on dreaming for me

He was determined to do something. And something was exactly what he was going to do. He turned around, heading back down the street, his narrowed green eyes staring straight ahead.

And their words are just whispers and lies that I'll never believe

In his minds eye, Sonic saw Tails at home, sitting alone in his workshop, simply tinkering with his tools. Sonic narrowed his gaze further, his stomach churning uncomfortably. He couldn't help but believe that the entire thing - where losing Tails was concerned - was all his fault.

And that made Sonic's heart twist painfully.

And I want a moment to be real
Wanna touch things I don't feel
Wanna hold on and feel I belong

He knew exactly what he was going to do now, to help bring Tails back. And it would all start with a simply story, leading to a day for only him and Tails. That was what he would do, and he felt confident it would work.

And if it didn't, Sonic didn't know what he would do.

He walked toward the train station, his head held high as he boarded the large train.

...the one now,
Cause I'm still here

I'm the one
Cause I'm still here
I'm still here
I'm still here

I'm still here...

--End of Chapter--