Shadow and Kris both had the same thought as Tails said their names. They looked at each other and said nothing.

Amy was still cheering over her victory with Sonic and Silver and Blaze had started talking to each other. Tails had put the hat away and threw the bits of paper away. He walked over to the fireplace and warmed his hands.

"Sonic I'm so happy that we got each other! It's such a pleasant surprise!" Amy said and hugged the blue hedgehog. "I'll make sure you'll receive the best present ever from me!" Sonic coughed and drank some of his eggnog. "Yeah, I'll make sure too." He sniffed at a burning smell in the air. He got out of Amy's hug and went over to Tails. "Tails I think something is burning in the oven, I can smell it."

Tails jumped. "The cookies!" He rushed into the kitchen and opened the oven with oven mitts. He took out the cookie pan and inspected the cookies that were on it. They looked black around the edges and were browner than they should be.

"Aww…" Tails' ears drooped and he put the pan on the counter and closed the oven door. "The cookies burnt."

Sonic walked up behind him. "I'm sorry buddy, but there's still white chocolate covered pretzels aren't there?"

"Yeah, but these were going to be better than chocolate covered pretzels."

Amy stood waiting there for Sonic to come back when Cream approached her. "Hi Ms. Amy." She greeted in her high-pitched voice. "Merry Christmas." Cheese chirped happily from beside her.

"It isn't Christmas yet Cream, but still, I love that me and Sonic got paired together." She sighed dreamily and smiled.

"I've got Mr. Tails." The rabbit announced. "I wonder what he'd like?"

"He likes gadgets and stuff." Amy told her. "But I'm sure he'd like whatever you get him, it's the thought that counts."

Cream nodded and fixed the red and green bow on her ear. "What are you drinking?" She asked while looking at Amy's mug."

"It's eggnog, I don't think you'd like it." Amy answered.

"Can I try it?"

The pink hedgehog shrugged. "Okay." She gave the mug to the young rabbit and watched her drink it. Cream took a sip of it and made a face.

"You don't like it?"

"It tastes weird."

"It's like sweet milk."

"I don't like it."

"I told you." She took back the mug and put it on the counter. She took out her phone to see what time it was.

"11 O'clock already? But it hasn't been that long, has it?"

"I'm up WAY past my bedtime." Cream said. "But I'm not tired at all."

Amy looked at her funny. "Did your mom give you your medication with coffee?"

"Maybe, why do you ask?"

"…"

"Oooh you got your crush." Rouge whispered in Shadow's ear. He and Kris still wouldn't look at each other and had moved to the opposite sides of the room.

"Shut. Up." He mumbled.

"What are you going to get her?" She asked.

"I don't know." He replied.

"Christmas Eve is three weeks away~"

Over by Kris and Ky and the fireplace Kris was internally freaking out. She was shaking and could barely hold her hot chocolate.

"Ky what the Hell am I going to do?" She put up her black hoodie over her head and pulled the strings on it so that it would close up over her face.

Ky sat up and looked at her. "Just get him a gift, or make him something. That's all you have to do."

"But what if it's not good?"

"Just try the best you can do."

"Meeehhh!" Kris stomped her feet in the floor rapidly and twisted around with her hoodie over her head.

"Just make him something. You're good at art, paint him a picture."

"Meeehhh!"

Ky stopped trying to talk to her as it was clear that she would just keep making that noise. He got up and walked over to Shadow.

"What do you want?" The black and red hedgehog asked him.

"I just want to say that I hate you less for the sake of my sister." He replied.

"I still hate you the same amount."

Soon the pre-party was over and everyone went home. Sonic was walking Amy back to her apartment, Silver and Blaze walked with each other and each went back to their homes and Cream and Vanilla were staying the night at Tails'. Ky being the horrible big brother as he was, had turned into a bat and flew home instead of walking or driving his sister home because he is selfish and wanted to play Pokémon Ultra Moon. And now Kris was walking home, by herself, at midnight and it wasn't Halloween.

"Dammit Ky, it's midnight and it's cold as fuck. Pokémon can wait. What about your SIBLING?" She rubbed her arms to generate heat on them. She breathed into her gloves and rubbed them together. It must have been 28 degrees Fahrenheit out there! The hedgehog walked along the sidewalk when she started to sense someone behind her.

"OH no." She thought to herself. The crimson hedgehog started to pick up her pace to get away from the stranger. She was steadily getting away but she wasn't fast enough so she started to run as fast as she could. The cold air made it hard for her to breathe and right then she couldn't go very fast because of the outside temperature, but she tried her hardest. The female hedgehog was huffing and puffing, trying to catch her breath when she stumbled and landed in the snow in somebody's yard. She lay there in it before the stranger caught up with her and-

"What are you doing out here by yourself?"

Kris lifted her head out of the snow and rubbed her eyes with her jacket sleeves to get the snow out of them. She looked in the direction of the voice and could vaguely make out a shape that looked like a hedgehog. The voice sounded familiar. The stranger got out their phone and turned on the flashlight function and turned it towards them. The light illuminated their face to where the female crimson hedgehog could see them.

"Shadow?" She asked. "What are you doing here?"

Shadow helped her up out of the snow and brushed it off of her the best he could. "Kris what are you doing out here? Where is Ky?"

Kris shivered from the cold. "He's probably at home already, he said he wanted to play Pokémon Ultra Moon."

"And he just left you out here?"

"Y-yes."

He grabbed her hand and put part of his scarf on her. "You have a shit brother. I am going to take you to your house."

The crimson hedgehog nodded and started to walk with him. Shadow looked forward the whole way with a frown on his face, looking over at her sometimes. She was leaning into his body and chest to keep warm. They walked through the neighborhood until they got to the back of it where Kris and Ky's house was. It was decorated with blue, red, green and white Christmas lights. They had light up deer in the front yard. The front two columns where the front porch was, was decorated with lights in a red and white candy cane pattern. There was a holly wreath on the front door.

Shadow and Kris walked up to the door and Shadow knocked hard on it.