I wipe the tiredness out of my eyes. "Well there's no point in sleeping now."
I look over at Stevie, she's just lying there cooing and making gurgle noises. I smirk a bit.
"I'm gonna make some coffee, I'll be right back-" I shake my head, "what am I doing talking to an infant who can't even understand what I'm saying?"
I make my way into the kitchen and over to the coffee maker, and make myself a hot cup of coffee. I glance over at the clock on the wall. "2:50." I mumble.
I pour some milk into my coffee and go back into the living room, Stevie looks up at me with her big, red eyes and gives me a toothless grin.
"Oh thank The Lord it doesn't have teeth yet." I sigh thankfully.
I hear a small rumbling noise, and I look over at Stevie she starts to frown.
"What's the matter now?" I groan.
I hear the small rumbling noise again. "Oh!" I exclaim, "you're hungry!"
I think back to Cassandra's note. "Mashed peas and carrots?" I ponder, "was that it?"
I go back into the kitchen and open my fridge, I myself never get hungry, so why on earth would I spend money on it, i mean, i only drink milk, water, and coffee.
"Well I gotta feed it- I mean her, whatever." I mumble.
"Hmmm," I tap my fingers on the edge of the table, "I could make a quick run to fakers house, I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I woke him up from his beauty sleep."
I smile brightly to myself as I think of fakers face if I woke him up at three in the morning.
But then it occurs to me, "I don't want faker finding out about the baby, at least not yet."
I could always go to Rouge to get some, but they don't tend to stock up on veggies. Knuckles is more "protein, protein, protein!"
"I could visit Espio, I mean, I'm pretty sure he doesn't even sleep," I groan, "oh right, Charmy will be their and then he'll tell Sonic about the god damn baby."
"I could go just not tell them about the baby but, If I know Vector, he'll either demand and explanation or make me pay. I wish to do neither."
I plop onto the couch. This is hopeless.
I look over at Stevie, she's aimlessly playing with her tail.
"Thats it," I exclaim, "I'll ask Tails!"
I pick up Stevie from the crib. "How the hell do I hold it?" I say while dangling her by one leg.
"Ehh, something tells me this is wrong." I mutter.
I hold her bridal style, "yeah this looks about right."
I carry her into the mud room. Tails' place is a short walk, and I can't use the motorcycle until I get a car seat, and chaos control is a bit risky with a baby, so walking there is clearly the best way to go.
I walk out the door and lock it behind me. The cold night air nibbles at my fur.
I look at Stevie, she appears to be falling asleep. She runs tiredly at her big, red eyes. She blinks a couple of times and looks up at me. Her little mouth curves into a smile.
My heart starts feeling all warm and tingly. Is this supposed to be a deep father-daughter moment?
Her little hand reaches up and touches my face. We stare at each other in a moment of complete silence, she plays with some of my chest fur. Stevie starts gurgling, it seems as if she's trying to form words.
Could these be her first words?
"F-fu f-uzzy," she chirps, "fuzzy!"
"Fuzzy,fuzzy, fuzzy, fuzzy!" She exclaims proudly.
"Yeah, chest fur tends to be fuzzy , Kid." I say with a face palm.
She giggles and keeps playing with my chest fur while repeating the word "fuzzy."
"Let's try to broaden your vocabulary, kay Kid?"
"Fuzzy?"
"Well I tried."
We continue walking, and eventually we arrive at Tails and Creams apartment. I buzz the message doorbell thingy for five minutes straight before I yell. "Foxboy, open the damn door before I blow it open!" I cock one gun up at the door.
"C-come in Shadow."
I smirk, "thank you Tails."
I make my way into their apartment.
Tails looks exhausted, Cream looks pissed, until they notice the baby in my arms.
Then they're both pissed.
"Why the Hell do you have a baby, Shadow!" Screams an infuriated Cream.
"Why would you steal a baby!?" Exclaims Tails.
I cover Stevie's ears. Fatherly instinct I guess.
"I didn't steal her," I say through gritted teeth, "she's definitely mine." I point to her ruby eyes.
"I don't recall you having a girlfriend, Shadow."
"That's because I didn't," I have to pick my next words carefully, "it was more of a, um, one night stand per say?"
Definitely not the right thing to say.
"How could you be so irresponsible?"
"Have you heard of protection?"
I let out a growl, "you're going to freak out Stevie."
Creams eyes soften.
"Aw, she's so cute!" She takes the baby from my arms, which for some reason angers me.
"Yeah, yeah," I mutter, "do you have any vegetables?"
"Yeah of course!" Exclaims Cream while handing Stevie back to me and running to the kitchen.
Tails and I sit down in the living room.
"She's cute." Says Tails while tickling Stevie's chin.
"Yeah," I mumble, "she's pretty cute."
"Mind if I hold her?"
"Just me careful," I threaten, "or else."
He gulps. "I will, I promise."
Tails glances out towards the kitchen, Cream is still chopping away at vegetables.
Tails looks at me and leans forward. "If I tell you something, will you not tell anyone?"
"Sure."
I guess you could say Tails and I have become closer over recent years, he confides in me, which is alright. I mean, sometimes it's creepy. One time he told me his pooping schedule, which made me leave, and not come back for two weeks.
He pauses for a second. "I'm thinking of proposing to Cream, would that be like, okay with you?"
I appreciate that he asked me for my blessing. Cream has always been like a little sister to me, and I guess out of all the crazy people that surround me, she'd be my favorite.
My eyes widen slightly. "How old are you?"
"I'm 21, Cream is turning 20 in two weeks."
I sigh. "Look kid, that's a bit young to be getting married-"
He cuts me off. "How old are you?"
I narrow my eyes, "irrelevant."
Tails smirks, "I'd say your physically 18, but really, you're like 80."
"So?" I reply in a snarky tone.
"So," continues Tails while setting Stevie down, "you're too old to have a baby."
I clench my fist.
"You are walking some very, VERY thin ice right now, I suggest you watch yourself."
He chuckles nervously, "O-okay, but you get my point, right?"
"Yeah," I grumble, "I guess I do."
"Exactly, so why shouldn't I propose to Cream?"
"Well Tails, you can do whatever the hell you want, just don't, I repeat don't, hurt Cream, understood?"
"I would never-"
"Understood?"
"Understood."
"I better get going, and Tails?"
"Yeah?"
"I give you my blessing, don't fuck this up."
Tails jumps up and wraps his arms around me. "Oh golly Shadow, thank you so much!"
My eye twitches and I push him off me. "Never do that again."
"Haha, sorry Shadow."
I pick up Stevie and thank Cream for the vegetables. We arrive at the house and I set Stevie in her crib and make my way to the kitchen. I throw the carrots in a pot and start boiling them.
I look over at the clock, it's 5:00 in the morning, I have to be at GUN at 6:00.
"What the Hell do I do with you?"
Cream has to go to the University, for school. Tails is visiting family, Rouge will be at work, Knuckles will be busy with his little rat, Amy has work, and Sonic isn't even an option, so that leaves one person.
"Silver?" I mutter through the phone.
"Oh, hiya Shadow! How's it hanging?" He greets in his goofy, cheery voice.
"Swell."
"That's groovy!"
I face palm. "Anyways, I need your help."
"Sure thing, whaddaya need?"
"I need you to babysit."
"Look Shadow, you're a grown man-"
"Not me you fool, my, err, child." I manage to get out.
"Whoa Shad! Since when do you have a kid?"
"Since 2:30 this morning, now get your ass over here."
"Well alright, see you soon Shads."
"Don't call me that."
I then hang up the phone.
Around 5:45 I hear a car pull into the driveway of the apartment complex, I look out my window to see a lime green buggy.
Definitely Silver.
I hear a knock at the door and I go to answer it, only to have it thrown open and nail me in the face.
"Oh man, sorry Shadow! I-" Silver blubbers.
"Enough. I'll be back at four, I have my cell on me, only call if there's an emergency. If you need to take her anywhere the lady across the hall has a car seat. Ok?" I mumble.
"Sounds groovy Shads, we'll have a great time, won't we..."
"Stevie," I fill in, "I shall give you the full story as to why I have a baby when I return."
"Ok, bye Shadow!" He waves me a good bye.
Hey hey hey I'm back! The next chapter will be mostly Silvers POV because he'll be babysitting Stevie, lets see how that goes!
