Disclaimer- I don't own Sonic and co.

All of the support for this fic is amazing! Here's chapter two just for you guys!

And sorry for any mistakes; this was hastily edited at around 2:30am :) Sleep is for the weak.

They weren't hiding.

No, they had made a tactical retreat to discuss the insanity that was in the other room.

"That food apparently wasn't just cheap, Tails!" Sonic was currently in the kitchen, loudly whispering to his little brother. They had hid – retreated – out of the living room as soon as possible after seeing their pet hedgehog turn into something completely not pet-like. "It had to be tainted with something to make-" Sonic violently gestured to where they had come from.

Tails was heavily leaning on the kitchen counter, ears folded back as his mind whirled. "I…I don't know what happened!" he whisper-shouted back, just as bewildered as the blue hedgehog. "It was regular cat food, and…" The kit glanced at the wall separating them from the stranger, nibbling his bottom lip. "This is crazy!"

"You're tellin' me!" Sonic raked his fingers though his hanging quills, releasing a puff of air. He was all for spontaneity and surprises spicing up his life, but this was a bit too much. "What do we do?" His voice lowering even more with that question.

"I'm the last person to ask, but…um." Yellow furred ears perked at the barely audible sniff that emitted from the neighboring space. Tails' lips twitched downwards at that, feeling a little bad. "Maybe we should…check on him? He seems really scared, which is understandable considering…"

Now that his shock had subsided somewhat, Sonic had enough room for empathy to wiggle in. If the person out there was really Silver – he knew that all signs pointed to yes, it was, but deep down, Sonic wanted it to be some random person who had randomly teleported because that was less crazy than what was actually happening – then he had miraculously transformed. Sonic knew all about baffling transformations, having flashbacks of stretchy arms and sharp teeth.

Emerald eyes drifted over to the threshold as Sonic made a decision. "Alright…" He nodded, bracing himself for the madness right outside this room. "I'll go see what's up." The hedgehog made a move to leave the kitchen, but then he paused, pointing at a conflicted Tails. "Because it's uh, Silver, you should hang back for a bit."

Tails understood completely. "Yeah, I hear you." Silver was already frightened, so his presence wouldn't do anyone any favors.

Sonic nodded again before creeping toward the exit of the kitchen, honing onto the sniffling that was marginally getting louder. The hedgehog peered out into the living room, and his attention snapped to the white hedgie on the ground.

Silver hadn't moved from where Sonic had dropped him. He was curled into the tightest ball he could manage on his side, tense arms covering a face that Sonic could guess was twisted in fright. He was shaking so much that his white quills – both the ones hanging down his back and the shorter ones adorning his forehead – were trembling as well.

Sonic knew that he had to be careful. He didn't know what Silver was thinking or how he was going to react. Usually when scared in the past, Silver would just curl up and relax when he was ready. Most of the time, Sonic sped that process up by talking to and petting him.

The blue speedster figured that petting wasn't the best option at the moment, so talking would have to do.

Sonic slowly stepped into the den, testing out the waters. "Hey…" he started softly. However, that gained no response. Sonic tried again, taking another step closer to the white hedgie. "Silver?" If there was any doubt that this was Silver, it was all blown away when flattened ears twitched, hesitantly rotating in the direction Sonic was.

Sonic exhaled heavily. Yeah, that was no ordinary cat food.

The azure hero kept his movements slow and deliberate to not scare the other. He was closing the distance, feeling eyes on him. Sonic glanced over his shoulder to find Tails peeking in. Sonic gestured for him to hide, but the kit only shuffled a bit to the side, too curious about the situation.

Sonic deemed that it would be alright if he situated himself so Tails couldn't be seen. He refocused on Silver, taking a couple more steps before opting to kneel. He was a little more than an arm's length away from the other, hearing low whimpers now.

"Hey, buddy, it's okay." Sonic quietly comforted, watching for any response. Those ears were still perked, but nothing else changed. "Look, I know this is a bit overwhelmin', but-" Sonic stopped himself then, a thought coming to him. Could Silver even comprehend what he was saying? He did speak earlier… "-Can you understand me, Silv?"

Nothing but silence reigned after his question. Silver was still trembling, curled into himself, but his sniffs and whimpers had stopped. Sonic observed the other for a while, empathy blossoming into something stronger in his chest as the sight of someone so lost and scared. As a hero, he fought for smiles and happiness.

Sonic opened his mouth to speak again – saying what exactly, he didn't know – but Silver beat him to the punch. "Yes…" Sonic blinked at the other in surprise, the raspy voice quivering as much as the owner's frame.

Well, that made things slightly easier.

Sonic's expression relaxed even though more and more questions filled his head. "Well, that's good! You can hear me say that you're safe. I'm here, and you know that I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you, right?"

One of Silver's pale arms shifted to the side, revealing a glossy golden eye. It was swirling with doubt and hesitation. Sonic shuffled a couple inches closer, labeling the other more a 'cower in fear' type rather than the 'lash out in fear' type.

Sonic threw him a welcoming smile. "C'mon, it's me, Silv! We'll work things out together, okay?" He held out a hand; the golden gaze snapped down to follow the movement. "Let's get you off the floor, yeah?" That was a good first step as any.

Silver's attention shifted to Sonic's friendly expression and back to the awaiting hand. The blue hedgehog waited patiently as Silver simply stared. Then, the white hedgie gradually uncurled, uncovering the rest of his cautious face and using one arm to prop himself up.

Silver glanced down to his own ungloved hand before reaching out for Sonic's. His movements were jerky until his fingers were hovering over Sonic's own. However, instead of taking it like the azure hero thought he would, Silver gently grasped his wrist with shaky hand.

Sonic almost instinctively pulled his arm back, the action totally unexpected, but he fought the urge, curious about what the other was doing. Silver twisted his hand up – looking an interesting combination of cautious and curious – before splaying his pale fingers out against Sonic's.

Silver's expression morphed into muted awe at how similar the two hands were, and Sonic was glad that he had stopped trembling. And having Silver not look scared for his life was a plus, too.

Sonic chuckled, and Silver's attention was on him again. All traces of hesitance were gone now, replaced with interest. "Yep! As you can see, we're the same now!"

"But…" Silver paused at his own voice, obviously not used to it. "How?"

"That's the question, isn't it?" Sonic shrugged good-naturally before leaning on his heels, gaining a good hold on Silver's wrist. "We'll think on it, but first…" He began to stand up and pull the white hedgie to his feet.

Silver yelped at the sudden motion, ears flattening as worry flashed across his features. "W-Wait! I…" He glanced down at his legs. "I don't know how to walk like…like you."

"I'm sure you'll be fine!" Sonic said truthfully. If transforming had gained Silver the ability to talk and understand their language, then it was safe bet that he knew how to stand on two feet. "You've always trusted me before, what's with the doubt now?"

Silver opened his mouth, but then he closed it. Instead, those bright yellows looked at Sonic, really looked at him, and Sonic didn't know what to make of the intense stare.

The white hedgehog eventually nodded, and Sonic interpreted that as a go ahead.

Sonic swiftly stood up, bringing Silver with him. He remained steady as Silver stumbled forward a bit, nearly colliding with the speedster. It was then that Sonic noticed that the other had a plume of thick white fur on his chest, long enough to reach his shoulders. It looked pretty soft, and Sonic was a bit jealous because now every male hedgehog he knew had chest hair. It wasn't fair, really.

However, his musings were put on hold when Silv caught himself, gazing down at his completely upright body like it was an amazing miracle. In a way, it was.

"See? Nothin' to worry about!" Sonic grinned, and he felt accomplished when the ends of Silver's lips twitched upwards as well. The hero then guided Silver to the couch, his hand still around the pale wrist. "Can you wait here while I check on somethin' in the kitchen?" He wanted to get Tails' opinion on all of this.

Silver eyed the sofa. "Yeah, okay…" He seemed thoughtful for a moment – no doubt remembering how Sonic usually sat down – before lowering himself on the piece of furniture. He was grabbing Sonic's hand like his legs would inexplicably give out on him at any second.

They didn't, and Silver marginally relaxed against the soft cushions, squeezing them with his free fingers.

"You don't have to worry about your new body!" Sonic snickered, golden irises focusing on him at the sound. "I can guarantee that it's stronger than your old one!" He attempted to shake out of the other's grip. "Now, just wait a sec until I-"

Sonic trailed off when the hold on him slightly tightened. He rose a confused brow at Silver, but the white hedgie was only focused on their contact. Sonic was about to educate the other on the existence of gloves, but all thoughts screeched to a halt when Silver lifted their hands and placed Sonic's on top of the quills on his head.

Sonic didn't know what to say or do when Silver's arms dropped to his sides, leaving Sonic's hand between his white furred ears. The azure hedgehog was frozen. He glanced over to the entrance of the kitchen, finding Tails watching with wide eyes. They locked gazes, and the fox oh so helpfully shrugged.

The hero snapped his attention back forward when Silver closed his eyes and leaned into the touch.

Okay, Sonic maybe had an idea of what Silver wanted from him now.

And it just made things weirder.

Petting Silver when he was a cute little ball of quills was one thing, but petting him now was a whole different thing altogether. And plus, when he was small, Silver never asked – in his own way – for this kind of contact. Sonic was the one to initiate it whenever he felt like it or when Silver was distressed about something…oh.

That's what it was. Silver was still distraught about this whole thing even though it didn't look like he was anymore. Silver wanted comfort in a way he was used to.

And Sonic was a hero. This was his job…technically, so…

He experimentally moved his fingers, reluctantly burying them into the bundle of quills there. Silver pushed against his hand more, breathily exhaling. Sonic responded by massaging his scalp with gentle strokes. White ears lowered at the feeling, and all tension left Silver's body.

Despite how bizarre this was, Sonic didn't feel as weirded out as he probably should've. He didn't know what it was. It was most likely because this was still Silver, who he'd known for…wait. Was…Was he purring now?

A low quiet rumble emitted from Silver's chest, and again, Sonic should be totally put off by the fact he was causing this, but the purr didn't sound all that bad…

That was when Sonic pulled back his hand, now feeling a bit strange. Silver reopened his eyes at the loss of contact, questionably looking up at him.

Sonic managed a smile, brushing off…whatever that was. "I hope you're feelin' better now?"

The ghost of a smile grew on Silver's muzzle. "Yeah…uh…" It waned as he absently fluffed his chest hair. "I do, but it's going to take a while before I get used to this…" Silver's brow creased, a frown marring his face. "Do think that I'll turn back?"

Sonic scratched the back of his neck. At this point, he had no idea. "I dunno. Do you want to?"

"I…" Silver took in his surroundings before golds locked onto emeralds once more. "I like talking to you and actually understanding all of what you're saying." Sonic stifled a chuckle at that, Silver cracking a grin as well. "So I guess that's a 'not really'…"

Sonic could get behind that reasoning. "I hear ya! And with you in that form, I won't have to worry about steppin' on you!"

This was the first time Sonic got an honest smile out of Silver, and it was time to get to the kitchen because that strange feeling was back and-

"Stay put, 'kay?" Sonic forced out, causing the white hedgie to tilt his head a bit. "I'll be back!"

Sonic zipped away, rushing into the kitchen just as Tails backed away from the doorframe. The hedgehog took a deep breath as he rose a brow at the kit. "So…that happened," he whispered. "Thoughts?"

Tails was still processing the whole situation. Silver was comprehending speech, walking, and basically acting like he'd been one of them all his life when that certainly wasn't the case. Well, that whole petting thing was out there, but that could be overlooked for what was important:

What exactly caused this? There was either something off about Silver, or something off about the food he'd bought.

Tails would bet all he had on the latter, for he doubted it was the pup Sonic had bought a handful of months ago at a regular pet store.

"This is a situation alright…" Tails hummed, tapping his chin. "Silver seems put together, like, we don't have worry about him biting us or anything. Or at least you." He added jokingly while Sonic pursed his lips at that. "So, you think that you'll be able to keep an eye on him while I scan the cat food for its contents?"

Sonic nodded, thinking that it should be easy enough. "That's a good idea, Tails, and of course I'll be able to! It's not exactly new to me, y'know." Tails threw him an 'you know what I mean' look, and Sonic grinned. The blue speedster then clasped a hand on Tails' shoulder, making him furrow his brow. "Yeah, I'll look after him after you two become friends."

Tails got a sinking feeling in his gut as he was guided toward the living room. "I don't think this is a good idea, Sonic! He's not going to start liking me just because-"

"Yeah, he will!" Sonic argued. Silver could now understand that Tails was anything but a threat. "Because he knows what we're sayin', he'll soon learn that you're not dangerous at all!"

Tails was a second away from drilling into Sonic that he was dangerous when he wanted to be, but his words died in his throat when his gaze fell upon an empty couch.

Sonic saw this as well, and his breath hitched – he literally had one job, and he already blew it – but he soon relaxed when he found Silver sitting by his aquarium. They watched as Silver rummaged in the glass container, pulling out the tiny chew toy he loved.

He squeezed it between his forefinger and thumb, sighing out, "Forget what I said before, this is just depressing…"

"Don't be too down, Silv!" Sonic spoke up. Silver's ears twitched as he glanced back their way. "I promise you won't be missin' it for too long!"

Sonic had expected some kind of response because other was used to the sound of his own voice, but all he received was silence. In fact, Silver wasn't focused on him at all anymore. Those golds were staring at Tails, unwavering.

"Sonic," Silver started, dropping his toy and bristling his quills. He would be intimidating if he didn't look like he was about to run for his life. "Get away from him before he eats your face off."

Tails honestly hadn't been expecting anything different. "Told you so," he muttered to Sonic.

Sonic acted like he hadn't heard. "Silver, he hasn't before, so why would he now?"

"He's been waiting for the right time!" The answer was immediate, rushed out.

"Trust me, he won't, Silver."

"He's a p-predator." Silver's eyes flickered over to Sonic like he was uncooperative one. "Yes, he will!"

"And where did you learn that?"

The white hedgehog was suddenly lost, a pensive expression on his face. "Um…"

Sonic smugly smirked, glad to have pointed out a major flaw in Silver's thinking. "Exactly." Even though he'd been stumped, Silver still hadn't let his guard down. His quills were standing on end, and he was as stiff as a board.

"Sonic…" Tails knew that this was a bad idea. "We can just do this another time-"

"No, we're going to make some kind of progress today," Sonic interrupted him. He gestured for Tails to say where he was before approaching Silver. "Look, bud. You've known Tails for months now, so I don't know why-"

The rest of Sonic's sentence was lost when Silver scampered up and wrapped his arms around him. The hero's tongue failed him at the sudden warmth, Silver burrowing his face in the crook of his neck. Sonic placed his hands to the white one's shoulders to separate them, but he paused when he felt Silver's trembles start back up.

Was Silver really this scared of Tails?

"I…I know that you like him…" Silver stuttered against his fur, his arms tightening around blue sides. "But I…just can't and…" Sonic was speechless as Silver nuzzled him more. "P-Please don't make me go near him…" That was a borderline whine, and Sonic felt guilty even though he didn't even do anything.

Without thinking, Sonic carefully intertwined his fingers in Silver's quills once more. His finger pads moved in soothing circles because it was Silver and he needed this. Plus, he didn't think the other would ever let go until he was calmed down.

"Hey, I'm sorry, okay?" Sonic apologized as he glanced over his shoulder, sensing movement. Tails had made it over to the bag of cat food, his concerned and contrite gaze on Silver. Sonic mouthed, "He'll come around eventually." He didn't expect the prey mentality to be so deeply embedded.

"I know," Tails mouthed back, clearly still fretting. He bobbed his head in the direction of their garage before briefly waving. Twirling his namesakes, Tails hovered out of sight.

Sonic kept massaging when Tails left, causing Silver's quills to slowly but surely slacken. His quivering subsided as well. "Uh, he's gone," Sonic said somewhat awkwardly, feeling Silver relax more against him. His arms weren't as tight around the speedster's torso, so Sonic reached behind himself and peeled them away.

Silver didn't put up a fight as Sonic ceased contact, the azure 'hog taking a step back while holding pale wrists up. Expressive golden eyes were darting back and forth, searching.

"You good now?" Sonic asked, dropping Silver's arms and waiting for them to reach out again. They didn't.

The white hedgehog exhaled heavily with a minuscule nod. "Sorry…"

"Nah, it's uh…" Sonic cleared his throat, wishing that the warmth didn't linger like it was. "It's fine."

There was an awkward silence with Silver looking at him, and with Sonic looking everywhere else.

…Until a guttural rumble filled the air.

Silver frowned up and placed a hand over his stomach, baffled by the noise. Sonic grinned at this. He could forget about what just happened and focus on one of his favorite things in life.

"That was your stomach, Silv. You're hungry," Sonic informed before turning and padding back toward the kitchen. "Time to be introduced to the greatest food in the world!"

"Strawberries?"

"I'm gonna pretend that I didn't hear that."

Thoughts?