Next chapter! I'm really glad everyone has enjoyed this creative piece of work of mine. This is really a story that helps me take a break from To Say Goodbye. I'm glad it's good.

I changed the title of this story to Wonderful, just so everyone knows. After this, they'll be one more chapter, and then thats it, and I can continue Forgiveness. So enjoy this semifinal chapter!

Wonderful

Chapter 3:
Surprises

Sonic awoke the next morning with light streaming in the living room window.

He sat up, groaning slightly, stretching when he was in sitting position on the couch. He rubbed his eyes before standing and stretching. He glanced at the clock on the wall. 12:50. He looked down the hallway to see Tails' workshop light still off. Still groggy from sleep, Sonic walked into the kitchen, grabbing a soda from the fridge, and walked back into the living room, plopping down on the couch. He wondered briefly if James was still around, or if he had already left Tails forever. Narrowing his eyes, Sonic took a quick sip from his soda before sitting it down and standing up.

He walked down the hallway, careful to keep quiet, and peeked inside the room. It wasn't what he saw that surprised it. It was what he didn't see. Tails and James were gone, the blanket that was over them the night before lying on the ground. Sonic's breath caught in his throat and he walked back into the living room, wondering where they were. Sudden worry rose into his chest. What if James had kidnapped Tails? What if he really wasn't Tails's father, and was instead some creature sent from one of his enemies to destroy him?

Suddenly frustrated, Sonic headed toward the front door, squinting into the sunlight outside. Nothing. He growled under his breath, slamming his fist against the wall. Where had they gone?

A sudden crashing noise made Sonic jump away from the door. It has been loud, making the room around him shake slightly. He stood there a moment, focusing to figure which way the sound came from, and decided it was outside. He opened the door slowly, stepping outside and looking around behind the house. What he saw made him pause in shock. The Tornado was crashed into the ground, smoke pouring from the engine. Sonic's heart leaped into his throat, and he raced over, looking into the planes seat. There sat James, with Tails sitting behind him, both with their eyes closed.

"Tails!" Sonic said, reaching in and ripping out both James and Tails from the chairs in the plane. He layed them on the ground, shaking them both gently. "Damn it, you too, wake up," he growled, suddenly filled with worry. Then, Tails's eyes fluttered open, and he sat up, holding his head in his hands with a loud groan. Sonic sighed in relief.

"Ohh...What happened?" Tails asked groggingly, looking around him. When his eyes landed on the plane, they flew open, looking back at Sonic in panic. Beside him, James was just sitting up, groaning painfully.

"What the hell happened?" Sonic said, looking from Tails and James to the destroyed Tornado. "You're a better pilot than that, Tails. What happened?"

Tails rubbed his neck nervously. "Well, I...I let Dad try to...to drive it..." He looked from his father to Sonic. "I'm sorry, Sonic. A gust of wind...a-and we lost control..." By now, James was fully conscious, and he was looking at the plane in absolute shock. Sonic looked at both of them, and sighed, shaking his head.

"No, it's fine," he said, turning around and facing the plane. "Accidents happen, and I know you wanted your father to try out your plane, so it's fine." When Sonic turned around, Tails was sighing in relief, and James was standing up. He cleared his throat, helping Tails to his feet.

"Miles," he said, dusting himself off. "Um...I think you have something to talk to Sonic about..." He paused when Sonic looked at him, and Tails dropped his head, scratching his head nerviously. "I'm...I'm just going to go...get something to eat..." With that, James disappeared into the house, and Sonic looked at Tails in surprise.

"What is it, Tails?" he said, forgetting about the plane. Tails was quiet for a minute, and Sonic waited, tapping his foot impatiently.

"W-well..." He paused again, finally looking Sonic in the eye. "Dad's leaving tomorrow and wants me to come with him and live with him." The words were spoken in a rush and when Sonic finally caught their meaning, his heart sank into his stomach.

"Wha...live with him?" he repeated, blinking at Tails in surprise. A thousand emotions exploded inside him, but the one that stood out the most was sadness. His brother would no longer be with him. Sonic cleared his throat. "He...he wants you to live with him?" Tails nodded, his own blue eyes sad, but excited at the same time. Sonic blinked. "Do you want to go?" He hoped the answer was no, that Tails wanted to stay with him like it always had been, but the moment Tails hesitated in his answer, Sonic already knew what he was going to say.

"I...I do, Sonic," he said quietly, keeping Sonic's eyes. "I do want to go with him...but not if you don't want me to. We've been best friends...brothers...together all the time for 8 years..." He paused, looking away. "Everything will be different."

Sonic swallowed the lump that formed in his throat, feeling sudden sadness rise into his heart. Tails wanted to leave him? Wanted to move out and live with his father? After so many years, Sonic didn't know if he could adjust without his brother by his side. But looking down at the young kitsune, Sonic knew that this was what he wanted, to just live with his father. He wanted to tell him no, to tell him to stay with him, but Sonic would never do that to Tails, and he was forced to swallow what he wanted.

He took a deep breath before he replied. "I know, Tails," he said, looking down at his brother. "Go live with your father." He paused. "I'm always here if you want to come back." Tails looked up at him, and Sonic flashed him a forced smile. "Go ahead and live with your dad. Thats...thats how it should be anyway." After a moment, Tails nodded, smiling at him, then he ran up to Sonic and wrapped his arms around him, catching Sonic off guard.

"Thanks, Sonic," Tails said, hugging him. "Thanks for being my brother." Sonic, still surprised at his brothers show of emotions, slowly hugged Tails back, and felt the sadness rise again in his heart. Then, Tails pulled away, walking into the house, leaving Sonic alone outside.

Tails was leaving him. Tails was leaving him, and living with his father, the man that abandoned him when he was 2 years old. Why? The man would probably just leave him again, alone. The thought made Sonic's blood boil. Why would Tails want to leave with his father that abandoned him 8 years ago instead of leaving with him, the person that took care of him from a child? Sonic sighed, shaking his head and looking inside the door. He saw Tails nodding to his father, speaking words Sonic couldn't hear, and watched as James hesitated before giving his son a brief hug. Tails's eyes sparkled with happiness.

Sonic was glad he was happy, but what about him?

When Tails left, Sonic would be alone. James and Tails would both be happy, but Sonic would get the short end of the stick. How fair was that? But when he saw Tails's eyes sparkle like they did, Sonic knew he had to sacrifice his happiness for his little brothers.

That familiar feeling tugged at Sonic's heart, and Sonic could finally name it.

Jealousy. He was jealous of Tails and his father.

Tails used to follow Sonic around everywhere. Now he was, and would probably forever now, following his father instead. Sonic closed his eyes, sighing deeply. Then, with the feeling of sadness and jealousy tugging at his heart, Sonic walked inside.

To spend the last day he would ever have with Tails.

--;

The rest of the day consisted of helping Tails get his stuff together, and watching him as he happily eyed his father. Sonic knew he was imagining his new life with his father, and wondered if he was as excited as he seemed. Sonic still hated James, and felt he could never forgive him for what he had done all those years ago.

Sonic was in Tails's workshop, helping him pack everything up. He was feeling suddenly sad as he picked up some of Tails's tools and put them in a box. He was helping his little brother leave him. Sonic swallowed the lump in his throat, forcing himself to bury his pride and happiness, and help achieve Tails's. He put more stuff into the box, and then headed over to the desk.

He started shuffling through papers on the desk, placing them into another box. He began shifting through the drawers, pulling out papers and going through them. One caught his eye, and he pulled it from the pile, holding it in his hands and examining it.

It was a picture drawn by Tails years ago, when he just began inventing things. In the picture, Sonic saw himself, standing next to Tails, smiling. They were holding hands, and next to Tails stood a taller fox with two tails, one that had to be his father he thought dead. All three were holding hands, and in the corner, Tails wrote 'Wonderful...' in small letters.

After a few minutes of looking at the photograph, Sonic closed his eyes, clutching the drawn picture tightly. Then, with a shaky sigh, Sonic took the picture and placed it back into the drawer. He picked up the two boxes, filled with papers and tools, and walked out of the room.

--;

It wasn't long before they were finished packing Tails's stuff. By then, it was around 6:00, and Sonic was exhausted from packing boxes and bags. Next to the door was everything Tails owned. Looking at the packed objects, Sonic felt his heart creak slightly, and he looked away, closing his eyes.

He thought of Tails picture he found in his drawer, and knew this was what his brother had wanted for years. He couldn't stop him from going, or else he would hate him forever. He sighed, shaking his head.

He heard footsteps coming from the hallway, and looked up to see Tails walking toward him, his eyes sparkling as he layed his final bag on the small stack of stuff. He sighed, looking at the stuff, then at Sonic, coming over to sit next to him. They were quiet for a moment before Tails spoke.

"Thanks for helping, Sonic," he said, looking at his feet. "I...I'm so glad to get to be with my dad." He looked up at Sonic, his blue eyes shining with unshed tears. "But...I know I'm going to miss you, Sonic." Sonic examined the tears in his best friends eyes, and smiled at him, ruffling his hair with his hand.

"Ah, kiddo," he said, thinking of words to tell the kitsune. "You'll...you'll adjust. You won't miss me that bad when you're with your dad. After all, he is your father. Go live with him, Tails. Argue with him like you never got to do." He smiled again, nudging him. "But call me sometimes, and visit." Tails smiled at him, looking down at his shoes again.

"I really will miss you, Sonic," he said, looking back up. "You're my brother and my best friend...and...well, I really will miss you."

Sonic swallowed the lump in his throat, blinking. "I'll miss you too, kiddo."

After a few more minutes of simply sitting in each others company, James came through the hallway, carrying a bag of food Sonic allowed him to take. Tails got up from the couch, smiling at his dad. James smiled half-heartedly back, placing the bag next to the door.

"Well, Miles," he said, glancing at Sonic a millasecond before looking at Tails. "We've got a big day tomorrow. Better get some sleep." Tails nodded, and Miles ruffled his sons hair, just like Sonic always did.

"Alright, Dad," Tails said, walking toward the hallway with James on his heels. He stopped and looked at Sonic, smiling sadly. "G'night, Sonic." Sonic nodded, smiling at Tails as he walked into the bedroom with his father.

"'Night, Tails," Sonic whispered. He sighed, letting his head roll back on the couch.