Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

~4~

-Mending... Is A Process-

It's late evening as I lie on my back on top of the roof. The panels beneath me are smooth and stiff, neither comfortable nor distressing to my reclining position. The sky above me is dark and filled with thick, gloomy clouds that roll across the sky, informing me that it'll probably start raining soon. For now, though, I enjoy what I can of the view of the crescent moon's vibrant white glow.

More time has passed—only a few days—and things feel like they're getting back to normal. Only something seems to keep prodding my mind. I thought for sure Eggman would've escaped by now. He is a genius, and getting out of a place like that seems like it wouldn't take him very long. Just the thought of him sends tendrils of grief throughout my body.

The sky above me reminds me of Shadow's words from before, about how our child is probably watching us up there and how he or she wouldn't want me to be so sad. I nod to myself at this and bring my hands from my behind my head to wipe at my formerly stinging eyes. He's right. I shouldn't be so sad; I was doing so well before.

I never used to give kids much thought beforehand, as I was too focused on taking care of Tails and defeating Eggman, the ever-present thought of finding my Chaos Bound never too far from my mind either. So the fact that I can't seem to shake this from my mind now is upsetting. Although I do remember this one time when I felt a feeling similar to this one…

I was only a kid myself then and had just found Tails a few months prior. Me being the good friend that I was, I hated seeing him get hurt because he was my friend and helped me give ol' Robuttnik what was coming to him. So I decided to try and find him a good home so that he'd be safe and away from harm. I ended up leaving him with his "real family" and it felt... horrible. Like I'd lost a very precious thing.

Of course, it was all just a trick, and I managed to get Tails back in no time, but I'll never forget the words he said to me that day. "You're my mom, you're my dad, and you're my picket fence!" His words meant more to me than he could imagine. When I look at Tails, I see more than just my best friend—I see the little kit who I've raised and protected since I was nothing more than a kid myself.

I'm taken from my recollections and reminded of something I tried hard to forget as the large looming clouds above pass over the moon, bathing the world in blackness for a moment. It's almost like my dream, being so abruptly thrust into darkness. I haven't even talked to Shadow about it yet. I don't think I'd be able to get through five words without making myself sick.

"Chaos…" I whimper quietly, sitting up so that I can bury my face into my arms wrapped around my knees, my body shuddering deeply with my suppressed cries. Why is all of this hitting me now? I just came out here for a bit of fresh air and to enjoy the nighttime scenery. Now all I can think about is how that little girl was…

I stifle a cry as cold drops of water force me from my position, making the decision for me to head back inside. With a heavy sniffle, I jump down onto my windowsill, enter my room, and shut the frame behind me, so that the light rain glances off the glass with a light pitter-patter sound.

When I turn around, I find Shadow staring at me from the doorway of the room, clear concern shining in the soft, glowing depths of his eyes. He doesn't ask, but I tell him anyway what's wrong. "I had a minor relapse, is all." I try to chuckle in an attempt to downplay the situation, but my laughs sound more like cries, so I stop as best I can, gratefully nestling into Shadow's warmth when he shuts the door and moves to embrace me.

Looking up at him through my teary vision, I ask desperately in a quiet voice, absolutely needing this from him, "Can you take the pain away? Please, Shadow…"

Wordlessly, he connects our lips together and slowly guides me to the bed under the cover of darkness. Our clothes are discarded haphazardly across the floor by Shadow before he presses my body into the softy, cushion-y support of the bed. A blind heat begins to fog my mind as he touches, kisses, and caresses my body into oblivion. It's almost as if he's everywhere at once as he never stops moving, stroking my body until my senses go haywire.

I muffle every cry of passion, every whimper of love, being wary of the youngsters who also occupy this house. It becomes very difficult to stay silent when the heat of his tongue is involved; clenching the sheets between my fists does nothing to relieve the tension. My breath leaves me as my back arches shortly after, the will to keep quiet becoming shaky with every movement between us.

The only sound heard is the tapping of rain against the window, the heavy exhales of our breaths, and, finally, my passionate moans when it becomes impossible to hold them in any longer. It's positively blazing between us as our passion builds, his touch like flames licking at the skin beneath my sweat-matted fur. Lips press and glide smoothly along mine, his wet muscle roughly delving into my depths, alighting fireworks in my vision.

Shadow makes sure to caress and love me in ways that send my senses in a frenzy, my entire frame going wild as ecstasy consumes me. Pain doesn't reach me in this state, only my want, my need, for the love of my life working my body to its highest rapture.

Just when I can't breathe from the screaming, can't think from the overwhelming sexual bliss, things come to a rather riotous end. Incoherent babble tumbles from my lips as we crash and plunge our way through clouds of absolute heaven. Chaos, Shadow doesn't stop: He wrings every last drop of carnal gratification dry until we finally collapse in a sea of lethargy, spent.

In near seconds our bodies are in the land of dreams, almost soundless raps upon the window from the cold rain the only thing breaking the silence of the room.

~XxX~

The sun shines brightly today, like a rebirth. The start of something new draws near. I can almost sense it in my blood. I feel so relieved and relaxed after last night, I can barely find the want to get out of bed. The only thing that so much as causes me to twitch is the persistent soft press of lips against mine.

"Morning, sleepyhead," his deep, velvety voice caresses my ears in greeting.

I steal one last kiss before I open my eyes drowsily and respond with a heavy satisfaction, "Yes… it's a very good morning."

He chuckles suggestively at my comment, cupping a hand over my cheek in order to rub it fondly when I flush. "I knew you'd say something along those lines… Sonic, there was something I actually wanted to talk to you about."

I arch an eyebrow at the sudden change in demeanor and raise my hand to grasp the one upon my face. "Okay, what is it, Shads?" I ask, wanting to know what could be so serious. A sudden thought of what it might be forms in my mind, making me feel a bit queasy. If he asks what happened with me last night, I don't think I'll be able to tell him.

He shushes me gently and gets my focus back on him. "It has nothing to do with anything bad. Well, at least I don't believe it is." I can sense the hidden anxiety lurking in his veins, bringing about my natural curiosity. My lips stay shut so that he can continue with his explanation.

Appreciation fills his eyes at my patience as he moves his muzzle to nuzzle mine. The words he speaks next are intense, oozing with hope. "I was thinking maybe you could… move into my place at Hill Top with me, and it could become our home…"

Our home…? My mind kicks into overdrive at the possibility, having never really considered it before. Why haven't I considered it before? A fluffy orange twin-tailed fox comes to mind, and the reason why suddenly makes sense. I think I want to move in with Shadow—would love to, actually—but I can't just leave my brother by himself. Can I? "T-that sounds amazing, but… what about Tails? I can't just leave him and Cosmo alone."

He pulls back to look into my eyes as he begins to try and persuade me, his want for me there desperate and strong. "I thought of that already. Eggman is… err, gone now, so you guys don't have to worry about a villain trying to take over the world. He and Cosmo are going to grow up, and they'll need the place to themselves, and if they do need anything we're just a Chaos Control away. What do you think?"

"I—uh…" I genuinely wish to, and his reasons sound perfect and well thought out—logical like I know him to be—but could I really just do that? At my continued hesitance, the blazing fire in his eyes begins to dim, and this results in my decision. "Okay."

He raises an eyebrow tentatively. "Really? You don't have to say so just to make me—"

"I'm not—well, I am—but I'm also doing it because I really want to. I'm just worried about my brother is all," I explain with a soft curve to my lips.

He leans forward to kiss my lips slowly before pulling back and saying, "You don't have to. Things will work out. I promise."

~XxX~

Shads and I make our way into the cozy kitchen, spotting Cosmo and Tails sitting at the table that occupies a small section of it. Their conversation stops abruptly when they see us, an awkward silence settling into the room before my little buddy breaks it. "Uh, good morning."

The embarrassed blush that begins to form on their faces makes me want to hide my face in mortification. Oh, Chaos. Maybe getting our own place will be good for more than just allowing Tails and Cosmo to have their own space.

Shadow subtly rubs my lower back to ease me and at the same time nudge me to my seat at the table. I take my place just as Shadow returns the greeting. Even though I feel a little uncomfortable with them knowing what went on in my bedroom last night, I still rub Tails' head fondly and offer our plant-like friend a winning smile.

Shadow sets my plate of food before me as he sits next to me at the circular table. "Thanks," I murmur before delving into my meal of scrambled eggs, french toast, and sausage links. I'm grateful to know people who are great with cooking.

"Sonic and I actually wanted to talk to you both about something." And out the window my appetite goes.

I put my fork down in preparation for the talk, noting the young couple's focused attention.

"Sure, what did you want to talk about?" Cosmo asks curiously after finishing off her bowl of fruit salad.

"I've given it a lot of thought and spoke with Sonic about it this morning. I was thinking it would be best if Sonic and I moved in together in my home in Hill Top Zone." Short, sweet, and to the point. That's my Shadow for you.

Cosmo looks surprised, but Tails' look of shock is what bothers me the most. "Is this true, Sonic?" he inquires directly.

"Uh, yeah. I thought it was a good idea because… because, uhh…" Just staring into his cherubic eyes makes it that much more difficult for me to tell him that I'm leaving him, as if I'm completely okay with the thought of leaving him—something which will never be true. I'll always worry about him.

Shadow's strong hand grasps mine under the table, making it easier for me to continue on. "Well, I agreed because Shads and I need our own space, and I'm sure you guys don't want to hear stuff like last night all the time," I add in a joking manner as I ruffle Tails' bangs and look in Cosmo's direction with a playful smile. "You guys are gonna need a place of your own too, and, besides, Tails mostly ran this place anyway, so it's only right that he keeps it," I finish with a hint of sadness creeping into my tone, but I refuse to let it show.

"So this is really it, huh? Well, then I guess there's only one thing left to say… I'm gonna miss you, big bro." My always-so-mature-for-his-age brother makes a move to embrace me tightly, his tails behind him swishing slowly as he soaks in the warmth from his only family for the last time—at least for a little while.

I hold him tightly in return, finally coming to terms with having to let go—not completely, but enough so that he can spread his wings on his own without my assistance. "I'm not leaving you completely, ya know. If you ever need anything, we'll be here in a Sonic Second, and I'll try to visit whenever I can," I add optimistically when we finally pull back from the embrace.

He nods in understanding, making me feel better about the whole situation. My emerald eyes lock on Cosmo, and she seems to gather that I need to say something important to her. "Cosmo, I'm gonna need you to look out for him while I'm away, okay? I'm trusting you with this."

She nods in seriousness, those flowing green bangs of hers obscuring her blue eyes for a moment as she moves. "I promise, Sonic." She and Tails grasp hands, which soothes me. She locks eyes with me again before asking her next question: "Do you have a time in mind for when you guys are leaving?"

I open my mouth to respond, only to realize that I really don't know the answer. Shadow so kindly replies for me. "Well, I was thinking maybe today would be best."

"Today?" three exclamations sound at once. Tails, Cosmo, and I look at each other in surprise before turning our accusing eyes back on the obsidian hedgehog in the room.

He seems nonplussed by our disbelief, the crimson of his eyes a calm, kindling flame. "I understand the strong emotional ties that lie here, but… I would really like to get started on a life with my mate now that all the danger has passed."

I can't help but smile warmly at his words, forgetting about the two pairs of observant blue eyes that spy my show of adoration.

"Well, I guess today really isn't that bad, but, Shadow, I want you to watch out for him for me, all right? He may get impatient, pester you about things for hours if he's really interested in it, or leave the place messy on occasion, but he's my only brother." I look to see Tails gazing in Shadow's directions with determination in his eyes. He makes me proud of him more and more every day.

Shadow stands from his seat as he makes his way over to the orange fox, placing his hand upon his shoulder in genuine honesty. "Of course, Tails."

Maybe Shadow's right. Things will be okay.

~XxX~

We take off in a run after breakfast, leaving behind the twin optimistic smiles and waves of our younger friends, the house behind us no longer being home. I'm going to miss a lot about living in Emerald Hill, but I'm sure Hill Top will be just as satisfying, I concede while taking a look at the sleek obsidian red-streaked hedgehog skating alongside me.

Allowing my emerald eyes to linger on him, drawing his attention to my direction as a result, I request with a hint of a smirk, a flame of challenge alighting in my eyes, "How about we kick it up a notch? It'll make getting there a lot quicker."

He holds my gaze for a moment before a slow show of teeth reveals itself, his form disappearing in a golden blue-tinted blur shortly after leaving my ears ringing from the sonic boom. Never one to be outdone, my feet become nothing but a distorted image as I propel forward, shattering the sound barrier, and push past the wind.

A chuckle escapes me when I catch up with Shadow. Our journey through the grassy Zone is as swift and fluent as the warm gusts of air. The fresh air and sunny warmth is as revitalizing as ever as we do something only we can. Shads and I aren't making this a race per se, just a chance to let go and run.

The aura surrounding each of us is surprisingly similar in color, a mixture of blue and gold. I'm so used to seeing my blue aura that the mixture of gold is a shock. I guess it's a result of our energies mixing.

Running around at the speed of sound gets us to the next Zone in mere minutes, and I decide to slow down a little so that I can take in a bit of the construction going on in Chemical Plant. Shadow was right when he said we Mobians are resilient. After years of surviving destruction from Eggman, the beings of this planet have learned to band together whenever the time is necessary and do amazing things like what I'm witnessing right now.

The once ruined city is slowly being torn down and replaced with houses of many a shape surrounding the plant in the center. That remains untouched; whether it be in memory of Tails and my battle against Eggman there remains to be known.

Soon it becomes apparent that our travels are anything but unnoticed when shouts from the many furry beings around start to sound. "H-hey! Look! It's Sonic! It's Sonic and that black hedgehog!"

I laugh a little at that as the cheers grow louder and turn my head to face Shadow. "Well, look at that. You're starting to get famous! Although black hedgehog isn't… really…" I trail off slowly when I realize just how tense my bio-hog is. "What's wrong, Shadow?"

His crimson eyes snap onto my moving body as I break him out of his concentration and words begin to spill out of his mouth like a fountain. "The people here don't seem alarmed by my presence, which means the authorities aren't after me. I know they have footage of the incident; leaving that behind was a mistake on my part, but the fact that they aren't after me is—"

"Shadow!"

He gives an expression one might give if he was caught revealing something he shouldn't. I demand in a soft, stern voice, "What do you mean the authorities aren't after you? What footage? Just what's going on?"

He huffs a sigh and grabs hold of my hand in order to keep me running beside him. "Well, I was just thinking about our encounter with the Doctor… There was obviously some type of security camera in the room. It was a penitentiary. The fact that no one has bothered to show up to apprehend me is all that I was curious about," he simply explains.

There were cameras in there? Of course there were. I just wasn't thinking rationally enough to give a damn. Now, though, I fear what the public might think if they find out I tried to kill Eggman. The sudden smiling faces that pass by us in haste no longer feel all that welcoming.

My worry must be clear as I try to avoid looking at the practically worshiping Mobians because Shadow speaks up about it pretty quickly. "Sonic, don't worry about anything. I'm sure no one will fault you for wanting to get rid of that bastard, especially after all that he's done."

I slowly nod and look into his reasonable eyes before some of his earlier words become clear in my head. "Yeah, that's true, but I dragged you into it with me. You wouldn't even be on the footage if it weren't for me. You're not even really known here, and now people are going to start thinking negatively of you," I point out guiltily.

"Trust me, if people start thinking of me negatively, it won't be because I was just caught in that room on film." I arch an eyebrow at that, but he cuts me off as he continues, "Never mind. Let's not think of the Doctor anymore. He's gone and out of our lives for good now. We have far better things to concern ourselves with than that useless waste of space."

I admire Shadow's confidence that Eggman really is out of our lives for good. On the other hand, after having lived with his continued bouts of villainy, I will never feel truly at ease until he's gone for good. "You're right… Come on! If we keep it past the sound barrier, we should be able to get there by evening," I tell him with a renewed smile. I give a wave to the adoring fans and speed on ahead with Shads right on my tail.

~XxX~

After only making a small stop in the commercialized Casino Night Zone for lunch, my prediction was correct and we make it to the blue grass covered Zone just as the giant star in the sky sets in the horizon. Shadow and I stand in front of the hidden away cabin for a while, feeling the significance that hangs in the air.

"So this is it. Our home," I say aloud, a bit of nerves creeping into my tone as I look in Shadow's direction and admire the soft rays of moon light that highlight his dark pelt.

He nods firmly as he takes ahold of my hand, pulling me in the direction of the entrance. "Yes… ours." His hand squeezes mine and he opens the door to our new beginning, allowing me to see the tiny warm smile that graces his face as he does so.

This Friday is Christmas and my birthday is Thursday, I guess, so Happy Holidays everyone! I hope it's all special for you guys!

Next chapter is when the story starts to pick up, so look forward to it!