Chapter 9: A Whole New Machine

Sonic gladly grabbed four packages of his bread buns, then Tails took a few of his favorite snacks, then they were off.

"Ummm, Sonic, who are we gonna give the money too?" Tails asked frowning and looking at the empty cash register. Sonic looked over and cocked one eyebrow. The three of them where the only ones in the entire store, the reason obvious.

"Heh, don't worry little bro, we'll just leave the money on the counter." Sonic took out five mobians from nowhere and laid them on the counter as they went out. Tails wasn't that psyched (New word!) when he heard the alarm go off, but no one really seemed to care that much. Once out of the city, it had, unfortunately began to rain, very hard. So the three of them broke out into a hard run. Sonic and Tails looked at Metal, who simply responded with.

"I'm water proof." Tails smiled and nodded.

"Well that's good, It's a good thing that-WAAAAAHHH!!" There was the sound of something slipping on ground and the fox flew forward and landed face first in a puddle of mud. Metal and Sonic were instantly kneeling down helping him up. The fox was very upset now, and he looked at his fur as his ears drooped.

"Oh, great, now my fur's all wet and covered with mud!" Sonic patted a part of his head that didn't have mud on it.

"Hey, it's okay, me and Metal will clean you up when we get home, kay'?" Sonic and Tails both looked at Metal, who nodded quietly. "Ya see?" Sonic smiled gently. Tails sniffed and then was suddenly picked up off the ground and into bridal style by Metal, which Sonic was chuckling at. Tails almost blushed a little.

"W-What are you doing?" Metal looked down at him.

"That fall could of made an injury or two as well as getting you coated with mud." Tails shook his head.

"No, really Metal, I'm fine." The robot shook his head as he and Sonic ran off.

"Inadequate. (New word!) It is often not possible to know one is hurt after such a fall." Tails sighed and just crossed his arms as Metal carried him, while Sonic chuckled, running ahead a little.

--

Upon reaching the house, Tails proved that he was fine when he walked around without a problem.

"Hey hey hey, no walking around little bro! You'll track mud!" Metal and Tails both starred at the blue hedgehog, who shrugged.

"What?...Sometimes I care..." Tails smiled as his ears perked, suddenly hearing the sound of running water. His head turned towards the bathroom, Metal was gone and obviously beginning the bath. "Well, come on, oh dirty one!" Sonic said bowing. Tails chuckled as he and the hedgehog followed Metal's lead. When walking in the first thing they saw was the robot leaning over towards the pouring water stream, and holding out his finger. Then eventually he stood up and turned around.

"...You're bath is ready, T2." Tails chuckled again. Then took off his shoes, socks and gloves and slowly got in. Sonic turned to Metal and smiled.

"Alright, you do the washin', I'll do the hair, okay?"

"Understood." Metal said, as he took a bar of soap from the shelf, while Sonic grabbed a bucket and a bottle of shampoo. The robot seated himself on the floor as he applied the bar of soap to the fox and began shaving off the layer of mud and dirt, and then cleaning all of the dirt from his fur, a double leaning all in one basically. As he scrubbed, Metal went on and on about dirt and why it was better to get it out when in it's liquid from before it dried. Tails smiled the whole time, well, until they got to his stomach that was. Metal was still explaining dirts cellular properties (Two New Words!) when he began cleaning the fox's white stomach fur, and the fox's face curved upward and he began to chuckle. Metal didn't notice at first, but then reaching the fox's sides, Tails let out a couple of laughs. Metal stopped and looked up, wondering what he was dong. Sonic, who was sitting next to them, waiting for Metal to be done with his part, sat whisting. He looked at Tails as well, but unlike Metal, instantaneously (New word!) knew what it was.

Metal tried his sides again, but the fox laughed and made a jerk. The robot had a big anime question mark over his head. Then his memory bank retrieved a memory and brought it up.

"Ahh, would this be the physical phenomena (New words!) you refer to as 'tickling'?" Tails giggled and nodded. "Hmmm...but I am not purposely trying to cause you excitement or pleasure..."

"That ain't how tickling works Metal." Sonic said grinning from ear to ear next to him. The robot looked at him and cocked his head, he opened his installer, getting ready to download a more defined definition of 'tickling'. Sonic continued. "Watch." Sonic moved next to the kit. "Now, notice how I'm not trying to do anything." Sonic then yawned, and stretched his hands out backwards, where his hand gently caressed Tails side on the way back, the fox giggled. Metal was taking in every detail. "People are always ticklish, but how much you want them to laugh and how hard depends on what you do, on purpose or not." Sonic then spun around and attacked Tails with the "dancing spider hands" style. Metal was now downloading. Sonic turned back and rubbed underneath his nose. "See?"

Metal nodded.

"Yes, thank you Sonic, I've downloaded that information."

"Good for you." Sonic said, turning back to his normal position. "Now umm, can you finish this up? The kid here's gotta go to bed soon." Metal nodded and quickly finished his part of the cleaning. He then moved aside as Sonic took over with his hands. He first dumped the bucket of water over his head, then lathered his hands so fast that they were a blur. "Alright! Let's get it on!" Tails laughed as the bubbly mass of soap that had been liquid a second ago attacked the kits hair. (Which is what...three bangs?)

--

It was three minutes later where Tails got out, was dried by Metals giant hairdryer of doom. (Which ultimately made him into a giant orange puff ball again, and then hugged by Sonic for an unknown reason) and finally Sonic put the fox to bed. Metal had been sitting on the couch, in the dark except for the blazing fire light, which made him sparkle, when Sonic sat next to him.

"Heh, hey thanks for the help with Tails." There was silence fir a long time.

"...Sonic."

"Yeah?"

"...Thank you for everything." Sonic didn't say anything, but then smiled.

"Heh, no problem. Oh, and Metal." Metal glanced at him. "Feel free to stay here as long as you like!" Metal's eyes would of widened if they could.

YES! END OF CHAPTER!!...NOT STORY! I HAVE TO GO NOW!