Dib07: Final Chapter. Crossroads is officially complete.

When I first started this I wasn't sure what people would think. It was very different and 'out there,' with the characters with their own very real problems. Also, I always believed this story to be just okay compared to my other ones and knew that actually, people wouldn't have much of an interest in this. How wrong I was. I have found that I have touched many readers/reviewers over the past couple of weeks who can empathize with the characters and feel and understand what they felt. I am touched that my story means something after all. Thank you.

Meowtastix: I shall miss your reviews, dude. Your feedback and happy heartfelt comments have really kept me going. I bow down to you. Thank you so much. Your words are a gift to me. ^_^

Chapter 10: Never Take Anything for Granted (I'm Undone)

The G.U.N official opened the backdoor using a tool to cleverly fool the lock with a bolt key. Once made right, the bolt key could open most locks without having the need to 'break in' and leave a mess for the evidence and investigation team. The man gingerly made his way inside in the light of the morning, having seen the two occupants leave in the snowy cold. He had to be quick, because he didn't know how long they would be gone for.

With a bag of new cameras that were even smaller than the first set, the man began implanting them. He was about to place the first one in a plant pot when he felt a rush of immense but repressed power behind him. He spun, alarmed when he saw Shadow lock eyes with his, arms folded crudely across his chest. He had warped back into his own house – so the move wasn't totally illegal.

"Knew it." The elder rasped in his calm, soft voice.

"But… but you! I saw you leave!" Cried the man, his voice throwing his confusion into the air.

Sonic came up behind the official, tossing an apple up and down in his hand. "We pretended to leave." He said, "just to see what rats we would attract! And look who took the bait!"

Shadow stepped forward, causing the G.U.N member to drop his bag of cameras from fear. Many smashed from the sudden drop onto wooden panel flooring. "Who do you work for?" He growled. "And why are you putting cameras up everywhere?" He saw the man deviate with hesitation. "Or I'll sever your head from your shoulders."

Sonic lost his focus and dropped the apple. It went rolling along the floorboards and hit the newspaper stand. Its ruby reflections gave out Shadow's anger and the perplexed man gazing upon his dropped bag of cameras.

"Okay, I give! My life is more important than my job!" The man irritably confessed, "I've been setting up cameras because Eggman threatened to slit his wrists and kill himself unless he could watch you and Sonic! I swear!"

"And that's it?" Shadow pressed.

"Yes! Yes, I swear! He's bored! He's been in the same cell for over seven years! Come on, man! Just let me go!"

Shadow smiled. "All right. Step outside. I wanna show you something." His teeth glinted darkly. He left Sonic supporting himself against the wall. Apple still on the floor.

The morning air was chilly and ripe with frost. Shadow led the man out of the house the back way, and led him down the yard and out onto the street on the other side. Finally far enough from the house, Shadow produced a bag full of coins. "Here, as payment. Sorry for the hassle, but it had to look convincing."

The man took the cash with a supple nod. "Why'd you wanna do it again? Those were real cameras by the way. You made me break ten of them." He inspected the bag briefly.

"I decided that I didn't want to spy on him anymore. I wanted to at first. Was so angry I made the cameras obvious, just to piss him off. But now… there's no need. I'm happy. It's funny isn't it, how we don't know what we want until we get bitch slapped in the face?"

"Whatever, dude. I'm off. Good luck with… whatever you're doing." Plopping the bag of money into his camera bag, he started heading off. Shadow gave the man on last dirty look before heading back into the house. But it wasn't much warmer in there either.

"Sonic, I took care of him. It's over."

"Oooh goodie. I hope ya didn't hurt him."

"Does it matter?" He closed the backdoor and locked it. When he returned to the hallway, Sonic was walking awkwardly to the stairs. "You want to go out today? Cinema maybe?" It was really gelid and icy today. The news broadcasted snow in the next couple of days, and even the nights had grown remarkably colder.

"I feel like s-staying in."

"Why? That's not like you. At all. You like movies and the cheap, awful popcorn they supply."

Sonic dropped to the floor, thin legs briefly kicking out in the air like a turtle's from the shock of suddenly being on his back. Shadow dashed forwards, sudden concern leaping into his heart. "Jesus, you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry… must have sprained something when we went out for the walk. I knew I should have worn my vest."

"Here, let me help you up." Guiding Sonic upwards was easy, but the blue hedgehog couldn't seem to purchase his feet against the wood. His legs kept slipping out from under him as if his boots had turned to soap.

"Hang on… nearly… Shades… got my vest? I'm cold. The floor…"

"Sorry, Sonic, I couldn't make out any of what you just said."

"Vest? Be somewhere?"

"Okay, okay. I think I'll take you up to bed. You're starting to worry me a little." Tenderly, he lifted Sonic into his arms and walked upstairs with him. "You sure you're feeling okay, hog?"

"Yeah, fine. Just tired. You wore me out last night!"

"I suuure did!" They nuzzled noses and Shadow once again brought him into the bedroom. He approached Sonic's side of the bed and set him down. "I'll make you something hot to drink, and some good food. That'll have you feeling better in no time."

"Vest?"

"In just a minute. I'm not sure where you left it." Shrugging, he turned and left the room. He hadn't left it at Chris's place. Maybe in his car. Sonic did do a funny jolt yesterday afternoon when they were climbing into the red vehicle to go home. When queried about his reaction, he just said; 'sorry, had a bad feeling, but it's gone now.'

The vest was on the sofa. Shadow picked it up and started on a cup of tea. He let the kettle come to a boil and then poured it out into a mug, stirring occasionally. He almost added milk to it, and then stopped himself just in time. He rummaged through the fridge to rustle up something to eat, but there wasn't much. He'd have to go online to shop later. No way was he walking into a grocery store to be stared at from beginning to end just to buy food.

With the vest slung over one shoulder and the mug of tea and a plate of food all on a tray, he carefully made his way upstairs, careful not to spill anything.

He reached the top and entered the room. "Sonic, we can stay in and watch something…" He trailed off in mid sentence, mind still fixated on regarding a film. Sonic had lain down on the blankets, blank eyes staring across to the wall opposite him. Unmoving. He was silent.

Shadow's once, calm, happy world snapped and shattered into a million panicky pieces. Cold dread sparked fresh sweat to appear under his comely fur.

He dumped the tray on the floor, spilling the tea, vest falling from his shoulder. He leapt over to the side of the bed, gulping. "Sonic, are… are you okay? Hey! Hey look at me!" He went to touch his body. He turned Sonic's peach muzzle towards his, but Sonic's eyes were frozen pinpricks set in one single spot and did not respond at all to Shadow's commands. "Sonic! Oh Gods, what's wrong? Answer me!" His shouts were loud and alarmed like gunfire. And still Sonic did not respond. Purple blemishes had appeared under his eyes and along the top of his muzzle. The bed sheets were a mess, as if the blue hedgehog had been ripping at them. As Shadow looked on, seconds from being completely paralyzed, he realized that Sonic must have been convulsing on the bed.

"Shit!" Brain kicking into gear, Shadow lurched out and grabbed the phone by the bed, hastily punching in Chris's number that he had learnt a few years past during his depressive bouts of boredom. He heard the dialing tones ache out. Long and agonizing. He looked back at Sonic's still body. Chest rising every ten seconds. Too long… taking too long…

The phone clicked on the other side and Shadow tore himself away from staring at the hero's inert body for just a moment. "Christopher!" He yelled down the line, panic flooding in and consuming him utterly, "I need help! It's Sonic! I don't know! He's collapsed! I don't know what to do!" His garbled cries turned into all-out sobs.

Chris's voice came back surprisingly calm despite the information he had just been shot with. However there was an underlining tension beneath his voice. And it threatened to break. "You're at your place, correct? Okay, I'm on my way." There came the sound of keys being jangled. Furniture being pushed aside in a turbulent hurry "Keep him warm. Warp him in blankets. And above all else, make sure he keeps breathing. And keep calm, Shadow. I'm coming. Hold on. I gotta go now… I'm running to the car. If his condition deteriorates further, call 911." And he hung up. Shadow's blood went ice cold and his heart almost stopped in his chest.

Gulping, crying yet trying to hold it together, Shadow ripped out a soft, wooly medical blanket from under the bed and covered Sonic's chilled body with it. Being careful with him, Shadow wrapped him up and took him into his arms. Sonic's limpness was beyond true horror. It was like holding a doll whose limbs had been loosely attached. Shadow tried to get past the unsettling sensation, crying uncontrollably. Gripping him tightly in his arms and pressing Sonic's cold cheek against his chest fuzz, he left the bedroom and started down the stairs. "Wake up, Sonic. Wake up for me, please!" His tears were like rainwater. They kept rolling down like the sorrow in his heart. "Why didn't you say anything? Why?"

Despite the distance, Chris managed to get to their home incredibly fast, even if he had accumulated about half a dozen speeding tickets. He jammed his breaks on, causing his car to screech tightly outside the house with an ear-shattering squeal. That was the signal, and Shadow ran out of the house, carrying Sonic's body closely to him. He jumped into the car.

But the car never got going again for a very long time.

XXXXXX

The funeral was held on Wednesday the 29th of October on a cold, windy day. They all stood in a solemn, dejected line as the small casket was lowered into the earth. Shadow dropped the red roses on its front once the casket had hit the bottom. Chris threw the first handful of dirt inside the hole. All were wearing black, including Ella and Mr. Tanaka and his new partner Topaz, who had come with their own family. Rouge came with Knuckles; all in a procession of mourning black.

Maybe time stopped, if just for a second as the wind blew on. The preacher said his vows. The last of the autumn leaves scurried through the air, being whipped into a heartbroken frenzy. Chris was clutching Tails' hand tight. Amy had a black veil over her eyes so that Shadow couldn't see the tears that fell.

For the longest time, the elder hedgehog was utterly convinced that Christopher Thorndyke would blame him for Sonic's sudden death. But he didn't. The grown boy blamed himself. Though the words were unspoken, Shadow knew.

Time moved on again. The world had become a quiet, dead thing. And for a time all Shadow felt was copious anger. He was devastated and mad all at once. And for a long time, he was mad at Sonic. It replaced the sadness into something else. It was Sonic's fault that he had left him. Just like that. But after awhile, the infectious anger dissolved too until he was confronted by what had happened all over again. The mortification was all that was left. It just wasn't real. He half expected the little blue hero to come waltzing down the procession line, smiling and asking what the matter was. Why was everyone so sad?

Shadow kept looking. But he was gone. Sonic was no more.

It was growing darker. The casket was buried many feet under earth and soil. Most mourners had left. Shadow remained in the icy cold like a vagrant without a home.

Yes… yes home. To go back to that empty place. To lie in a double bed without him. To live… without him.

Shadow's tear-filled eyes took in the gravestone for the hundredth time. The wording craved into the stone stood out sharp and cruel in the shadowy light. Sonic's haunting voice filled his head of what he had said a few nights ago after their romp in candlelight; "I was at the threshold, I guess. Wondering which road to go down. So many choices. I wanted to be with you, and glad it was made so. I've chosen my path, and will keep going with you, all the way. Together, we'll have no regrets."

The tree branches rustled in disdain. Shadow's ears didn't even prick at the noise.

He had broken down and cried for days since his death. He was too exhausted now to follow the same pattern.

In the gathering darkness, his voice sounded disjointed. Croaky and sore. Not like himself. But it didn't matter.

"Sonic, you made me feel real again. With you the world was bursting with color because you were with me. Now you are gone and a part of me is gone."

I can't hold you anymore….

I'm in a million pieces.

Like water in my hands, you're nothing I can hold…

Their past conversations flowed through his head like notes of music.

'You have to face facts that she's gone now. And whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me.'

'You don't love me!'

'I do! Why else do you think I stayed?'

Shadow leaned against the headstone, feeling its cold, hard surface against him, offering no solace.

'Let's enjoy what we can… in the one life that we've got.'

'Yes… I suppose.'

'I knew you'd speak with your heart, Shades. I knew you could change. I knew you could do it. I believed in you, when no one else did. And it makes me proud. You've overcome yourself.'

Shadow had taken Sonic for granted. Overlooked his needs. His desires. All in place of his own. And now it was too late. They may have chosen the same road to go down, but Shadow had unintentionally been on his own road all along without letting anyone else join him. He had let Sonic join too little too late. And just like Maria… it was over.

Chris stepped over towards him, boots cracking on dry twigs and cold stone. He stood for a time behind him, trying to find the courage to speak. When he did, he said softly, "it's time to go Shadow. I'll take you home. It's getting late."

"No. I'm not getting into that car again. No. I'll... I'll walk thank you."

"Don't be a stranger, Shadow. You're welcome round my place anytime."

Shadow forced himself not to react when Chris bent down just enough to give his shoulder a good, loving squeeze before departing. And Shadow was once again alone with the wind and the eclipsing dusk. And the gravestone.

"I wish I could go back through time," Shadow was saying in a rough, husky voice, "and meet you at the crossroads again for a second chance. A second chance… You're right. I threw it all away." And I lost you.

Just then, a high, yet soft wind flashed by, and Shadow braced against the tremendous energy as the gust passed. He watched the trees dance and rustle, seizing in the wind as it blew southerly towards the downs at the bottom of the hill.

Sonic had not gone at all. He was still here, protecting them.

He was in the wind. All the time. Shadow drew himself to his feet and smiled sadly.

"Thank you for giving me that chance."

XXX

Sometimes the gales were strong and cold, but it was him, dashing past, unseen.

The grass blew up in tethers. The bushes rhythmically moved in unison.

He was there, always.

And sometimes, it was said, that you can hear the slight pound of his feet as he comes rushing by at super speed before the gusts follow and chase him up and down the hills.

The wind and storm are his.

Whenever someone feels that sudden breeze or that startling gust that comes suddenly on a bright summer's day or in a winter blizzard, they know that it is him. And that he is free.

'If I could flow like the wind
I would reach you
If I could shine like a moon
I would keep shining on you'

'Song by Ayumi Hamasaki - Moments'

The End

11/10/11