'Sup, everybody! I would like to thank everyone who responded to my question at the end of chapter ten. It really helped and most of you said "No way!" which made me feel really happy inside! Thank you all!

XxXTigeryXxX: I'm glad you think so! Yeah, it's kinda one of my favorite fics as well! (Even though I'm the one writing it)

Browlax: You gave me a lot of reviews! Thanks! Oh, and I'm glad we got that misunderstanding sorted out. I really did like your story!

TMNT15: You are probably my most faithful reviewer (also my first!) and your support is what's been taking me through chapter by chapter. A big applause to my author bud! Oh yeah, I want to give you some ideas for a fic. It'll be Sonic themed, but, after all, I am a Sonic fan!

LusayLu182: I'm really glad we can appreciate each others' stories, since we both are big fans of the black and red dude! Thanks for following and favoriting my story as well. It seems though you're the only person here though that knows the way this story spells out!

bearvalley3365: I'm really sorry you don't like this story. :( What's this story missing-besides Noah Thompson the Panda Bear-that keeps it from not being boring? I ask for constructive criticism.

Guest: Are you ShinyShiny9? Who are you? Even if you are a guest you can still have a name that you go by.

SarahBara: Thanks! I'd PM you but I can't! "(

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Chapter XI

This was exactly what they needed. More trouble.

"What the **** is going on here?!" A booming, loud, man's voice called out. Maria quickly grabbed Shadow up by his leg and threw him under her bed. As an afterthought she wished she had been a bit gentler, since he had let out some yelps.

"Why can't I have some ******* peace and quiet for once…?" The man speaking was on the other side of the door. He had tried to open it, only to find it was locked. Maria saw the door handle move back and forth as the man was trying to come in. "What's with this door, and why is it locked?!" She heard him start banging the door. She was glad the door was different than most in this ship as it had a real handle, not a special lock that one had to slide a card or enter a code.

She desperately tried moving her dresser in front of the hole in the wall, which unfortunately wasn't an easy task for her. Shadow's head peeked out from underneath the bed, but quickly went back under as Maria motioned to hide whilst giving him a death glare. Suddenly, Maria started to hear the door open. How'd the guy open it? She obviously had no idea.

Maria dashed to her bed and sat on it trying to calm her nerves and catch her breath. The door opened wide to reveal a man by the name of Julian; the tall, burly guy that Maria always remembered because of how much he swore. His face expressed an undeniable showcase of frustration. He was heaving, and his eyes were squinting into little slits.

"Maria, is that you? What was with all that noise?" He walked up and asked in a demanding tone while hovering over her face. Maria pulled her head away from the guy's face and looked away while stuttering,

"Wha-what noi-noise?"

"That big, crashing noise!"

"Uh…"

"Why the **** was your door locked anyway?!"

"Fa-father—I mean the Professor, he-he locked it…" Maria stumbled over her words.

"Ugh. So you are the professor's child. If you weren't "sick" we all wouldn't have to be on this **** ship." As he spoke into her face his breath smelled funny. Maria couldn't place it but it seemed to be linked to the fact that he was acting strange. Then again, this wasn't much different then how he usually acted. Maria watched curiously as the man stumbled out the doorway, mumbling to himself incoherent words about hedgehogs.

Once he had left, Maria let out a big sigh as she had been holding her breath for the last five minutes.

"Shadow, I think it's safe to come out." The black and red hedgehog crawled out from underneath apparently not very happy.

"Why the **** did you shove me under that bed?" he growled angrily.

"Shadow!" Maria gasped at Shadow's use of the foul utterance. "Don't use that word!" Shadow's expression turned from angry to confused as he tilted his head in puzzlement.

"Why? The man used it plenty of times."

"Just because he says something bad doesn't mean you have the right to."

"Why is it bad?" He asked with earnest confusion. Maria shook her head and sighed.

"Because it just is." She sighed again but then saw Shadow rubbing his leg as if pained. She suddenly felt guilty. "Oh, hey, sorry about throwing you under the bed." She smiled sheepishly.

"It's about time you apologized." He grunted. Crossing his arms, he looked back over to the portion of the wall that had been broken but now barely hidden by Maria's dresser. "How do intend to fix that?" He spoke while he motioned toward the wall.

"Ah, my father will get someone to fix it."

"Why didn't you just tell the man?"

"He was acting strange, okay?! Would you like to tell him that you broke the wall?"

"It wasn't my fault…" He huffed.

"Whatever. I just wonder why he was acting like that…" Is it because of Shadow? Maria thought to herself. Was everyone really THAT disappointed in my father's creation?

"Maria?" Shadow waved his furred hand in front of her face. "Where'd you go?"

"Oh, uh, just lost in thought." What if everyone hates Shadow? What if I'm the only one who wants him? Maria's expression grew downcast as she thought of Shadow's position. He's so unwanted…Then again; I'm not really wanted here either…Julian's words came back to her:

"If you weren't 'sick' we wouldn't have to be on this **** ship…" Maria sighed as she glanced down at Shadow who was looking up at her in bewilderment.

"Maria, are you okay?"

"I'm—I'm fine, Shadow." We're both castaways, aren't we?

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To all American readers: HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!