"Aleena?" Espio spoke up as they began the trek back to Knothole.

"Espio…. It really is you, isn't it?" Aleena fell back to smile on her guardian.

"It is." He had a serious tone, though relieved. "Look...I'm not your guardian any more, but I'm glad to know you're still alive."

"I'm glad to see you too," she returned pleasantly.

"I also know a lot has changed since we fell asleep...I just thought you should know some things." Espio glanced at Chuck and Tails, who walked ahead of them, making sure they were out of immediate earshot.

"What things?"

"Like...humans. They're not all bad. I've been in Station Square before...if you can get over the past...it's a nice place to visit," he replied to Aleena's small nod. She wasn't quite ready to trust them yet. "Also...whatever you think about Rhombus…he did betray us, but he had his reasons...and he spent the rest of his life paying for his mistakes."

"I was hoping that was my imagination," Aleena said with a sigh.

Espio's tone softened, "I just thought you should know that he died a hero... He saved my life. We're not the only ones from the past."

Aleena smiled at him, "Thank you, Espio."

"I'm glad I got another chance to protect you," he returned the smile. "I'll be leaving you now, but if you need me, you know where I'll be."

"Take care, brave one," Aleena said softly.

"Farewell, my Queen." Espio gave a final bow to her and took off into the woods.

Upon entering Knothole's outskirts, Tails had parted company with rivals Shadow and Sonic. The pair had made its way to Chucks' in relative silence. Sonic had a smile planted on his face as Shadow had a scowl. They were polar opposites in personality, if equals in determination. In this case, Sonic was determined to be light hearted and Shadow was determined to be upset.

"Well, this is the ol' homestead. Want me to show you around?" Sonic said finally upon reaching Chuck's house.

"No." Shadow was the master of one word answers, and most of them were negative.

Sonic scratched his ear again and led Shadow inside. "Well uh...have a seat. I'd wait with you, but I gotta tell Sally about Nicole."

"Fine."

Sonic took another glance at Shadow before he headed out. He wanted to say something, but what do you say to a guy like that? The darker hedgehog had been wrong about Sonic in one aspect...not everything came easily to him. It wasn't easy to talk to Shadow, and he still wasn't sure what he was going to say to Sally about Nicole and her recent behavior. Ahh well...unlike Shadow, he wouldn't brood about it endlessly.

Alone again, Shadow could return to his normal thought patterns. He played out the scene from earlier that day over and over again. He had scared Aleena, and he was just starting to see how he had come on too strong. He paced back and forth across the floor while he thought about things. The circumstances were different now…. She knew he existed and that he would be waiting this time. But what to say?

Hi, Mom! I'm your alien hellspawn bastard child from the Ark! You don't know me, but I almost destroyed the Earth in trying to find out my parentage! Oh yeah, that would go over well…. Hi...uh...I was raised by a scientist on a space colony where you apparently were helpful in spawning me. Shadow about bit his tongue thinking he could say anything that stupid. He honestly couldn't think of anything to say. He had nothing to offer her; he was no child, and she didn't know him... There was no reason for her to even accept him as her son. With a grimace, he realized that he wanted her approval far more than she needed him.

After what seemed an eternity of waiting, the door opened, and Shadow found himself tense and on guard again. Charles and Aleena's laughter was fading from some joke or story one of them had told, and they were arm in arm as they walked through the door. Upon seeing him, the two went quiet and the atmosphere became heavy. "I...think I'll leave you two; I'll be in the study;" Chuck said, giving Aleena a quick kiss on the cheek before moving on.

Aleena smiled a little and then folded her hands together and looked at Shadow, searching him with her cherry-colored eyes. He looked back at her in silence, frozen from the moment she entered the room. Now that she wasn't being threatened by him, she managed to relax. "Shadow...is it?" she said in a polite tone.

He nodded reply and took a step toward her. Fearing it was too quick, he stopped in his tracks. Looking down, he spoke in a somewhat cold but polite tone, "I'm sorry...I didn't...mean to frighten you earlier."

"It's okay," Aleena replied, taking a few cautious steps toward him. He was certainly awkward and unsure, but she had enough information now she had a good idea what she wanted to say to him. "Nicole and Charles told me about you."

"Oh…."

"I've heard you've had it rough...being alone." She moved to the couch and sat down, indicating Shadow should do likewise next to her.

"..Yeah." He felt stupid. Ultimate life form did not mean ultimate conversationalist... "Look...you..."

"Yes?" Alena asked in a patient tone.

"I don't know what it's like to have a real family." He put his hands in his lap and looked down at his shoes. "I've...I did have a sort of family on the Ark... Dr. Gerald was nice to me, and Maria was an angel...but...I know he wasn't a father to me any more than Maria a mother. She was...she was my friend...and...I l-...I loved her very much." He paused, struggling for words to come. This was turning out a lot differently than he had imagined. "I just know it's not...like a regular family."

Aleena nodded. "Well...to be honest, I never pictured myself as a mother." He saw her ear twitch lightly.

"You don't have to be..." Shadow shot in, " I mean..you don't have to be my mom. I've done without this long."

"Well, you're a little old to cradle in my arms or tuck in bed, but that doesn't mean you're not my son." the magenta and plum hedgehog said as she put an arm around Shadow.

Son. She had called him her son. A warm sensation moved through his body, and his eyes darted to hers to make sure he wasn't hearing things. "...You mean that?"

Her arms wrapped fully around Shadow's neck and she drew him into a hug, her fingers running through his black and red quills soothingly. A feeling of rest came on him at the affection. It was unexpected but certainly welcomed. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you. I would've liked to have seen you grow up…. I don't know how much time either of us have lost...but if you want…I'll be here whenever you need."

Shadow's arms wrapped around her frame after a hesitant moment. His ears soaked in the words while his mind tried hopelessly to register the meaning. "M-...m... May I call...you Mom?"

"Yes," she said softly.

Wetness gathered in the corners of Shadow's eyes, and he tried to get rid of it before breaking the hug. "...Thank you." Could he really be crying?

"Shadow...my baby." Aleena smiled and helped him wipe away a tear. "Stick around a while if you want to get to know me..." Shadow pushed her hand away, not ready to have someone wipe his tears for him. "I heard you don't stay in one place very long...but you don't have to run."

"I know...I'm better than that." Shadow nodded.

Aleena gave Shadow another hug before going to check on Charles. She found him waiting somewhat nervously in a chair, trying to read a book. His attention flew to her so fast, she knew he'd been waiting for this. She made her way over to him and slipped her arms around his neck, though in a much more tender fashion than she had given Shadow.

"So..." Chuck started, drawing her into his lap and losing the book.

"He's not a bad person, but I can see a lot of pain and fears in his eyes." she said and stroked Charles' quills tenderly. "I think he just wants some stability in his life...that's something I think we can all relate to."

Uncle Chuck nodded and held her close. "So...where does this leave us?"

"Hnnn? What do you mean?" her nose nuzzled against his.

"Well...he's your son…. You two are going to spend some time getting to know each other so…."

"Think I could forget you?" Aleena scratched the underside of his chin. "You know I love you, my brave little hedgehog."

Charles beamed back at her, looking into her brilliant eyes. At last he spoke, "Aleena... there's something I wanted to ask you before our picnic got ruined..."

"Yes...Charles?" Aleena was placed carefully on the seat Chuck had just been in as he reached into a desk drawer for something and knelt down before her.

"Aleena, my love...will you marry me?" He bowed his head and opened a small jewelry box, a pretty ring seated upon it.

Her mouth hung agape in disbelief as tears formed in her eyes. "Oh yes...yes!"

"Yo, Shadow! What's up, Cuz'?!" Sonic's voice cut through Shadow like a knife as the darker hedgehog was focused on a glass window, staring into another room of the clinic where Charles and Aleena were.

"Rrr...I think I liked it better when you called me Faker..." Shadow replied with a slight growl. "And you know perfectly well why I'm here."

Sonic peered through the window, looking in on the clinic's birthing center. Sonic gave a low whistle, "Man...brave of Unc to be down there right now...Quack tells me my own dad got a fractured wrist when I was born... Ha!"

Shadow gave a smirk at that. His smiles were still a somewhat rare sight, but having a solid residence now and parents nearby had had a soothing effect on him. Aleena had married Chuck not long after Shadow came into their lives, and Aleena had given him her old residence. It smelled strongly of women's perfume, but he had taken little time to make himself at home. Now, several months down the road, he was about to find himself a half brother.

"Oh Shadoooow! Do you know how many people I had to grill to find out where you were?!" Amy's voice carried into the room and Sonic slightly cringed at the pink ball of static cling. Since it was obvious Sonic preferred the company of the tomboy princess, and Shadow was now living in Knothole, she had seen fit to cling to him. Initially all she did was complain about how Sonic had shunned her, and he merely tolerated her presence. After a while, the conversations became less self-absorbed, though the pink pincushion continued to do most of the talking. It was still hard to say if he just tolerated her, but he seemed to have more patience for her than Sonic, who still recoiled automatically from the sound of her voice.

"Can't you two be quiet? We're in a damn clinic, for cryin' out loud," Shadow said in a rough tone while Amy attached herself to his arm.

"Sorry..." the pink hedgehog clung to him and smiled. She gave sonic a rude look, but it was still hard to say if her affections toward Shadow were an effort to make Sonic jealous or not. If they were, it wasn't working. "How long...?"

"She's been in there since this morning," Shadow said calmly. His ears stayed alert, despite how cool he appeared otherwise. Even through the thick walls and glass, he could hear his mother's cries. Childbirth was difficult, and part of him was glad she didn't have to suffer like that to bring him into the world.

"She'll be cool," Sonic said. "Quack's a good doctor, y' know."

Shadow nodded. Patience was his strong suit, but in this circumstance he was growing impatient. He was also not convinced everything would go well. He had too many things go wrong for him in his life to expect smooth sailing. Actually, he even feared he might lose his mother through this.

It was hard to see Aleena even from their observation window. She was flanked by Charles on one side and a nurse on the other. Quack obscured the front view. The brief views he got was of his mother's flailing arms smacking Chuck aside, or grabbing and almost knocking something down. The scene both disturbed and fascinated him greatly. He had never witnessed a birth before and was curious about it...though now he was privy to it, he almost wanted to flee.

He looked over at the pink parasite on his arm and briefly imagined her in the same position. A shiver ran through his quills. "Shadow? Are you all right?" Amy looked up at him with her emerald eyes wide.

"Ahh... Yeah. Just thinking... That sounds so painful." He broke his arm away from her and then wrapped it around her, drawing her close. He determined he definitely didn't want her to be in pain like that, and felt somehow more protective of her for it.

Suddenly the atmosphere in the birth center changed, and soon after tiny but persistent cries pierced Shadow's ears. "Hey, Shadow! Congrats! You're a brother!" Sonic slapped him on one shoulder, knocking him even more into Amy. There was a brief blush between them, but soon a second cry reached their ears. "Wow...dude, Uncle Chuck's the man! Looks like it's twins!"

Down in the delivery room a very tired but satisfied hedgehog held one of her children in her arms while Chuck held the other. It was a boy and a girl, and the parents were quite proud. "What do we call them?" Chuck said softly, trying to lull his baby girl to sleep. She was just as hot magenta as her mother.

Aleena sat up a bit and rocked her baby boy in her arms. He was blue like chuck, but with a slight greenish hue to him. Although he was just newly born, his short stubby quills seemed to go everywhere on his forehead. She chuckled at the sight. "How about Sonya for the girl...and Manic for the boy?"

"I like it." Chuck nodded and kissed his wife, who had never looked more beautiful to him.

They were soon joined by the rest of the family in the recovery room. "Hey...check out your siblings, Shadow." He smiled proudly.

"May I...?" Shadow asked his mom as he approached her hospital bed.

"Of course," Aleena replied and handed Manic over to him, the little one starting to cry.

"Ha! Kid knows his bro's a sourpuss already," Sonic snickered, receiving a sharp jab in the chest from Amy.

"Maybe you should be more sensitive, Sonic." she wrinkled her nose at him and then turned to Shadow, approving. "Aww...he looks so cute!"

Shadow ignored Sonic's comment, and Amy's for that matter, and rocked his fussing brother until he was quiet. "So...this is family."