This is not the last chapter! Seriously, it isn't. Well, technically it is, since the next chapter will be an epilogue, but you get the idea. There will be one more section after this, and I don't know how long it will take me to get out, since I' not entirely certain of what needs to be in it. Either way, it will be out before I leave on 8/28. You can be sure of that, kids!

Standard disclaimer applies. I don't own the Sonic kids, but I do own the B&B-Verse and my OCs that were never intended to be here, but wormed their way in. However, if you feel the need to write a one-shot or something of the like in this verse, ask me! I may take a while to get back to you, but I'll probably go for it. Just ask for permission and let me know what you've got when you're done! And, of course, give credit to me for the original fic. I've poured many, many hours into this story and it will always hold a place in my heart as my first-ever completed multi-chapter fic.

^ This is a big deal, kids. I've never finished anything until this year, and it started with hockey. I forced myself to stay, and at the end of the season, everyone on the team was just as surprised as I was, since I'd never played before and sucked hardcore when I first arrived. After that, I took a few months to finish school and started Driver's Ed. This fic came about mostly during Driver's Ed class (Don't tell my teacher, he thought I was taking notes). I got my license and am now so close to finishing this beast that I can taste it. But as happy as I will be to finish it, I know that I'll be sad, for sure. I love these boys. They have grown on me ever since this idea spawned itself in my mind, and now they're like my gay friends that I play faghag and counselor for. It's the best relationship that I could ever ask for! :) *is such a dweeb*

And to you, my readers and reviewers. I would have NEVER made it this far without you guys. Seriously, you don't know how many times I've had some serious writer's block and got a good review or message and found the will to write again. You guys are my heroes, and I will forever brag about you on Facebook as my best group ever. I love each and every one of you, even if you've never left me a review. If you read this, I love you. It means the world that you take time out of your day to read my hyperactive ramblings and comb through my 2AM typos. You guys are the best, always will be. *glomp*

(Oh, and to all of you who threatened me if I killed Sonic. I love you, too! Even if you hate me.)

Anyway, here you go! Chapter twenty-six, the final chapter-chapter of B&B. Drink up, guys.

Shadow: How did you ever get this far?

Dei: Honestly... I don't know.

Shadow: You've put us all through so much shit.

Dei: I will admit this. I really have.

Shadow: I'm kind of going to miss you.

Dei: You never know, I could always write a sequel. There are a lot of ends that ill be let open, even with the epilogue.

Shadow: I'm not sure that I could handle that.

Dei: And that's why I'm the writer, Shaddycakes.

Shadow: Never call me that again.

Dei: Just be glad that I didn't put it in the fic. Trust me, I was tempted. If anyone guesses where, they get a cookie.

Shadow: We're really reaching the end?

Dei: Yeah... *sniffles* ...we are.

They moved fast once Sonic had fallen unconscious.

Knuckles lifted Sonic onto his back, seemingly not minding the blood as it dampened his shirt. Scourge used the extended-chained handcuffs to fasten the immobile teen to him, looping them around the two and tying it with a loose knot. The others crowded around him, guns drawn.

"Alright, guys, we have to move it. Let's go!" Knuckles shouted.

He took a few steps, the others following before he turned back, surprised, to Shadow, who hadn't moved.

"Aren't you coming?" The redhead asked.

Shadow swallowed and shook his head. "I'll catch up. I..." He glanced helplessly at the body that lay on the ground, surrounded by congealing blood. "I have to take care of this. I'll catch up as soon as I'm done."

The redhead, knowing better than to fight and waste time, simply nodded and started off again, the others stepping into formation around him.

Milo hesitated, but Scourge gave the boy a look.

"I should-" the blonde started.

"Go," Scourge replied. "They'll need you, Little M."

"But I-"

"Move yer ass!" Scourge scowled at the boy. "Save the kid's life. I'll help out here and... I'll see you around."

Lips trembling, the blonde boy rushed forward before they could react, throwing his arms around the man's waist and pulling away just as quickly, running off behind. "Thank you!"

"Yeah, yeah," Scourge replied, smiling faintly and rubbing the back of his neck. "Kids."

Shadow said nothing, turning to stare at what was once a living, breathing person- now, ironically, a murder victim and little less than just another corpse. Shadow had never paid much attention to the Black Arms men he killed- just shot them and left them where they lay.

But he knew he couldn't do that for Mephiles. Even in death, the man was his brother.

He deserved better than being left to rot.

"What do ya want to do?" Scourge asked after a moment, stepping up to Shadow's side and gazing down at the man that had once been his leader.

"Do you have any flammable material?" Shadow replied, gaze turning blank and unseeing, staring through a puddle on blood on the concrete. "Accelerant, scrap fabric or wood- anything that will burn. If you have it, hand it over."

The man made a thoughtful noise, placing a small knapsack on the ground that he had picked up at some point between him leaving the room and returning a few minutes ago. He rooted, through, pulling out a few things- a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, a spare shirt that he frowned and replaced, a few cheap porn magazines and a crumpled up newspaper. He handed over the paper and the lighter, saying, "I'll need the shirt one I'm out of here."

Shadow nodded, clicking on the lighter, eyes focusing on the small flame and glancing back at the man that had once been his role model and hero.

Scourge halted him with a hand to his shoulder. Shadow looked to the man as he bent down, retrieving Shadow's gun and dispassionately wiping it off on a clean portion of Mephiles' shirt, replacing it with his own. "I'll take the gun. On the off chance they find me, I'll tell them that it was me. No one will ever say anything different, so that should keep you safe. As for my gun, well, I'd give it to you, but some of the murders were by my hand, so I can't let anyone find that with you. It's registered to my name, as well, so that wouldn't help your rep. You'll have to shell out the cash for a new piece or hang up this life entirely, if that's what you'd prefer. I still wouldn't advise going unarmed- Mephiles made himself a lot of enemies, and though he disposed of most of them, it wouldn't surprise me if one or two were still around. You look so similar to him- I wouldn't want them to give you hell for it."

Shadow really didn't have much to say to that. "Why are you looking out for me? I thought that you would hate me for all the shit he put you through. It was my fault."

The green-haired man shot him a pitying glance. "It's not your fault, kid. No matter what happened, it's not your fault. It's no one's but his own." He turned back to the man, crouching to shut the lids of still-open green eyes that were starting to turn cloudy, and reached for his mask.

"No." Shadow said before he could stop himself. Blue eyes turned on the teen, and he swallowed. "Leave the mask. He almost always had it on, and he wouldn't be himself without it. And we look so similar, I..."

"Nah, I get it," Scourge replied, standing and crossing his arms. "I wouldn't wanna see myself burning, either."

Shadow winced, lighting a piece of the newspaper and tossing it atop the body, then lighting another until all the kindling was aflame. He tossed the lighter into the fire, knowing that once the thin plastic melted, the lighter fluid inside would help the body to burn.

He turned to leave before the smoke started, but paused when Scourge tossed the half-full pack of cigarettes into the flames as well, staring at Mephiles for a moment before he turned, walking beside Shadow into the halls.

"He always hated those damn things," the man said by way of explanation, and Shadow looked at him in shock. They reached the mouth of the tunnels, and Scourge stopped the boy, placing his hands on his shoulders. Blue eyes met red, and Shadow hesitated- he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear what the man had to say, but he knew damn well that he was going to hear it anyway.

Scourge frowned at him, though hidden in his gaze was something warning, betrayed and almost... sad. "Never doubt for a moment that your brother loved you, Shadow. It might have been in his own sick, twisted way, but... he did. Believe me, I know."

His head spun, just a little- he didn't want to think about this, want to think about the things that he'd always wondered and now borderline knew. He always had wondered how deep Mephiles' obsession ran- always wondered why there was another in his group that looked like he could be in their family, too.

He didn't want to think about it.

"How?" Shadow asked, disgust and horror bubbling in his stomach. "How could you let him do something like that-"

"It was voluntary," Scourge replied, a small, mysterious smirk making itself known. "Most of the time. Anyway, let's just make it simple and say that I kinda understood where he was comin' from. Not with the whole..." He waved his hand vaguely at Shadow, "...thing. But I know what it's like to keep an eye out for a brother and try to do what's best for him, even if ya fuck up sometimes and only make it worse."

Shadow's eyes narrowed, but the man pulled his hands away and averted his gaze. Hitching his bag up on his shoulder, he turned, taking a few steps down one tunnel before he looked over his shoulder. "Hey, Shadow?"

"What is it?" The teen asked, frowning heavily and glancing down another tunnel, revisiting the path in his head that he would have to follow to make his way out.

"Take care of Sonic, will ya?"

He blinked, turning bak to the man. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but he stopped himself short. He couldn't afford to waste any more time, if he wanted to catch up to the others.

"I will."

The green-haired man grinned, and Shadow's eyes scanned the lines of his face- the slope of his nose, the angle of his jaw. He could see it, now.

Yeah, he would take good care of Sonic- assuming that he survived.

His heart clenched. Speaking of that...

"Get goin', pipsqueak. He'll want you to be there when he wakes up." Scourge's smile faded a little, and Shadow tried to ignore the worry that was there- Scourge didn't worry about anyone, no matter who they were.

Shadow nodded and Scourge turned, taking off at a walk down his chosen tunnel. Shadow watched him for a moment before he rolled his neck and started to skate.

I'll do anything I have to, Sonic, Shadow thought. As long as you're safe, it will be worth it.

Knuckles didn't bother with the hospital- it was all white, the people were unfriendly and it smelled like bleach.

He hated the smell of bleach.

It also didn't help that the only hospital within twenty miles held terrible memories for him.

So, Knuckles took Sonic to the only place where he knew he would be safe and well taken care of.

The campus was empty-as was to be expected at almost three in the morning- which was both good and bad. Good that no one would interfere- bad that no one would be able to run ahead and alert the woman to get her things ready as soon as they arrived. They sent Hyou off, though, once they were in clear, and Knuckles was pleasantly surprised to see the kid shoot off like a rocket.

If anyone would be taking Sonic's place as track star after graduation- because, at the moment, he refused to believe that Sonic wouldn't make it to graduation- it was him.

He didn't have time to worry about that, though. The give-or-take-an-hour pill had to be wearing off by now, and he needed to get Sonic to the infirmary.

And he needed Tails.

"Blaze, you're a girl-" He ignored the offended look that was shot his way, "-go to Amy's dorm and tell her to call Vanilla. Tell her that we need Tails, and we need him now. And to bring him to the infirmary, and to make sure he has whatever crazy medicine he's invented and his medical supplies."

Milo glanced at Knuckles in surprise, recognizing the name, but didn't comment as Blaze nodded and ran off to the dorm, Cherry filling in the now-empty position. They moved as quickly as they could without jostling their injured passenger, approaching the infirmary, where- thank god- the lights were on and an extremely agitated lioness-hybrid stood beside a young leopard teen.

"I should hope that this is very important, Knuckles," the woman growled.

"Life or death, just like we promised the last time," he replied, not bothering to react to the surprised and slightly horrified expression on the woman's face as he pushed part her with an unconscious and bloody Sonic on his back. "Please tell me that you have a sterile place to put him."

"Yes, just over here," the woman replied, door closing heavily behind her, ushering him to a medical-paper-covered cot where he patiently waited as Silver untied the makeshift harness and placed Sonic on the bed. "Is he alive?"

"Barely," Knuckles replied. "He was shot twice in the chest. We gave him some pill- well, I don't really get it. Ask the kid."

Bustling about, the woman rolled out an EKG, attaching the finger clamp to Sonic's unscarred index, frowning at the almost nonexistent rhythm there. Then she turned to Milo, blinking in surprise. "Tails?"

"Why does everyone say that?" The boy snapped, pulling off his bag and tossing it onto the floor. "The pill was untested, but theoretically sound. Its purpose was to induce clinical death for about an hour, giving time to transport the injured person and find them care. In this case, we got him here. His functions should be returning soon, but he's already lost a lot of blood and may go into cardiac arrest if not treated properly. He also faces the risk of extensive damage to the hippocampus if not resuscitated properly. Did you catch all of that?"

The woman nodded, shaking off her shock. "Do we have a blood donor? He's an AB negative- damn that boy for having the most difficult blood type to match! He'll need several units at the very least."

The door slammed open. "I'll do it."

They turned, and the range of looks passing over the collective faces was everything from unsurprised (Knuckles, of course) to horrified (the nurse, namely because he was covered in blood and grime from head to toe, shirtless and looked like he'd just crawled out of a zombie movie between his appearance and his eyes).

"Are you compatible?" The woman asked, gesturing him forward.

Shadow nodded, stepping forward swiftly. "AB negative blood type. Clean bill of health- and even if I wasn't, he wouldn't be giving anything to anyone else, anyway."

The woman snorted, moving to her medical cabinet to retrieve a sterile wipe. She then looked back at him, sighed, and tore off a string of packets from the roll. "Clean up as best you can, and be especially careful around the best vein you can find. We don't have the time to do the preliminary testing, so I dearly hope that you're correct in your assumptions and that the poor boy won't die from this alone."

Shadow rolled his eyes, steadily going through each side of every wipe, cleaning his face and arms and his hands- twice- before he scrubbed at his inner left elbow, careful to leave no residue behind as the woman approached with trocar and cannula attached to a medical-issue bag, inspecting the injection site, and, when she had approved, inserted the needle and began the collection.

Shadow, for his part, didn't so much as flinch as the needle went in. Like anything could possibly hurt after what I just went through.

The woman moved to attend to Sonic as she waited for the bag to fill, carefully peeling away the ruined shirt and reappearing with large, thick pads of gauze. After cleaning the wounds, she pulled over a small table, pulling gloves onto her hands and gesturing for the assembled teenagers (in varying states of distress) to move back. "I need to close the wound before the blood starts circulating again. Remove yourselves from my work area, children." With that, the woman pulled a medical mask over her mouth and set about with a syringe of antibiotic and a needle and thread.

"Don't you need to remove the bullet?" Knuckles asked in alarm.

"That is sheerly for dramatic effect," the woman snapped. "Kids and their movies- it's more about stopping the bleeding. A bullet enters hot and self-sterilizes, so bacteria is only introduced if I poke around in the injury. If Sonic really wants them to be gone after, well, we'll x-ray and see what we can do after... if there is an after. I don't know how this damned pill of yours is supposed to work, but the odds aren't in his favor for surviving."

Knuckles and Silver paled, but neither so much as Shadow, who swayed where he sat. No. He has to survive.

The woman noticed, turning back. "Dear god, you haven't gone and lost too much blood yourself, have you? The last thing I need it to take yours out, treat him and kill you in the process."

"I'm fine," Shadow replied, voice scratchy. He swallowed. "Do whatever you have to. I don't care, as long as you save him."

The woman smiled a little, but turned back to her patient with a murmured, "Teenagers, so dramatic."

The door burst open again, and Blaze returned with Amy, Chip and Tails in tow. Chip took one look at the scene and walked back out- Amy stared at the injured Sonic before she shuddered and did the same. Only Tails kept a straight face at the carnage- only to pale when he finally noticed the irritable blonde-haired boy watching the nurse work.

"Uh," he said, momentarily lost for words, eyes widening behind his own pair of scuffed safety glasses, clear-glassed and with a slight strength to them. The other's ears perked up at hearing a voice that sounded so similar to his own and turned, mouth dropping open a bit in surprise.

Tails looked to Knuckles, who was steadily looking less sick and more amused. "Tails, this is Milo. Milo, Tails."

"What the hell did Sonic do?" were the first words out of the usually mild-mannered nine year old. He took a step forward, mirrored by his duplicate, heads both tilted to the side, eyes wide with interest. The scarred boy brought his hand up, chewing on the side of his finger. "Oh, god. Who- how?"

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Even when kidnapped by them, Sonic picks up strays. This one is apparently your brother. Oh, and make nice quickly, because we need you two to save his life."

Neither boy was quite sure what to say to that.

Curiosity shoved aside when the wounds were closed and the heart monitor began to accelerate its tempo. It was a small comfort, though, because the teen still had a long road to recovery.

The lioness kemonomimi attached the transfusion IV to Sonic, starting him on a steady drip and raising the climate of the room to hopefully help bring his body back to its proper temperature. Amy and Chip were eventually coaxed back inside to sleep in the back room of the infirmary, and Blaze and Silver followed them in soon after, stealing blankets from the cabinet to likely make something vaguely nest-like on the floor. Cherry, Sarina and Hyou returned to their dorms exhausted, promising to return as soon as they awoke. Knuckles and Rouge eventually gave in to sleep as well, tangled together on one of the spare cots, sharing a pillow and the one blanket that had managed to escape the others' nesting. Tails and Milo spoke in hushed tones in a far corner until they, too, faded.

Shadow had taken a brief shower before the others fell asleep in the infirmary's restroom, discarding his ruined jeans in favor of scrub pants, his shoes tucked under a cot somewhere along with his jacket, which he was grateful to find that Rouge had grabbed from the site before they left. With the increased heat, he found it easier to simply stay shirtless- and with the bandages wrapped around his scraped back and torso, he didn't really need one, anyway.

He pulled up a fairly comfortable waiting-room type chair to Sonic's bedside, a foldable metal chair used as his footrest when bending his legs was no longer comfortable. He held Sonic's scarred hand in both of his own, and as his body temperature dropped while he grudgingly fell asleep, he didn't realize the warmth that was steadily growing in the other.

Morning didn't find Shadow entirely well rested, but it found him as the only one awake beside the affectionately-dubbed "Brain Twins", who were awake and squabbling (quietly) over what ingredient to put into something-or-another and how much.

Shadow sighed, stomach grumbling in protest, and dug through the cabinets to find protein bars, taking one for himself and getting two for the blonde boys, who accepted them gratefully before starting their argument again, something about whether somatropin and HGH were necessary or not. He didn't bother getting involved- his brain wasn't at its best comprehensive ability this early in the morning or this close to waking up, and he doubted that he would understand them anyway, even if he was at full functionality.

After satisfying his stomach's craving for food, he found himself tired again and decided to go back to sleep. Whether or not he actually ended up in the chair was debatable, because when he woke up a few hours later after everyone else had awoken, curled at the edge of Sonic's cot, no one looked at him any differently. It was as if they had all walked in and simply found him there, and no one had the heart to pull him away.

Which, Shadow realized, faintly embarassed, but too anxious to really care, could have entirely been the case.

Either way, he didn't really care, because when Tails and Milo approached them at noon with a proposal that "should help reverse any brain damage and won't be harmful, in any case", nothing else really mattered. All he wanted was for Sonic to wake up- possibly just for the sake of knowing he was actually alive, despite the annoying beeping that had faded into the background and the rise and fall of his chest.

Seeing his eyes and his smile were all that really mattered at this point.

So, when the nurse gave them the go-ahead and the boys popped the second capsule into Sonic's mouth for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, everyone watched and waited nervously.

It started small, as a twitch of the fingers that no one but Shadow seemed to notice. Then a small noise, barely distinguishable over the beeping of the EKG. No one believed anything he said until emerald eyes opened blearily, blinking a few times, extraordinarily slow, before they finally focused on Shadow, and the blue-haired teen smiled, just a little.

But that was more than enough.

Joyful war cries and careful hugs were passed around, much to the nurse's chagrin and Sonic's faintly-confused acceptance. He became slightly more lucid as time wore on, but it was no surprise that the teen was tired and faded in and out several times before the irritable lioness finally shooed all out but Shadow, who refused to budge. She was accepting in letting him stay, though, and didn't bother Shadow in his protective watching over his lover.

Relief was the only thing that was real to Shadow, now. The rest didn't matter- Sonic was alive, and even if he couldn't hold a conversation for more than a few minutes or stay awake for too long, he didn't care, because Sonic was alive.

He was very alive and belonged very much to Shadow, at least if the protective older male had anything to say about it, keeping a watchful eye on the others when they came to visit. Sonic slept most of the time, but that didn't really matter, either, because each and every time that he opened his eyes as saw Shadow there, his responding smile grew a little brighter.

When Sonic awoke and was most responsive, it was late at night and everyone had gone to sleep. Shadow was the only one there, and, as always, was keeping watch. When Sonic opened his eyes and reached out to touch his boyfriend, Shadow gently took his hand and brushed his lips over the back of the thin fingers, holding it in both of his own.

"You're still here," Sonic said in surprised, but it was obvious that he was pleased. "Do you ever leave?"

"No," Shadow answered honestly. "Not until you're okay."

Sonic inspected the dark circles under vermillion eyes, frowning a little. "You need to sleep more. You look tired."

"I am, but it's worth it," Shadow replied, relocating to the cot when Sonic tugged gently on his hands. He curled up on his side, resting his forehead against the side of Sonic's shoulder, tensing when the hand pulled away and relaxing again when it moved to his hair, playing with the dark, shiny strands and twirling them around his fingers.

"What happened?" Sonic asked, the first time he had brought the question up. "What happened after I took the pill?"

Shadow sighed, settling in closer. "Not too much- Knuckles carried you out of the tunnels, and Scourge and I stayed behind to dispose of the evidence." He didn't tell Sonic what he had discovered about Scourge- after all, he knew that if he man had wanted Sonic to know, he would have told him. That, and Shadow had the nagging feeling that he'd be seeing the man again. "I came up after them, and we transfused a few units of my blood into you. Milo and Tails did... whatever they do, and you woke up. You know the rest."

"How well did Milo and Tails get along?" He asked, closing his eyes, a slight smile on his face. "I would have liked to see that."

"They argued quite a bit, just like brothers." Shadow closed his eyes, swallowing. "But they put their heads together and figured something out."

"That's good," Sonic replied. "I was worried that they wouldn't get along. A little arguing is character-building. God knows that if Knuckles and I hadn't beat the crap out of each other the way we did, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be the same person without having that part of growing up."

Shadow hummed softly in agreement, nuzzling Sonic's palm as it came to rest on his cheek. His eyes opened and met Sonic's and the elder leaned up to kiss him. It was light and careful and nothing if not sweet, but Shadow was pretty damn sure that it was the best he'd ever received from the blue-haired hybrid, if only because it made reality sink in that this was real- Sonic was alive, he would recover, and, best of all, he belonged to Shadow.

"I was serious," he replied when they settled back, laying forehead-to-forehead. "When I said that I wanted to be your mate. I still want that... if you do."

Sonic's cheeks colored lightly and the younger smiled and laughed, just a little. Shadow knew what that meant just as much as he did, if the blush coloring tan cheeks was any indication. "Of course. But, for now, let's just enjoy what we have here. There will be, uh... plenty of time for that later."

The boys laughed nervously, but couldn't quell the excitement and happiness that had taken root. Still, sadness had taken root inside of Shadow, and they both knew that the time would come when that hurt and pain would have to be released.

However, now was neither the time or the place, and both knew that. It would come eventually, and how it was dealt with could either make or break their relationship. The issue would have to be dealt with before their official partnership began- namely, soon. But they shoved away those thoughts and held tight to the positive feelings they had found. Those were more important, at least for now.

Sonic was starting to grow tired again, and Shadow knew that though the younger had been doing better, it would take time before he was back to his normal standards. It was his turn to reach up, now, brushing the strands of sapphire back from Sonic's eyes, which were starting to slide closed. He needed rest, Shadow knew- and there was plenty of time for it.

The school had excused them from classes for a week, and, due to the true nature of the situation, decided to turn a blind eye to what had really happened. The other students need not know what had occurred. In a few weeks, it wouldn't matter anyway, since the holiday break was fast approaching, and he issue would be forgotten. The rumors of the murderer would fade, and even the city would eventually forget the unnamed monster that had them walking a little faster as the sun went down and sleeping fitfully at night.

Nothing lasted forever, but, Shadow was sure, as he glanced at the sleepy hedgehog kemonomimi beside him, that they sure could last for a damn long time, if those involved were dedicated.

"I love you," Sonic mumbled almost incoherently as his eyes closed, shifting closer to his companion.

"I love you too," Shadow replied, smiling faintly as what felt like fireworks bubbled happily in his chest. He would never get tired of that. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise?" Sonic sighed.

"I promise." The dark-haired teen took one scarred hand back into both of his own, holding it close as Sonic faded into sleep . His fingers carefully traced around the edges of the still-fading mark, but Shadow knew well that while scars faded, they never completely disappeared.

Sonic would never forget him. Though Shadow wasn't sure of the future, that he was certain of.

And that was good enough for him.