A/N - Hello everyone and Happy Holidays! (whatever you celebrate). I've got chapter 29 here. It is the last update for this year (big deal! Jan. 1 is 3-4 days away, right?) and it is also the last part of the current episode (See? They're not always 6 parts, and this is a shorter arc). I'm happy episode 5 has been as popular as it has and I hope people will continue enjoying this story in the future.

Stallion6 of Deviantart - Well! Sounds like you had a merry Christmas. And indeed what would the Fourth Doctor be without his sonic screwdriver?

Cylon One - Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad you liked how I wrote that meeting.

Tadstrange24 - I'm glad you like the story. I hope my Fourth Doctor dialogue sounds enough like him when you read it in his voice because that would be a good thing! :)

As always, standard disclaimer: Neither Doctor Who nor Sonic The Hedgehog belong to me. Doctor Who is property of the BBC. Sonic The Hedgehog SatAM is property of Sega and DIC. The only thing that's mine is the story itself and any original characters I might come up with. Please read and review; I always appreciate feedback. Constructive criticism is welcome, however no flames please.

29 – SONIC'S BIRTHDAY

"Snively said you had escaped, Doctor" said Robotnik coming forward into the chamber, "I did not think you would come here. You're unusual in that respect."

"I aim to confound expectations" said the Doctor.

"Indeed" said Robotnik with a sneer, "I think you confounded yourself this time. You won't be leaving this room – at least unchanged. None of you will."

"I've heard that one before" murmured Sally.

"There's no hedgehog here to save you" growled Robotnik, "and there won't be ever again. I've seen to that."

"We've heard that before too" said Bunnie.

"More than once" put in Rotor.

"Your friends seem to know you pretty well" said the Doctor, "are we witnessing a normal friendly meeting between all of you?"

"They are not my friends" said Robotnik sternly.

"Oh come now" said the Doctor, "we're all friends, aren't we? Enemies are simply friends who don't know it yet. But once we've all had a good long talk over a nice hot cup of tea and some jelly babies I'm sure we'll be the best of friends in no time."

"Be quiet Doctor!" ordered Robotnik, "I don't need any more of your nonsense."

"Nonsense?" huffed the Doctor, sounding offended, "I make a perfectly reasonable suggestion and you call it nonsense?"

"In all fairness" said Sarah Jane, "some people are too simple to understand your concepts. I think Dr. Eggman might be such a person."

"Eggman?" said Sally with raised eyebrows. Bunnie quirked her lips as if trying not to giggle. Rotor just looked puzzled. Robotnik, however, immediately lost his temper again after who knows how many times that day.

"STOP CALLING ME EGGMAN!" he roared storming over to Sarah Jane, "you and your Doctor are as bad as that wretched hedgehog!"

"Thank you" said Sarah Jane calmly, "I'm looking forward to meeting him."

"You'll never meet him! None of you are leaving this room – " Robotnik was suddenly cut off by the sound of the TARDIS materializing, which it did right by the door of the chamber. As soon as it came to a stop the outer doors opened and Sonic and Tails both stuck their heads out to see what was going on.

"Hello" said Sonic, "are we interrupting something?"

"Sonic!" yelled Robotnik in frustration, "how did you escape?"

"Haven't you learned yet 'Buttnik?" asked Sonic, "I'm too cool to kill."

"I've got all of you now, and that ship is open" said Robotnik, "I'll roboticize every last one of you and then you and your ship will serve me!"

"Oh stop it" said Sarah Jane in exasperation, "just stop it."

"What did you say?" said Robotnik turning towards Sarah Jane in surprise.

"I have heard some variation of that speech from many different people in many different places" said Sarah Jane grimly, "and every time I hear it I want to do this – " and she stalked right up to Robotnik and slapped him hard across his face.

There was a stunned silence in the room. The Freedom Fighters were all caught off guard by what just happened. Even the Doctor seemed a little surprised, but he also seemed pleased. Robotnik put a hand to his cheek where he'd been hit, his jaw practically on the floor in shock.

"You slapped me" he finally said, "no one's ever done that before. No one's ever dared!"

"There's a first time for everything, eh?" said the Doctor with a smirk, "Sarah knows I usually don't like violence. But in this case I'm willing to make an exception just for you."

"Awesome!" said Sonic from his place, then turning to Tails, "I like her already and we haven't actually met yet."

"It is NOT awesome!" yelled Robotnik, "no one hits me and gets away with it. You'll pay for that, and you'll pay dearly!"

"Of course" said Sarah Jane sarcastically, "you'll make me suffer long and hard and be sure I've learned to regret daring to assault your all mighty person before you put me out of your misery. You are – !" and she slapped him again before anyone could stop her.

"One of the most – !" she continued, slapping him again and causing him to stagger backwards.

"Pathetic!"

Slap!

"Egotistical!"

Slap!

"Maniacal!"

Slap!

"People!"

Slap!

"That!"

Slap!

"I!"

Slap!

"Have!"

Slap!

"Ever!"

Slap!

"Met!"

Slap!

"And!"

Slap!

"That's!"

Slap!

"Saying!"

Slap!

"A!"

Slap!

"Great!"

Slap!

"Deal!"

SLAP!

Robotnik could not stand up under Sarah Jane's relentless assault. He staggered backwards with almost every slap until finally he lost his balance and fell over. Unfortunately for him she had backed him up to the control console of the roboticizer and when he fell over he hit several of the machine's controls.

All at once the roboticizer began going haywire. Lights all over the machine began blinking on and off and an alarm began to sound in the room.

"Oh dear" said the Doctor to Sarah Jane, "I believe you've done it."

"Done what?" asked Sarah Jane, not at all disturbed.

"Everyone into the TARDIS" said the Doctor sternly, "quick! Before this room goes critical!"

Before anyone really had any time to think the Doctor ushered Sarah Jane, Tails, Sonic, Sally, Bunnie, and Rotor all inside the TARDIS and shut and locked both sets of doors.

"We're safe now" he said, ignoring the incredulous look on Rotor's face as he looked around the TARDIS interior for the first time (he was the only one of the group who had not been inside it before).

"Doctor," said Sarah Jane, "when you were fiddling with the roboticizer, what did you do?" The Doctor looked a little embarrassed.

"I just re-wired it so that the next time anyone touched one of the controls it would have a bit of meltdown problem" he said, "unfortunately when Robotnik hit a several controls at once he may well have caused an overload."

"You mean that thing's going to blow up?" said Tails.

"In word, yes."

"Way past cool!" said Sonic.

"I doubt he thinks so" said the Doctor pointing to the vision screen where Robotnik was back on his feet and was now madly trying to regain control of the roboticizer. He was failing spectacularly and the sounds and lights were increasing in intensity as they watched.

"Warning" came a robotic voice, "system overload imminent. Please evacuate this chamber immediately."

"Doctor!" bellowed Robotnik at the TARDIS, "I'll get you for this!" Suddenly he reared back in shock as one of the panels shorted out and started giving off smoke. "Oh no!" he yelled, looking around in horror before running as fast as he could for the chamber exit, a sight that caused Sonic, Tails, Sally, Bunnie, and Rotor all to break out laughing, and even Sarah Jane grinned.

"That is our cue to leave" said the Doctor over the laughter, "take your station Tails; let's get out of here."

"Yes sir" said Tails gaining control of himself and then lifting himself up into the air to man his part of the console. Both he and the Doctor worked the controls and the TARDIS began to take off. The last thing everyone saw on the vision screen before the ship dematerialized was the roboticizer console blowing up in a big way.

"Doctor" said Tails from his place at the TARDIS console, "Robotnik was able to pull us off course. Will he be able to trace the TARDIS to Knothole this time?"

"No" said the Doctor as he flipped some switches, "I've arranged for the TARDIS to scramble its trail. And like I told you once before, if the TARDIS doesn't want to be found it won't be – especially when it knows someone is looking for it who shouldn't be. Robotnik caught her off guard, but that won't happen again. Now then, here we are." As he spoke the sound of the TARDIS landing was heard. The view screen was again activated and Knothole could be seen outside. Tails opened the doors and everyone piled back out of the TARDIS.

"Wow!" exclaimed Sonic as he looked back at everyone, "that was so way past cool. And I didn't even have to use the power ring." He turned to Sarah Jane, "you are awesome. I've never seen anyone treat Robotnik like that. He's going to be hopping mad for a month."

"Thank you" said Sarah Jane, "although maybe I should apologize. I don't usually lose control like that."

"In this case it was warranted" said the Doctor, "you simply did what I think everyone else here has been wanting to do for years. By the way, may I present Sonic The Hedgehog? Sonic, this is Sarah Jane Smith."

"Welcome to Knothole" said Sonic shaking her hand, "Tails has told me about you."

"Likewise" said Sarah Jane, "it's a pleasure to meet all of you, especially now that the trouble's over."

"At least for now" said Sally, "like Sonic said, welcome to Knothole. Doctor, welcome back, and Tails – " here she opened her arms wide as Tails came to her and she hugged him, " – welcome home."

"Thanks Aunt Sally" said Tails, "I couldn't miss Sonic's birthday."

"Of course not sugah" said Bunnie coming up to him and hugging him also, "it wouldn't be the same if you weren't here."

"Are you back to stay?" asked Rotor,

"Not yet" said Tails, "unless the Doctor says I am."

"Certainly not" said the Doctor, "there's still a lot for you to see and learn. But of course we can't miss the really important events" and he winked at Sonic.

"This is going to be the coolest birthday ever!" said Sonic with a big smile.

That night Tails slept in his own bed in his own hut in Knothole with Sally and Bunnie putting him to bed like they always had before he left. After that Sally and Sonic sat up into the evening talking with the Doctor and Sarah Jane.

"Is the roboticizer permanently out of action?" asked Sally.

"Until he builds a new one" said the Doctor.

"That won't be quick" said Sonic.

"No" agreed Sally, "the roboticizer is a complicated machine. Hopefully he'll focus on that for a while and leave us alone." What Sally didn't say was that she also hoped it would distract Robotnik from working on his Doomsday project.

The next day was Sonic's birthday and it was a cool birthday party. The main course, naturally, was chili dogs and Sonic ate the bulk of what was prepared for the feast although there was enough food that everyone had plenty to eat. The TARDIS kitchen supplemented what the Freedom Fighters prepared and the Doctor presented dessert in the form of a chocolate mint cake that everyone enjoyed. Tails had brought gifts with him from Earth that he had purchased in 1977 with the money he made from his sound work. He gave them out at the party. Some gifts were practical, some were fun: Rotor, for instance, received a new tool set (something he was always in need of) while on the other hand Sonic was given a record player for his birthday and a selection of records from some of the bands Tails had seen and worked with on Earth, particularly the loud, fast ones. Without listing all the gifts suffice it to say that there was something appropriate for everyone and no one was left out. Even Uncle Chuck managed to send Sonic a "Happy Birthday" message in secret from his hideout in Robotropolis.

The Doctor and Sarah Jane spent a pleasant few days at Knothole with Tails, Sonic, Sally and the other Freedom Fighters. As Tails had said she would, Sarah Jane got on very well with both Sally and Bunnie. She also had some interesting talks with Dulcy, although she did not take the dragon up on her offer of a free flight. The Doctor spent time with Rotor in the latter's workshop and upgraded all of the workshop equipment, making it all more efficient and effective.

The Doctor also examined the Power Ring pool and was fascinated by both the power rings themselves, and the machine and stone that made them, although for once he did not interfere with their function or attempt to upgrade them.

Tails spent a lot of time with Sonic, telling him a lot of what he had experienced. Sonic was amazed to hear about some of Tails' adventures. The fox also showed Sonic some of the TARDIS beyond the console room. When he realized just how big the TARDIS really was Sonic attempted to run fast to see if he could see all of the inside of the ship. But no matter how fast and how far he ran he could never get to all of the parts of the ship and eventually he gave up, convinced that the TARDIS was infinite in size. When he asked the Doctor if this was so the Doctor just smiled, put a finger to his nose, and said nothing.

During this time Robotnik was quiet and there were no swatbot attacks to deal with. Nevertheless the Freedom Fighters didn't relax their guard, not knowing how long this peace would last.

After about five days or so the Doctor came out of the TARDIS to find both Tails and Sarah Jane sitting with Sonic and Sally at one of the tables in the middle of Knothole. From the serious expression on the Doctor's face everyone immediately knew that something had happened.

"Tails, Sarah Jane" said the Doctor without preamble, "get your things together. We need to go."

"What, already?" said Sonic, "Mondo uncool Doctor. You just got here."

"Do we have to?" asked Tails.

"I'm afraid so" said the Doctor, "I've finally received permission from the Time Lords for you to visit Gallifrey. They want us to come at once."


By now it really does not need repeating that the fire was burning low in the King's parlor when Tails paused in his narrative. He looked around the room.

"I have to stop here tonight" Tails said, "what happened on Gallifrey is a whole other story. If I start telling it now – "

"Understood" said the King standing up, "tomorrow evening we will meet here again and you can continue the story at that time."

"Thank you" said Tails who also got up and left to go to bed.

(To Be Continued)

A/N - And that is that. Left this one on a bridge. Yes, the next episode will be the Gallifrey episode and it will an important one for Tails. Also I don't remember the roboticizer being used during the later episodes of SatAM season 2 (although I could be wrong, it's been a while since I last saw it). Maybe this was why! Until next time I hope everyone's having a great holiday season, and I'll see you all in 2014!