Warning: Especially to you, ghosthead8503. I actually cried while writing this one... so breaking out the tissues might be a good idea.

Oh and it's dawned on me and I feel bad I didn't give credit sooner. Um, shout out to kegger98 for helping me reach into this whole father murder mystery arc to the story.

bearvalley3365: Oh Sonic'll will do a lot of thinking all right. It doesn't end here either.

Everyone: Sorry I haven't been quite as active as I would have wanted. By active, I mean, acknowledging what you all have had to say about the story.

And another thing before I wrap this up, that confusion you guys are feeling... just let's me know I'm right on the money with this story. And it's not over yet... not by a lot.

Anywho on with the show.

Sonic's POV

I ran home… Well, actually, I made a stop before going home. I ran around the cemetery looking for his grave. Not exactly sure why though. I just let my legs take me wherever to think. A small one caught my eye.

Here lies Julian the Hedgehog

Father, Son, and Friend

I got down on my knees. Dad? I reached down and touched the marker. His letter in its envelope was in my other hand. Why am I here? Why did my legs take me here? Does this have to do with my dream?

"Sonic?"

I turned back to find Ryan with a bouquet in his hands.

"Ryan?"

"What are you doing out here all alone? And without a proper coat at that?" He started to take his jacket off.

"No, I'm fine. I always just go through winter with a scarf." I held it in my hands. It was green, Granny knitted it for me.

"Nonsense." He wrapped his coat around me. And he kneeled down with me.

"Thanks." My voice was rather flat though.

He ruffled my quills. "No problem." He smiled at me, but I didn't smile back. I looked at my dad's grave marker not knowing what the hell I was thinking… or rather, what my sub-conscience was thinking. "So… you didn't tell me why you're here."

I looked at him kind of sad and kind of neutral. "I could ask you the same thing."

He looked at me with a certain understanding. He sighed. "Well, I'm here for this guy." He gestured with the flowers in his hand. He placed them in front of the marker. Before I could react he went on, "He was a friend of mine. Met him in high school… lost contact, met him again when he was trying to rob me. He was a broken hedgehog. Wife left him along with his kids… I helped him get on his feet. He would have moved out, but…" I saw the tears in his eyes. "But some bozos killed him." I saw him wipe his tears.

"You…" Ryan was his friend.

"Me…" He looked at me confused.

"Ryan, he's my dad." I pointed at his grave.

The shock on his face would have matched mine had he given me the chance to react from before. "What?"

"He's my dad… or he was my dad."

"Then…" He ran his hand through his quills.

"Yeah… you're dating the ex-wife of a bad hedgehog you helped give a second chance." I don't know if I wanted to make him laugh or scorn him. It sounded more like I was back in detective mode.

I could see his body language. He couldn't believe it. Then he looked at me… with sort of happy and sad eyes. "Are you going to forgive him?"

That took me by surprise. I looked at the grave… how can I forgive him? After all that he's done…

"He really was sorry, Sonic."

I snapped my head back towards Ryan. He placed his hand on my shoulder.

"I should know… he talked so much about you… his little boy."

Little boy? I felt tears.

Ryan sadly smiled at me. "Yeah, he never gave me any names, but he did tell me about it all… what he did… what he did after you left him… how sorry and guilty he felt…" He was getting teary eyed too. "How he wished he had treated you better. He wanted to talk to you Sonic… you, Shadow, and your mom… Had I known I…" He shook his head.

"Would you still like my mom?" The thought came to me like I was about to panic but I still felt like I was interrogating him. If he left my mom because of this then I'd hate him for causing my mom so much pain… maybe almost as much I hated my own father for a good chunk of my life.

"Like? I don't like your mother Sonic." He brought me closer to him and placed his hand on my head. "I love your mother… I love you and Shadow too." He brought over his other arm and hugged me. I cried… and cried into his chest. "I would love you all no matter what."

"And my dad?"

"He would've understood. I also know he would've finally been a father to you if you gave him the chance."

"What if I didn't want him to be my dad?" I choked… still feeling that detective mode.

I heard Ryan sigh. "He would've been heartbroken… I'd help him and then he'd move on."

"Really?"

"Really." He pulled away and held onto my shoulder. "He loved you Sonic." I wiped the tears from my eyes. "And even though we can't change what happened, we can still make it better."

"I can't forgive him Ryan." Knowing what he meant.

"Yes you can." He brought his other hand and placed it on my shoulder. "You need to Sonic, otherwise you'll still be bitter towards a dead hedgehog. You don't forgive someone because they need it… you do it because you need it. It's just going to fester inside you like it has for so many years… and what about Amy?"

"Amy?" I wasn't sure where he was going with that.

"Yeah, Amy. I know you're just kids right now, but trust me… this is eventually going to affect your relationship with Amy and the worst thing to happen is that she leaves you Sonic."

I shook my head slowly. "Amy…"

"Look inside yourself Sonic. You won't be okay unless you let go…"

"I… I can't." I slumped and brought my hands to my face. "Even if I wanted to… how?"

He brought me into another hug. For more than a moment… for the first time in my life… I had a dad.

"It's okay Sonic… I know what you went through was hard… it's going to be hard to let go."

"So… you're not mad?" I had the notion he might be. I mean I can't forgive a friend of his he was visiting at his grave.

"No…" I heard the confusion in his voice. "You're going to need time, Sonic."

"Ryan?" I looked up at him.

He smiled at me, "Yes?"

"Thanks."

"Anytime Son."

I had another vision of my dad. He looked down at me with a sad smile. When I blinked I saw Ryan again.

"Come on, let's get you home." He got up.

I would have told him that I could get back on my own, but… I felt like… well not to humor him but… I needed someone right now… I needed a dad… with any luck… Ryan might be my new dad.

When I got up, he slicked his arm around my shoulder and we started walking out of the cemetery.

"You can ride shotgun if you want."

I chuckled. "Shadow never lets me ride shotgun."

"Well, he's not here." He looked down at me and smiled. "Here's your chance."

I saw him take out a set of keys, he pressed a button and his car unlocked.

"A beauty ain't she?"

"Oh please tell me you didn't give it a name," I whined.

"I would, but I'd be lying." He smiled goofily at me.

"I was afraid of that," I said flatly.

He laughed.

Before we drove off… I looked out the window and looked out in the direction of Dad's grave…

Bye Dad…. I'll be back, okay? Maybe I'll even forgive you when I do.

Edited by Sky 'The Fox' Agua