Asleep Behind the Wheel

A/N: I apologize for the very long wait for another story. My parents and I were in the process of moving and it took a while to get settled. We're still tryna get settled now but I managed to find time here and there to write this. This one's just featuring ol' Shadow for now but I promise that the next will be my usual Cream and Shadow friendship cuteness lol.

Finding somewhere to sleep at night is harder than he thought...

Part I

Shadow yawned as he drove past the downtown and of Station Square looking for a place to sleep for the night, his pistol rested in his little lap. His eyes gazed down at the clock of his stereo that read 4:24 A.M. much to his irritation. He turned onto the street of Amy, Tails and Knuckles' house and pulled in front of it, putting his old Suburban in Park before turning off the headlights and engine all together.

The old hedgehog undid his seat belt and secured his weapon, fixing the seat to recline back as he attempted to close his eyes and get the much needed rest he desperately needed. The poor thing hadn't slept in three days following "business" he refused to say what it was when Amy tried to ask him.

Shadow closed his heavy eyelids with his arms folded to keep warm. It's not like Amy or the other two gave him the key to their house. He fell asleep quickly, his handgun resting in his lap the entire night.

X-X-X-X

Shadow awoke early in the morning around 7:15 A.M., he was groggy from his rest and when he slowly sat up his weapon slid of his lap and near the foot petals. He tiredly grunts and blindly reaches his hand under him to grab the gun by the muzzle and placed it in the glove box.

He sits up slowly, using the wheel for support and proceeded to turn his car on to see the time. It was 7:22 A.M. at this point, and the old hedgehog knew Tails would be leaving soon to go to his part-time mechanic job. He exits the car, locks it and walks up the steps to the front door ringing the doorbell. It wasn't long until Amy answered still in her sleepwear with a surprised look on her face.

"Oh, Shadow? What are you doing here?"

"I thought I was welcome to stop by anytime Rose." Shadow grunted with a fold of his arms defensively. Amy narrows her brows until she noticed the fatigue in his eyes.

"Oh my goodness Shadow, you look like you've been through the wringer. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine Rose. I just hadn't slept in three days. I'm the Ultimate Life Form, I'll be fine."

Amy didn't believe Shadow in terms of being alright, but she brushed it off and let him inside and into the living room where she and him sat down on the couch and watched the morning television. Knuckles came in and joined in shortly after Tails said goodbye to everyone before hurrying off to his part-time job. Amy listened to Shadow as he explained to her what had happened prior to his arrival to their place and the younger hedgehog nodded in understanding.

Knuckles sat there not paying attention as his mind was on the television showing the morning weekend game show. He had been sober for three days now much to Amy and Tails' relief. Shadow wasn't amused as he was still tired from the night before, sipping the coffee Amy brought him when after coming from the bathroom. The two hedgehogs chatted as Knuckles watched the game show until he rudely interrupted them asking when breakfast would be made.

"Knuckles! Make it yourself for once! I ain't your maid!" Amy snapped. Shadow sipped his drink and looked at the echidna with an annoyed glare from his end. He was slightly amused on the inside however.

"I'd like but I can't with these big ass hands man!"

"Well it's not my fault your hands are now is it?!"

"Enough you two. I'll make breakfast." Shadow calmly interrupted, surprising the younger hedgehog and young echidna.

"Oh Shadow you don't—"

"Rose, it's fine. I'll make what I always make myself: pancakes, eggs, bacon and toast."

"Can I have sausage?" Knuckles mumbled.

"...and sausage..." Shadow sighed closing his eyes and sipping his drink. He walks passed the pink female and heads into the kitchen, working on making what he promised. He only did it because he didn't want to hear any arguments between the two.

After half an hour, Shadow completes breakfast and the three ate at the table in silence. Shadow had another round of coffee and could be considered buzzed right about now. Amy gave a confused smile at the echidna; amazed at how he tore up his pancakes and got syrup on his fur. She wanted to laugh but she'd risk choking on her food and make Shadow look at her in confusion and have Knux laughing his dreads off.

"So Shadow, you've been sleeping in your car for how long again?" Amy asked after drinking some juice.

"Two weeks. It's hard to sleep with one eye open and a gun in your lap Rose."

Amy cringed. The thought of him having a weapon in the car made her worry about when a time would come if she had him take Cream to his place or somewhere and she found that in the glove box. How would he tell her about that?

"W-Why you have a gun Shadow?! C-Can't you just go to your house?" Amy was visibly frightened and Knuckles just ignored them. Shadow growls lowly deep in his throat but his brows didn't narrow at all.

"G.U.N.'s watching me again. I told Rouge and she said she'll be on it but it might be awhile 'cuz she's busy with mission after mission. Damned new Director's watching me more closely then the Commander."

"But, you don't work with them anymore. You retired a few months ago, right?"

"Yes. It felt good retiring. I'm old Amy. I'll be sixty-eight in a couple months and I'm not gonna drive some damned motorcycle to a abandoned warehouse to spy on some cocaine smugglers."

Amy most choked. That was amusing. Even Knux stopped eating to cough.

"Oh Shadow!" Amy laughed. "Cocaine smugglers?! Why not Eggman?"

"Him too Rose. I wasn't trying to be funny I'm being serious now listen to me. I've been avoiding going to my house for a while because I just don't wanna be watched leaving and entering." Shadow narrows his eyes at the younger female but eventually softened his look when she looked at him nervously. He sighs again, annoyed inwardly.

"I'll just cut to the chase Rose, can I stay here with you three for a while? I'll be a good sport just until shots gets cleared off. I'm waiting on Rouge to handle this." Shadow looks at her waiting for a response.

"Uh..." Amy was about to speak when Tails came in from work. He smelled the food and smiled as he walked in.

"Hi guys? Man breakfast smells good!" The young fox wasn't aware of the serious atmosphere until Shadow raised a brow at him. It didn't take long for him to realize something serious was up.

"Oh uh... Did something happen?" The fox asked sleepily as he rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Tails, Knuckles, Shadow's gonna stay with us for a while. Let's accommodate him and make sure he has a great time while he's here, ok?" Amy said.

"Okay..." Tails cringed. Knuckles blinked.

"Do I have to share my room with him?" Knuckles asked with his mouth full.

"No! He can be with me in my room." Amy snaps.

"Rose, I respect you enough not to sleep with you." Shadow says so apathetically that everyone awkwardly grew silent. Amy blushes.

"Oh, not like that guys! You can sleep in my bed Shadow. I'll be in the couch." Amy nervously chuckles and everyone just looks at her silently. Shadow just shook his head and continued eating his food like nothing happened.

X-X-X-X

It was late at night when Shadow exited the house and went to his car. He checked his gun he left in the driver's seat and unloaded the rounds from it. He puts the weapon in the glove box and locks his car, eyeing his surrounding for any G.U.N. vehicles in the area. He went into the couch and rested back into the covers. He told the young female that he's better off in the couch as he's used to sleeping in his own when he's "couch-ridden".

Shadow kept his gaze on the white ceiling before deciding to watch TV. He watched some late-night TV talk show with a Mobian panda as the host of it. He spoke to a human woman and her husband about some business they owned together. Shadow could care less about the couple's accomplishments and changed the channel to some black and white film. He chose to watch that until he fell asleep with the TV still on when he woke up.

Amy was sitting in the chair sipping tea and smiled at him when she seen him awake.

"Morning Shadow." Amy said as she sipped her drink. "How'd you sleep last night?"

The elder hedgehog sat up, rubbing his jaw where he'd slept wrong and answers her huskily.

"Good. I fell asleep watching late-night TV."

Amy smiled at the dark hedgehog as he looked at her. He obviously didn't smile back at her but nonetheless.

"Tails already went to work. Knux is still sleeping too. We'll go to the store when he wakes up. You wanna come with us?" Amy asks.

"Yeah I can. We can use my car then." Shadow grunts.

"Alrighty then. We'll go in a minute." Amy says in a rather chippy way that Knuckles silently finds annoying.

Shadow knew his stay with the three awkward roommates would be indefinite, but given the circumstances he either had them to go to or drive around until he found somewhere safe to sleep in his car until Rouge fixes the problem. All Shadow silently wished for was for him to go back to his place given by the idiots at G.U.N. or find himself a new home. In the meantime, he was satisfied...

A/N: Im thinking of making this one with a few chaps for a first. Not something full length just maybe 6 at the most or less. It's just a minor story anyway serving as a little prequel to all my other stories' canon. Hey, I got my own little Sonic-canon I tell in my stories so there you have it lol.