Tails stood back as Tom and Maddie surveyed the damage to their home. He hadn't gotten a good look at it the other night—he was more focused on getting Sonic and high-tailing it out of there. But now, in the light of day, he saw the true extent of the battle.

It was worse than he thought. The entire back of the house had exploded outward, littering the yard with splintered wood and shattered glass. Another hole broke through the entryway wall. And the fence where he'd crashed through with the car gaped at him like a mouth with jagged teeth.

He looked to his right and saw the remains of the shed, where Knuckles had landed after the collision with the stolen police car. He winced.

All this destruction. All this damage. All because of them.

Knuckles stood in the middle of the yard, clutching the Emerald. His face was unreadable, but Tails noticed how he shook his head at a charred blast pattern on the ground. Even the echidna seemed to feel guilty and remorseful at his role in the destruction of the property.

The little fox kit wrapped his tails around himself, waiting for the inevitable moment when the adults decided he was too much trouble to keep.

X~X~X

"Holy smokes," Tom muttered, picking his way through the rubble. It looked like a bomb went off in the house. A full half of the back wall was just gone. The shed was destroyed, his lawn mower missing, and the fence was shattered. He looked down and saw the shattered remains of a black screen. "Aw, the TV!"

He shook his head. Sonic had only been alone for just a few hours when Robotnik showed up. Sure the kid was okay, but the what-ifs battered Tom's mind.

What if Robotnik had upped his game and caught Sonic completely unawares?

What if the guy had simply destroyed the entire house, with Sonic inside?

What if Tails hadn't shown up when he did? Would Knuckles have succeeded in his quest to take the hedgehog out?

Tom closed his eyes tightly, forcing horrible images out of his mind. Images of a blue hedgehog, lying still on the grass. Images of the boy begging for mercy as the light left his eyes. Images of Sonic calling out for him as things went black.

This last one was hardest to unthink.

Focus, Tommy-boy. Focus. The kid's okay. The house can be fixed. Robotnik is gone. Stop playing the 'what if' game. Move forward. Take charge.

"Well, we were considering doing some renovations," Maddie said behind him, raising her shoulders in a small shrug. "Maybe this is a sign we should?"

The sheriff glanced over at her, saying nothing. Maddie always did try to find the bright side in most situations, but right now it was hard to take. This was so much worse than when Robotnik's drones shot up the place. At least the bullet holes were easy to repair and caused no structural damage.

And he hadn't been as attached to the hedgehog at the time, either.

Right now, that kid was solidly entrenched in his heart. The thought of anything happening to him, especially while he was home alone, was too much for Tom to consider. He would do anything to keep his boy safe.

Sonic climbed through the hole in the wall, his large green eyes moving over the rubble. The boy was unusually quiet.

Tom hunkered down next to him. "You okay?"

The hedgehog nodded. "I didn't . . . it all happened so fast, I couldn't think about . . ." His face twisted and he uttered a sigh. "It's so bad . . ."

"We'll fix it," Tom said, placing a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. You're okay, and that's what's important." He glanced over at the echidna in the yard. "Knuckles did all this?"

The hedgehog raised one shoulder in a shrug. "Yes and no. Technically he punched me, and I went through the walls."

The sheriff's eyes widened. "You went through-"

"I'm okay, though," Sonic said quickly, glancing over his shoulder at the echidna. "He was tricked, Tom. He didn't know Robotnik was bad. He was doing what he thought was right."

The man shook his head. It was a fair point, but the idea of the echidna beating the tar out of Sonic created a strange combination of anger and fear in Tom's mind. Anger that it had happened, and fear that it may happen again. To any of them. Knuckles was crazy strong. "Are you sure he's . . . safe?"

Sonic nodded. "Positive. He's a little hot-headed sometimes, and can jump into things without thinking, but his heart's in the right place. He saved me from drowning, and helped take down Robotnik in the end." He turned to look at the boy in question, who looked over the damage with an expression of shame, hugging the Master Emerald to his chest. "He was all alone, for a long time. He lost his dad and most of his tribe when he was just a kid. Looking for the Master Emerald was the only thing he focused on for most of his life." He turned back to Tom. "He has no one else. No where to go. He needs us."

Tom studied the blue boy for a moment, before looking over at the echidna. The older boy looked down at the Emerald in his hands, his shoulders dropping in a sigh. Scary super strength or not, the kid looked . . . lost. The sheriff nodded.

"Yeah. He does."

X~X~X

Maddie looked over the damage, sending up a thank you prayer that no one had been seriously injured—or worse—in the battle that created the carnage before her. It was bad, and the idea that this had happened when Sonic was home all alone made her heart hurt. The kid must have been so scared.

She examined the blast pattern on the ground. A large circular scorch mark burned the earth, as though a bomb had struck there. Rings of charred grass radiated out from the center. A few feet from her, Knuckles stared at it for a long minute, before turning away and looking toward a nearby tree. Tire ruts dug into the ground not far from the blast point, and she guessed that's where Tails had hit the echidna.

Where Tails had saved Sonic's life.

A chill ran through her. Just how close was Knuckles to killing her boy?

She pushed it out of her mind. It wasn't necessarily Knuckles who was to blame for that, was it? Robotnik had tricked the boy. Told him lies about Sonic. Knuckles thought he was doing what was necessary to find the Emerald. Looking at him now, it did seem that he was remorseful for his role in the whole thing.

And he was still just a kid. Older than Sonic, but not by much. What had his life been like until now?

She watched as the echidna cradled the Emerald to him, and an idea flashed.

Maddie hurried passed Tom and Sonic in what was left of their living room and headed upstairs, taking the steps two at at time. A moment later and she was back, carrying a canvas messenger bag. She walked over to Knuckles, and knelt down before him.

"Here." She slid the bag across him, adjusting the buckle to shorten the strap.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "What's this?"

"A much easier way for you to carry that gem." She held her hands out. "May I?"

He looked at her with narrowed eyes, clutching the gem tightly for a few seconds, seemingly deciding if she was trust-worthy enough to pass the Emerald over. In the end, he nodded slightly, and handed it to her. Maddie took the gem and tucked it into the bag, flipping the top flap over and securing the clips.

"There. Now you have your hands back."

Knuckles adjusted the bag across him, finding a comfortable way for it to sit against his side. He looked up at the woman, and gave her a small smile.

"Yes, that is more convenient," he said, dipping his head in a nod. "Thank you."

She smiled. Despite what must have been a hard life, the kid had manners. "You're welcome." A thought suddenly occurred to her and she looked around before locating the young fox. The boy stood off at the edge of the yard, his tails curled around him. "Tails? Why are you standing all the way over there?"

The kit jumped slightly, the tails that had enveloped him withdrawing. He offered her a shaky smile. "Oh, no reason."

Maddie furrowed her brow and stood to walk over to the little fox. She may have only known Tails for a few short hours, but she knew a look of guilt when she saw one.

X~X~X

Tails' heart pounded as the woman came closer. He clutched the straps of his backpack.

She was coming over to tell him it was time for him to go. He was sure of it. They'd made a mistake, and based on the damage, it was obvious he couldn't stay. It wouldn't be the first time—destruction tended to follow him, thanks to the always-present chance of his inventions malfunctioning. No matter how thorough he was with his calculations, there was always that possibility. It was understandable that some people just didn't want that level of risk near them.

And this damage hadn't even come from a malfunctioning invention. He had caused this destruction through his own actions. Of course they wouldn't want him now. Look what he had done.

He'd thank her for getting him something to eat, and apologize for the trouble before using a ring to go back to his village.

He bit his lip as she hunkered down to eye level.

"Honey, none of this is your fault."

Tails blinked. That wasn't what he was expecting. After a few seconds his shock gave way, allowing the guilt to return, and he flattened his ears against his head. He pointed at the shattered fence. "That is," he said quietly. "And the shed. And the police car that was destroyed. Those are my fault."

She shook her head. "Robotnik is the one responsible for starting all of this," she said, brushing his hair tufts to the side. "You came here to help Sonic. And you did! I never thanked you for doing that."

He furrowed his brow. Thank him? His muzzle burned and his tails curled back around him in embarrassment. "You don't have to . . . Sonic would have eventually figured things out without me."

"But he didn't have to, because you were so brave to leave your home and come here to help him. Don't waste another second thinking you did anything wrong. This can all be replaced. Sonic can't." She placed a gentle hand on his cheek. "Thank you for saving my boy."

The kit turned a darker red, and practically disappeared into the floof of his tails. "You're welcome," came the soft, barely-there reply.

Maddie smiled, and scooped him into her arms as she walked back toward the others. "You are so sweet, little fox boy. I think I'm gonna like having you around."

It took a few seconds for what she said to sink in. "You . . . you still want me to stay?"

The woman stopped for a second, and reached up to push one of his tails away so she could see his face. "Of course, sweetie," she said, and her voice was so soft and kind, it made him smile. "I can't send you back to that village where they made fun of you, now can I? No sir, not for the hero who saved Sonic the hedgehog!"

Tails blinked away tears as he clutched her shirt. No one had ever said anything like that to him. Ever. He turned to bury his face into her shoulder.

X~X~X

Maddie gave the fox a quick squeeze as she walked back toward the house. He held fistfuls of her shirt in his hands, and his body shuddered slightly. She made soothing noises as she stroked his head.

"Is the fox ill?" Knuckles asked as Maddie neared.

She shook her head. "Just a little overwhelmed, I think. It's been a long day." Had Rachel's 'wedding' really only been yesterday? Seemed like a year had passed since then. She looked up at her husband, who still stood in the ruined living room. "Let's start making some plans."

"Yeah," Tom said, hands on hips. "Guess we'll be hitting up a hotel for a while."

Maddie shrugged. "Honestly, we could probably throw a tarp over that hole and stay here. We'll call that Commander and see if he can put a rush on getting us patched up. We are important guardians to three intergalactic aliens, after all. I would think they'd want to keep us happy."

Tom seemed to think about this. "You know, that's a good idea."

She smiled. "I have those from time to time."

"Okay," her husband said, clapping his hands together. "Let's break it down. We'll need to clean up the worst of the mess, and get some large tarps to get this hole patched. I'll run down and turn off the power to the living room and laundry, if the breaker hasn't been tripped already." He pointed his hands in finger guns toward her. "Do you want to clean or head out for supplies?"

"I'll do the supply run," she said, moving closer. "Check the fridge to make sure it still has power so I know if I need to get some fresh food."

"I'm on it," Sonic said, and zipped to the kitchen. A second later he called out, "We're good!"

"Good," she said, and turned to the fox in her arms. "Do you want to stay here or come with me?"

The boy seemed to think about it for a second, before giving her a shy smile. "I'd like to stay with Sonic. If that's okay."

"Not a problem, little one," she said, and gently dropped him to the ground. "Mind the broken glass." She looked directly at her husband. "All of you."

"Yes, Mom," the man responded, heading toward the basement door. "I'm gonna check the breaker."

Tails flew over the mess to join Sonic, who had grabbed a broom and started sweeping up the loose debris.

"Madam Wachowski," a deep voice called, and she turned to see Knuckles walking toward her.

"You can call me Maddie," she said, smiling. "What's up, big guy?"

The echidna lowered his head for a second, his brow furrowing. "I . . ." he started, his hands clutching the strap of the bag slung across him. "What is my task? How shall I help?"

Maddie glanced back toward the house, where Tom had reappeared. He pulled a trash bag out from the cabinet under the sink, and pointed out a few areas to a still sweeping Sonic. Tom said something to Tails and pointed, and the little fox hurried off to retrieve the dustpan. They seemed to have things well under control here.

She turned back to Knuckles. "How about you come along with me? I could use the company, and it'll give us a chance to get to know each other."

The boy seemed to consider this before giving her a short nod. "Very well."

"Okay then." Maddie started toward her Subaru when a thought occurred and she turned back toward the house. "Hey, can someone toss me my purse? It's upstairs in the bedroom."

"I got it!" Sonic zipped upstairs and was back in front of her before Maddie could blink. "Here you go, Mads."

"Thank you, Blue. Let Tom know Knuckles is coming with me. Oh, and I've got my phone if he needs me."

The hedgehog nodded. "Will do." He zipped back to the cleanup.

Maddie looked down at the echidna. "Okay, Red. Let's get a move on. We're burning daylight."

X~X~X

Knuckles pushed the cart as Maddie placed various items into it. Blue tarps, trash bags, and various cleaning materials lined the bottom of the basket, and she muttered to herself as she tried to anticipate everything they would need to make the house habitable for the time being.

The woman had had to make many detours to get to this market—a place with a giant orange sign out front that sold many tools. The battle on Main Street had rendered the road useless for vehicles to travel.

A tightening had appeared in the echidna's chest. The people of this town had been endangered, and their main road destroyed because of him. If he hadn't trusted Robotnik, the man wouldn't have found the Master Emerald. If Robotnik hadn't found the Emerald, Main Street would still be intact. On a smaller scale, if he hadn't trusted Robotnik and brought him to Earth in the first place, Sonic's home would still be intact as well.

Everything that had happened was his fault. Because he had trusted the wrong person.

"Knuckles?" a voice called, and he blinked. The woman had said something to him.

"What?" He moved around the cart to stand closer to her. "My apologies. I was . . . distracted."

"So I see," she said, placing multiple pairs of work gloves into the cart. "I asked if you'd like some different gloves. Maybe ones with fingers so you had a little more dexterity?"

He looked down at his mitts, and shook his head. "These remind me of my oath to my people. Of the trials and hardships I have endured to restore the honor of my tribe."

"Oh," she said, pulling down a few more gloves in different sizes. "Well, I'll have some other gloves on hand in case you change your mind."

Knuckles nodded, his hand moving to the bag against his side. Feeling the hard shape of the Emerald beneath the canvas was comforting.

"We'll see about getting a safe or something to keep the Emerald in so you don't have to carry it around with you everywhere," she said, hooking her fingers in the wire frame of the cart and pulling it behind her. "I'd bet you'd feel more comfortable if you knew it was secure."

His hand clenched around the Emerald, the idea of letting out of his sight making his heart race.

"I will carry it," he said, his voice sharper than he intended. "It is my duty."

She stopped, turning to look at him. "It doesn't have to be yours alone, you know," she said quietly. "Sonic and Tails promised to help watch over it, too. And Tom and I will do whatever we can to help keep it safe."

The echidna cast his eyes to the side. It was hard to accept help. Hard to understand he was no longer alone. After spending years on his own, with no one but himself to rely on, the idea of having friends, of trusting anyone else, was so foreign to him.

Besides, he barely knew these people. Why should he trust them? And based on his very recent failure, his judgment of people didn't seem to be all that good.

Maybe agreeing to stay was a bad idea.

X~X~X

Maddie studied the echidna as he stood with his head lowered, hand clenched tightly to the gem in the bag slung across him. He looked so young. A teenager who had been forced to grow up too quickly, on a quest for his fallen tribe. A quest that was technically over. But now he struggled with what to do with the gem he so desperately sought.

He wasn't used to dealing with others. That much was obvious. Wasn't used to trusting. Now that the adrenaline from the battle had worn off, he was questioning himself. Questioning his future.

Earning his trust was going to take some effort. And time.

"Okay," she said, switching gears to dissipate any unease. "I think we're about done here. Let's go check out. Then I think we'll head across the street to the grocery store."

Knuckles lifted his head and offered her a questioning glance. "Grocery store?"

"Sure," she said, leading them to the registers. "I believe I owe you some grapes."

X~X~X

As Maddie made her way back to he car after checking out at Home Depot, Tom was getting an earful at home.

They had finished sweeping up all the small debris and had moved on to collecting the larger stuff into a single pile. Sonic's helpfulness dwindled as he recounted his latest adventure to Tom.

Tails stayed quiet for the most part, preferring to let the hedgehog talk. Sometimes Tom would ask the fox a question and he would politely respond, but Sonic was practically bursting at the seams to talk about all they'd been through.

Besides, the fox kit wasn't as comfortable around Sonic's . . . parents? Friends? He wasn't entirely clear on their relationship yet. But he still felt they had taken him and Knuckles in out of a feeling of obligation. Nothing more.

They obviously had so much love for Sonic. There was no way he could expect any for himself.

"I'm telling you, Donut Lord, this guy is an absolute genius," Sonic said, pulling Tails to him in a one-armed hug. "He used his gadget to make copies of himself and help us win the dance battle in Siberia!"

"It was just some back up," the fox said, his voice quiet. He flicked his ears back. "You're the one who won."

The hedgehog gave the kit a raised eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Tails? We never would have won if it weren't for you."

"We never would have been in trouble in the first place if it weren't for me," the younger boy muttered, squirming his way out of Sonic's grip. "My gadget messed up. Some genius."

"Hey," Tom called, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. "Everyone makes mistakes. It happens. Don't beat yourself up about it, little guy."

Tails said nothing, opting instead to grab a board and fly it over to the trash pile they had started by the ruined shed. He tried not to look at the shed—it poked at the feeling of guilt that hadn't quite gone away.

Everything about being here felt wrong. He hadn't had time to think about it during the whirlwind race to find the Master Emerald. But now that everything had settled, reality was sinking in. Sure it was fun being with Sonic, and feeling like they were a team. And yes, if Tails was honest with himself, he hoped they were actual friends, too. It was nice hanging around with someone who didn't make fun of him, and a relief to not have to worry if this was some elaborate setup for a cruel joke. This had been the happiest Tails had been for a long time.

But the fox had to face the truth. Sonic had a home here, with these people. They were happy. They had a peaceful life. One that he and Knuckles had destroyed, just as thoroughly as they had the shed.

He had no right to stay. He had done what he set out to do—help Sonic. The Emerald was safe, Knuckles was no longer a threat, and that crazy Robotnik guy was gone. Job well done. Time for everyone to return to their previous lives and resume the status quo.

Sonic was safe. The hedgehog didn't need him anymore. Why should Tails stay any longer? He'd just get in the way. Mess things up. The Wachowskis and Sonic had been happy before this chaos began. What right did he have expecting to be included in such a close-knit little family?

A soft hand on his shoulder pulled Tails from his train of thought. He turned to see Tom hunkered down next to him.

"Hey," the man said, his voice soft. "Are you okay?"

Tails flicked his eyes behind the man, and noticed Sonic was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Sonic?"

"I sent him off to find some work gloves for me. I wanted to have a minute to talk to you alone."

The fox's ears drooped. When adults wanted to talk to him alone, it usually meant he did something wrong. Or it was time for the 'this isn't working out' talk.

"You're so quiet. Now, granted, sometimes it's hard to get a word in edgewise with the blue motormouth around, but still. Is something bothering you?"

Tails blinked, his eyes locking with Tom's. The question had startled him, and he couldn't think of the right way to respond. No one had ever asked him that before. No one had ever cared enough to.

"I know this is all really weird and different and new to you," Tom continued, his hand still on the kit's shoulder. He gave a reassuring squeeze. "And right now you're probably wondering if you even want to stay. It was such a sudden decision, and we sprang it on you without much warning. I get that. And if you eventually decide you'd rather go back to your village, we'll all understand. We can't expect you to give up your life on your home planet and start all over here, with a bunch of strangers."

"I've watched you," Tails said, his voice small and quiet. Tom gave him a questioning look and the fox continued, flicking his ears back. "Ever since Sonic's blast on the baseball field, I've been watching. Because he was different, like me. But he was so much cooler. And he had you guys. I've seen how much you love him, and he loves you, and it's so great. You're a family. I've . . ." He paused, biting his lip. "I've never had that."

Tom offered the boy a kind smile. "Do you want that?"

Tails' eyes burned and he looked away, brows furrowed. "I've tried. It never works out."

"Maybe you just never found the right one."

The fox kit closed his eyes tightly. The man sounded so sincere, much like his wife had just a short while ago. Tails wanted to believe. He wanted to hope that this time, things would be different. That he wouldn't be turned away again. Just because of who he was.

"Listen little guy," Tom said, resting his hand on the boy's head. "Just give it some time before you make any decisions, okay? I'm not saying we're perfect. I'm not saying that staying with us won't have its bumps. It took us a while to get the hang of taking care of Sonic, and you and Knuckles are hitting us at the same time. It's gonna be a bumpy ride until we get our footing and figure out how to deal with this new norm." The man paused, and Tails opened his eyes to see a smile curl the corner of his mouth. "But I can guarantee you that we will do our best to take care of you, and give you a home, and family, that you will feel comfortable and safe in."

The words sank into Tails' brain, and he felt that familiar spark of hope blossom in his chest. Maybe. Maybe this time would be different.

He gave Tom a small smile, when he noticed a blue figure standing behind the man. Sonic stood a little way back, a smile on his muzzle. The hedgehog gave a small nod of encouragement. Tails smiled wider, and gave a small nod back before turning back to Tom.

"Okay," he said, tears leaking down his muzzle. "I-I'll give it a shot."

The man's smile spread. He gave the fox a quick head rub. "Good. I'm glad to hear that. Because I'd really like to hear more about these inventions of yours."

"Really?"

"Absolutely," Tom said, standing. "From what I've seen during our daring escape in Hawaii, you really are some kind of boy genius."

The fox kit's muzzle burned as a blush pushed up through his fur. "I don't know about that . . ."

"I do," Sonic said, moving closer. He tossed Tom a pair of work gloves. "Don't sell yourself short, pal. Your brains really saved our bacon, a couple times. We really couldn't have won without you."

Tails covered his face with his hands, as his namesakes wrapped around him. Emotions whirled through him like a tornado—embarrassment, gratitude, appreciation, happiness, and hope. He wasn't used to being the center of attention in a positive way.

"Nice going, bud," Tom said, and Tails could hear the smile in his voice. "You turned him into a big embarrassed fluffball."

"Who's doing what with my little fox boy?" a voice called, and Tails unwrapped himself to see Maddie and Knuckles walking around the house into the backyard. The echidna clutched a bag of grapes while Maddie carried a few grocery bags. "I gotta knock some heads?"

"Ah, the love of my life has returned from her journey to the market," Tom said, moving forward to plant a kiss on his wife's cheek. "What wonders have you brought, lovely wife?"

"The house stuff is still in the car," she said, digging through one of the bags hanging off her arm. "But I stopped by the store for some snackage." She pulled out a few candy bars and started handing them out. "Kit Kat for Tom, and Snickers for blue boy."

"Score!" Sonic said, taking the bar. "Thanks, Mads!"

"A 3 Muskateers for Knuckles," she said, handing the echidna the bar. He furrowed his brow, and gave her a questioning look. "It's candy. It's sweet and sugary and you'll love it. I promise."

"If you say so," he said, and nearly took a bite out it—wrapper and all—when she grabbed it out of his grasp. "What are you-"

"Sorry," she said, pulling the wrapper back. "That's on me. Gotta unwrap it first, kiddo." She handed it back. "There, try it now."

The echidna gave her an annoyed look, but took a cautious bite. Pleasant surprise spread across his face as he chewed. "I enjoy this candy!"

"I thought you might." She turned to the little fox. "I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I picked you up my favorite—a Peppermint Patty."

Tails took it and gave her an arched eyebrow. "Pepper—what?"

"It's basically chocolate coated mint." She pulled the wrapper open for him. "Give it a try."

The fox kit gave the candy bar a little sniff before taking an experimental bite. Cool mint flavor hit his tongue and his eyes shot wide. "It's really good!"

Maddie nodded, a smile on her lips. "I thought you'd like it." She pulled a second one out and ripped the corner open with her teeth. "One for me."

"What other goodies did you get?" Sonic asked, his candy bar already long finished. He dug through the bags and gasped. "Marshmallows! Does that mean-"

"I figured since we don't really have beds for our new boys," Maddie said, shrugging, "we could camp out here tonight. We'll get the hole patched, pitch the tent, and pull the fire pit out for some roasted marshmallows."

"You're full of great ideas today, babe," Tom said, wrapping an arm around his wife's waist. He leaned in for a kiss on her neck, and she gave a little giggle, bumping him away with her hip.

"C'mon Sheriff," she said, giving him a little shove. "Gonna be dark soon. Let's get the hole patched before we lose the light."

"Yes'm," he said, giving her a little salute. "Come boys. Let's close up the house and have ourselves a little camp out."

Sonic gave a cheer before zipping around the house, and Tails finished his candy bar as he followed.

X~X~X

A few hours later, Maddie and Tom sat snuggled up by the dying fire. Fireflies flickered in the dark outside the firelight, and crickets sang. She leaned into him, and he caressed her arm as they watched the last of the logs burn.

They had patched the hole in the house as well as they could. It took some doing, as the tarps Maddie had bought weren't quite large enough, but with a little duct tape and some configuring, they had managed.

Camping had been a huge hit. Maddie grabbed some hot dogs from the house, and the five roasted them over the fire pit. Knuckles burnt his, but insisted on eating them anyway, as "a warrior does not refuse food given in kindness." The group demolished two packs of hot dogs before their bellies were satiated.

Sonic took great delight in telling his new friends about his various adventures with Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady. The ride-alongs in the police car (Tails flattened his ears at the mention of this, but Maddie pulled him to her and rubbed his back to soothe him), the games of baseball at the little league field, the trips to Maddie's clinic to visit with the litters available for adoption and for check-ups. With almost every story, Sonic made sure to add encouragement for Tails and Knuckles, usually along the lines of "you'll really like when we do this," or "wait 'til you see that."

Once it got dark, the marshmallows came out. Maddie poked them onto the sticks Tom and Knuckles had found in the forest, and the sheriff showed the new boys how to roast the perfect marshmallow. Knuckles had taken the instruction seriously, his face set with focus and determination to master the technique. Sonic gave constant running commentary on the echidna's attempts, with the occasional helpful tip thrown in.

Tails tried to apply precision to his attempts—estimating the correct temperature and cooking time needed for each side—but only ended up losing the marshmallows as they either burst into flames or fell into the fire. Tom finally took pity on the boy and sat with him, showing him how keep the stick turning, and watching for signs of that perfect state of gooey but still firm.

Sonic never stopped smiling. He joked, he talked, he laughed. The excitement of having friends who were just like him put him in good spirits.

Exhaustion finally hit and the boys had crashed about an hour ago. Tails dropped first, his marshmallow stick drooping until the sugary treat fell into the flames with a soft hiss. Maddie cleaned the sticky mallow mush from his muzzle before carrying him into the tent and tucking him in. They had pulled plenty of pillows and blankets out of the house, and the inside of the tent was cozy and warm.

Knuckles followed soon after. He had been sitting cross-legged near the fire pit, the canvas bag containing the Master Emerald nestled in his lap, when his head drooped forward. His chest rose and fell in a slow, rhythmic pattern. Tom gathered him up—uttering a soft 'oof' when the echidna proved heavier than he looked—and carried him to the tent to get him settled. Knuckles half awoke on the walk, but settled back to sleep quickly with a soft soothing from Tom.

Sonic held out the longest, but even he eventually succumbed to the excitement of the day. He managed to get himself into the tent, but before he went, he snuggled up with Tom and Maddie.

"Thank you," he said, his voice soft.

"For what, bud?" Tom asked, running a hand down the boy's quills.

"For . . . everything. Not leaving me. Taking in the guys. Just being . . . you."

"We would do anything for you," Maddie said, giving his ear a gentle massage. The boy closed his eyes and smiled. "Because we love you."

"I love you, too," the boy said, and curled his arms around both of them for a tight squeeze. The adults gave him a hug back, before he pulled away. "G'night."

He slumped into the tent, and Maddie could have sworn she heard him snore before he hit the pillows.

Now the two sat alone, snuggled by the fire. It was the first quiet moment they'd had since before Rachel's so-called wedding. The events of the day a blur of action and adrenaline.

"Well, so far so good," Tom said, hugging his wife close. "They seemed to enjoy themselves tonight."

"Yeah," Maddie said, her brows slightly furrowed. "But I think Knuckles is gonna have a hard time adjusting. He doesn't seem like he's very comfortable around others. And has trust issues."

"That doesn't surprise me." He sighed. "I spoke with Tails while you were gone. Sounds like he's never had a family. I think he really wants one, but is afraid we'll reject him like the others he's tried."

"Oh that poor baby."

"I know." He went quiet for a moment, resting his cheek on his wife's head. "And this isn't touching on the fact that Sonic just went from only child to middle child in a hot minute. Which brings its own issues."

"Is middle child really that bad?"

"I think it's just easy to get overlooked. Being the oldest or youngest comes with special attention and privileges, and the middle kid is just kinda stuck between them. And considering both the new kids have emotional issues to deal with, they're gonna need that much more focus and attention as they settle in."

"Which could really eat at Sonic now that he's not the center of our world anymore."

"Bingo."

She sighed. "That's something we're really gonna have to keep an eye on, then."

"Yep." He paused. "Remember when I said this was a lot?"

"Mm-hmm."

"I hate that I'm right." He uttered a heavy sigh. "I just hope it's not too much. For us or them."

They sat quietly as the enormity of the situation sank in. Three kids. Each with their own emotional trauma. And with super-powers on top of everything else.

This was going to be a challenge.

Soon after, Tom poured water over the remaining embers in the fire pit as Maddie crawled into the tent. The three boys huddled together inside, with Tails curled up next to Sonic, and Knuckles resting an arm over the hedgehog's chest. She placed a finger to her lips when Tom crawled in, and pointed at the boys. He grinned, and pulled his phone out for a picture.

The couple snuggled together, listening to the soft snores of the kids next to them. Yes, this would be challenging. But parenthood was always a challenge. And these boys needed them. They would do their best to make sure all three felt wanted and loved.

With a final kiss, Tom and Maddie fell asleep, ready to face the world as a family of five the next day.