~Monday – Six Days Before Mother's Day

Sheriff Tom Wachowski leaned against the counter as he sipped his coffee. Maddie had gone to the clinic early today, and it was his turn to tend to their three boys. A red echidna, blue hedgehog, and golden fox sat at the kitchen island, each working through today's breakfast.

Knuckles the echidna carefully worked a spoon into a grapefruit half, being wary to not get sprayed with juice. Again. He seemed to have an easier time now that he wore finger-less sports gloves instead of his over-sized boxing mitts. They allowed him much more dexterity for day-to-day life.

Sonic the hedgehog scooped Froot Loops into his mouth, in between yawns. The boy slept deep, but his unique metabolism meant he burned a lot of calories even while asleep. He was always tired in the mornings until he shoveled in enough food to equalize the calories he had burned the night before.

Tails the fox munched on a bowl of dry mini-wheats, taking a gulp of milk every now and then to wash them down. He focused on a small box on the counter, tweaking and tightening various cogs and screws inside with his screwdriver. The kid was always tinkering with something.

The morning was quiet, save for the sounds of three tired boys eating. Maddie usually had morning duty, and started the day with smiles, head kisses, and gentle conversation to ease the boys into full wakefulness. Tom, on the other hand, wasn't exactly a morning person, so this slow-moving silence suited him just fine.

Stifling a yawn, he glanced at the calendar next to the archway to the living room. His wife had dutifully crossed off all previous days, with the exception of the last two. This past weekend had been crazy with yard work and multiple trips to the hardware store—the beautiful spring weather had been the perfect time to tend to some much-needed household repairs and cleanup—and the new month had started yesterday. Time to flip the page.

"Tails, no tinkering at breakfast," Tom said as he moved to change the calendar. The little fox flicked his ears backward at the reminder, tucking the small box and screwdriver into the small bag slung across him.

"Sorry, Mr. To—uh, Dad."

The Sheriff smiled. It had taken some time for Tails to accept this as his home, and he and his wife as his parental figures. Given the kit's history of isolation and rejection, not only by his actual parents but also his village, it was understandable. He still slipped back into the names he called them from the beginning, on occasion. But all in all, he had acclimated to home and family life fairly well.

Tom pinned the old month's page up, and did a quick scan of the days to come. One particular entry caught his eye, and smiled.

"Well, look at at that," he said, perking the ears of his three boys.

"What?" Sonic asked, spooning another bite of Froot Loops into his mouth. "Look at what?"

"Mother's Day is coming up," Tom said, turning to refill his coffee. "This will be Maddie's first one since you guys came crashing into our lives."

Sonic nearly choked on his cereal. "Mother's Day? When?"

"This coming Sunday," Tom said, taking a careful sip from his cup. "If you want to do something, you'd better start thinking."

"What is Mother's Day?" Knuckles asked, eyebrow cocked.

"It's a day when families honor the mother, or mother figure, in them," Tails said, fiddling with a dial on his Miles Electric pad. He always carried it with him to research things he didn't understand. "Women tend to carry the emotional and mental loads in families—like remembering all the little day-to-day stuff, being supportive and caring, stuff like that—and sometimes everything they do can get overlooked."

Tom nodded. "Right, moms can get taken for granted simply because they're so on top of things. A lot of things. So once a year there's a day to remind everyone to thank them and celebrate how special they are."

Knuckles lowered his head, brow furrowed. "Hmm."

"What's a typical gift for Mother's Day?" Tails asked. "I don't know what's expected."

"There aren't any rules or anything," Tom said, shrugging. "Just something you'd think Maddie would like. It can be something you buy, or make, or do for her. It really just depends on you."

"Are you getting her anything?" Sonic asked with a smirk.

Tom blinked. "I hadn't thought about it. You think I should?"

"I think it's safer to err on the side of caution." The hedgehog cocked an eyebrow. "Unless you want a repeat of your anniversary."

"Oof, good point."

Sonic gulped down the last of his cereal before zipping the bowl to the sink. "Well, I'm off to do some brainstorming. You guys let me know if you need help coming up with a gift." With that, the hedgehog turned and sped back up to his attic room.

Tails jumped down from his stool and walked his breakfast dishes to the sink. His twin tails spun to lift him high enough to place the bowl and glass inside. "I have an idea I want to work on. Do you have a welding torch I can use?"

"Ah, I think I should help you with that," Tom said, rinsing his mug and adding it to the growing pile of dishes in the sink. He turned to the only kid left at the island. "Knux, you doing okay?"

The echidna blinked, raising his head. "What? Oh. Yes, I'm fine." He furrowed his brow again. "Just thinking."

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything."

Knuckles nodded as Tom and Tails headed out to the garage. His breakfast forgotten, the echidna tossed the rest of his grapefruit in the trash, and headed out the back door.

~ Wednesday – Four Days Before Mother's Day

Sonic sat at his desk, staring at a sheet of paper. He tapped his pencil absently against his temple.

The words wouldn't come.

His face pinched, annoyance clouding his mind. He'd never not known what to say. Talking was something he was exceptionally good at. He could ramble on like there was no tomorrow, even if there was nothing to talk about. Sonic the hedgehog always had something to say.

Except, apparently, right now.

His gift for Maddie was a three step plan. Steps one and two had been easy. But step three? Not so much.

How does one filter down 'thanks for being a model of a mother for me for years even though you had no idea I existed and not freaking out when you finally saw me and helping me try to get off this planet and taking me in after Robotnik nearly killed me AND not grounding me for life when I crashed your sister's wedding and sticking with me when I found a fox and echidna to be my friends and sitting with me when we thought we were done for AND THEN taking in my new friends after we saved the world from a giant killer robot' into something even remotely coherent?

Hallmark didn't exactly have a card for that.

He sighed, leaning back in his chair. Maybe writing a letter was too much. She knew how he felt, right? She knew he loved her, right? Did he even need to write it down? He told her all the time. Didn't he?

Suddenly he wasn't so sure. He thought he did, but what if he didn't? Did she really know how important she was to him? Has he ever really told her?

A soft sizzling sound reached his ears, and he turned toward Tails' desk. The little kit sat hunched over, a soldering iron in his hand, and protective goggles covering his eyes. He'd been working on some new device practically non-stop since Monday morning. Tom had helped him weld something together, and now he worked on the electronic components. His twin tails swung back and forth in short, lazy arcs behind him as he worked.

Sonic kicked his foot to spin his chair around. The far corner of the attic was dark. Knuckles was not in his usual spot in the corner by the stairs. The echidna had been more stand-offish than usual this week, keeping to himself and acting, well, off. Not unfriendly, precisely, just . . . off. Distracted.

It seemed to start when they talked about Mother's Day. Maybe Knux had some issue with his mother and the concept was troubling for him. It was a good possibility. All three of them had some family-related trauma in their past, and they each had their own way of dealing with it. He had let his brother know he was there in case the echidna needed to talk, but in the end, this was something Knux had to work through himself.

Another kick of his foot and Sonic spun back to face the blank page.

Its empty lines glared at him. Almost taunting.

He sat up and started writing.

~ Friday – Two Days Before Mother's Day

Tails activated the switch on his new device. It lit, sputtered, then went out.

"C'mon," he muttered to himself, flipping it over to remove the back panel. Again.

He'd run the simulations. Triple-checked the connections. It should work. But it didn't.

The circuit board looked mostly intact. One small section was burned—a wire must have come loose and shorted out. He uttered an annoyed sigh. Now he'd have to pull everything out to quadruple-check all the connections to make sure none of the others had burned out too.

With a small grunt, Tails pushed away from his desk, rubbing his eyes. He'd been at it for hours. Days. What should have been a simple design, a contraption he'd designed three times over in his head, was proving to be quite the problematic gadget to implement in real life.

But he had to make it work. He had a home now, with people who loved and accepted him. Maddie had been the first person—besides Sonic—to welcome him into the family pretty much immediately. She was so kind, and gave the best hugs whenever he wanted one. She pulled him into her lap during movies, and would rub his ears and stroke his tails when he got tired. It was so soothing. And then she would carry him upstairs to put him to bed, placing a soft kiss on his forehead and tucking him into the big, warm comforter nice and tight.

She was his mom. The only mom he'd ever really known. He loved her.

And he would make this work for her.

Heavy bootsteps pulled him from his thoughts, and he turned to see Knuckles enter the attic. The echidna's brows were drawn down, and he looked lost in thought. A common sight over the past few days.

"Hey Knuckles," the fox called.

Knuckles blinked, looking over at his younger brother. "Hello Tails."

"Are you okay? You've been awfully distracted lately."

The echidna didn't answer for a long moment. Finally, he said, "I am . . . confused."

"What about?" Tails said, turning to fully face his oldest brother. "Maybe I can help."

Knuckles seemed to consider this, before walking toward the fox. "Do you remember your mother?"

Tails shook his head. "Not really. I'd been alone for as long as I can remember."

"I'm sorry," Knuckles said, his voice soft. "That must have been very hard for you."

The fox offered a small, sad smile. "I think we all had pretty hard childhoods, for various reasons." He paused. "Do you remember your mother?"

Knuckles lowered his head slightly, a troubled look crossing his face. "Not as well as I would like," he said quietly. "It has been a long time. Much has happened since then."

Tails nodded. He and Sonic had discussed Knuckles' recent mood and behavior, and had theorized it had something to do with his mother. Now the theory was proven true.

"I'm sorry," he said, and Knuckles looked up at him. "You must miss her."

The echidna nodded. "This Mother's Day has made me think of her. And I feel . . . conflicted."

"How so?"

Knuckles wrinkled his muzzle, as though he were looking for the right words. "My mother . . . I loved her. And I miss her."

Tails nodded. "Understandable."

"I was alone for so long. I thought I didn't need anyone. But now I'm here, with Sheriff Tom and Healer Maddie. And you and Sonic. And I feel like I have found a new family."

"But that's a good thing, isn't it? Not being alone anymore? Being surrounded by people who care about you?"

Knuckles tilted his head. "Yes . . . but also no." He sat, cross-legged on the floor. "It is confusing."

Tails' brow furrowed. "So . . . you like being here, but you don't like it?"

"I . . ." The echidna sighed, shaking his head. "It is very confusing."

"What emotions are you feeling exactly? Maybe that will help narrow down what's bothering you."

A corner of the echidna's muzzle pulled into a snarl. "I told you, it's confusing! I feel . . ." He beat his chest with a fist. "Tight. Here. It is unpleasant and reminds me of when Robotnik betrayed my trust."

"Betrayed? Do you think we would betray you like that?"

"No!" The snarl was more pronounced, although Tails didn't think it was directed at him. "The feeling is not for you or any of the others. It's . . ." Knuckles' eyes went wide, and his muzzle relaxed. "Me. The betrayal is mine."

Tails studied his brother for a moment, his mind piecing together the facts. Something to do with Knuckles' mother. He feels he's betraying someone. He likes being in this new family, but doesn't. A thought suddenly occurred to the little fox.

"Knuckles," he said, his voice soft. "Do you think you're . . . I don't know, replacing your family with ours?"

The echidna tilted his head. "I . . . don't know."

"It would explain your conflicted feelings. Maybe some part of you doesn't want to fully accept Maddie as your new mom because it worries you're trying to replace your old one. I mean, your first one. Your biological one."

Knuckles lowered his head, brow furrowed. "Hmm."

"I had the same fear when I first came to live here," a voice said from the stairs. Fox and echidna turned to see Sonic walk into the attic. He offered a small smile. "Sorry. I was coming up when I heard you guys talking. I didn't want to interrupt."

"You experienced the same feelings of conflict?" Knuckles asked as Sonic sat next to him.

The hedgehog nodded. "You know about Longclaw. When Mom and Dad first took me in, I was uncomfortable around Maddie for a while. I didn't want to get close. Every time I did, something seemed wrong. I felt guilty."

"Because you felt like you were disrespecting Longclaw's memory," Tails said, sliding off his chair to sit on the floor with his brothers. "Replacing her."

"Pretty much," Sonic said, nodding. "Took me a long time to realize that wasn't the case. I still loved Longclaw . . . but she was gone. Forcing myself to be alone, to stay closed off, wouldn't bring her back."

Knuckles lowered his head to think. "So you can still hold Longclaw in your heart . . . and also be close to Healer Maddie?"

Sonic offered him a kind smile. "Yep."

"And you don't . . . forget Longclaw?"

The hedgehog shook his head. "I'll always have memories of her. Of how she would play with me, and fly me around the island, and scoop me up at night to sleep in the downy feathers on her chest. I always fell asleep with her heartbeat in my ear." He smiled, his eyes shiny. Blinking quickly, he turned to Knuckles. "Those memories will always be there. Getting close to Maddie won't replace them. You'll just add new ones."

The echidna lowered his head once more. "Hmm."

"I don't have any memories of my mother," Tails said, a sad smile on his lips. "But if your mothers were anything like Maddie, then you guys were really lucky to have had that when you were little."

Sonic placed a gentle hand on Tails' shoulder. "I'm sorry your parents didn't see how special you were, little bro," he said, his voice soft. "And I'm sorry you had to grow up all alone. But I'm really glad you're here now. Where you belong."

"Yes," Knuckles said, placing a hand on the fox's other shoulder. "The people of your village, including your false parents, were fools to turn their backs on you. You are clever, noble, and loyal. I am honored to call you brother."

The fox kit bit his lip, his eyes shiny. "You guys," he said, tears spilling over his muzzle. "You're the best big brothers a guy could ask for!"

Tails lunged forward, throwing an arm around each of this brothers for a tight hug. Sonic wrapped his arms around Tails, hugging him just as tight.

Knuckles, who normally didn't go for hugs, hesitated for a moment, then wrapped his arms around each of his brothers and squeezed. A smile curled his lips, as Sonic pulled one arm from around Tails and wrapped it around the echidna.

The three sat there for a long moment, squeezing each other in a tight hug. It was the first one they had all shared, and their brotherly bond felt stronger afterward.

"So," Sonic said, as they pulled back. "Feeling any better?"

Knuckles hesitated, then offered a short nod. "Our talk was very enlightening. Thank you. I have more thoughts to work through, but you were both very helpful."

"I'm glad," Tails said, getting to his feet. "But I'd better get back to my device. It's giving me some real trouble, and I don't have much time to get it finished."

"I've heard that if you're having trouble and can't figure out where, you should walk someone else through the process," Sonic said, shrugging. "Sometimes the act of explaining it to someone who has no idea what you're doing can help you narrow down where the problem is."

Tails raised an eyebrow. "You want me to explain the inner workings of my device to you?"

Sonic smiled. "Not particularly. But if it'll help you figure out where you're going wrong, I'll be your sounding board."

The fox smiled. "Thanks, Sonic." He sat back at his chair and turned the device toward the hedgehog. "This is your basic multi-optic motherboard with variable wavelength frequencies. The optic nodes are attached in strategic locations . . . . . ."

Tails' voice carried on as he explained the electronic innards to Sonic. Knuckles turned, giving his a head a small shake, an amused smile curling the corner of his lips. He descended the attic stairs, just as Sonic began to regret his offer.