Wade attempted to stifle the raging elephants rampaging in his head. He failed, screwing his eyes shut as the elephants resisted his feeble attempts at silencing them.

He poured two mugs of black coffee, relishing the miracle potion as he lifted the two mugs and left the station canteen.

Green Hills was a quiet little town. Famously, nothing happened. Ever. Well, aside from the odd event regarding superpowered animal-aliens. The most the local police department had to contend with was kids loitering, or the occasional instance involving rowdy bikers. Several of whom now occupied the station's jail cells. It had been years since the station had been this full.

Wade passed by the occupied cells, glancing in each one to find a biker in a state of blissful sleep. The events of the night before had taken their toll. Wade wished he could join them, quite honestly.

But Sheriff Whipple had a job to do. He continued down the row of cells until he entered another room, solitary confinement, where his best friend of four decades presently slept away his own alcohol-induced coma.

Wade briefly observed the former Sheriff Wachowski. Tom was curled up, not in a ball but with both arms wrapped around himself, dwarfed by the human-sized cot. He seemed so peaceful.

Time to ruin that little harmony. Wade set both coffees on a nearby bench and rattled the cell keys. "Housekeeping?"

Brown ears twinged, an it took more rattling of keys before very bloodshot blue eyes turned to regard him with a groan. It was almost comical. Tom dumbly regarded Wade, as though it were a dream, his fur and quills stuck out at incredible angles. "Wade?"

"Hey there."

"... wher'm I"

"Where do you think?" Wade responded, beginning to unlock the cage door, "Green Hills finest accommodation - lock-up."

Tom moaned as realisation slowly took his addled brain, raising into a sitting position as Wade entered the cell. Both hands rubbed at his eyes. "I feel terrible."

"Yeah. That'll happen when you turn into a living bowling ball and throw yourself into a three-hundred pound biker," Wade replied, sitting next to his friend on the cot and handing him a coffee. Brown paws gripped the mug like it were a life-saving miracle cure. Which it probably was right now. Tom sipped at the coffee and frowned as he glanced over himself. He was presently clad only in a pair of socks, the rest of his attire having been confiscated. "Where's my jacket?"

"Yeah... you kinda... shredded it," Wade said, "you gotta be careful with those quills, buddy."

Tom groaned. "God dammit. I liked that jacket."

"Count your lucky stars," Wade responded, watching as Tom set his coffee down and rubbed at his eyes again, "nobody got seriously hurt. That could've gone real bad, Tom."

"You heard what he said!" Tom grumbled, glaring at his feet as they dangled over the edge of the cot, head low and ears drooping. "You heard him."

"Yeah I did, and if I were in your shoes I'd have probably done the same, but God dammit Tom!" Wade spoke a little harsher than he'd meant, Tom's ears pinning flat against his head as he winced. Wade sighed. "Luckily nobody got hurt. Not really. End of the day, you guys were just drunk and stupid. But dammit Tom..."

The hedgehog merely glowered into the floor, before burying his face in his hands. "M'sorry."

Wade shook his head and drank from his mug, the bitter coffee helping yank his brain back into focus. Tom continued to rub at his face, and Wade didn't even want to think about the hangover that was surely walloping around inside his friend's skull.

The pair sat in silence, Wade pondering his next words... before a choking noise caught his attention. He frowned, turning back to Tom.

It was only when he noted brown furry shoulders hiking up and down that he realised. Tom was sobbing.

Another choking yelp, and Wade understood that Tom wasn't just sobbing. He was crying his heart out.

"I... can't do it anymore, Wade..." Brown hands fell from his face, revealing a soaking-wet tear-stained muzzle. "I just can't... DO it anymore!"

"Shit, buddy..." Wade set his drink down and wrapped one arm round his best friend, Tom all but falling into his side as he shook with choking sobs.

"When... when I got back..." Tom wiped a hand over his face, sniffling grossly, "at least... at least I had Miles there... and I knew Mads'd be home..." Tom stared pathetically into the cell floor as he sobbed, "it helped, y'know? Helped... me deal with everything... but now they're gone... they're ALL gone, Wade, and...and it's just so hard, man..." Tom miserably looked himself over and shook his head. "I could... deal with everything if I had her with me... but... I just can't accept it... I can't..."

"Accept what?" Wade said gently, noting the tears welling up in his friend's eyes again."

"That... that I've..." Tom's voice wobbled, shivering at Wade's side, "I've lost my wife, Wade. I've lost her..."

Moments passed, Tom's hands returning to his face as he quietly wept. Wade considered his words, how best he could help his distraught friend. "You don't know that," he said, giving his friend a small shake, "everything'll work out, Tom. You'll get through it."

"How?" Tom said pathetically, bloodshot blue eyes glancing up at Wade, "how am I gonna get through it? Look at me!" Tom spread both arms, displaying his tatty hedgehog body, "I lost my wife, my kids, and I'm not even tall enough to legally drive any more! How does a guy fuck up THAT bad?"

Wade didn't have an answer for him. All he could do was squeeze his friend, arm around furry shoulders, and support him as best as he could. Tom buried his head in his hands once again, and continued his quiet sobbing.

...

"Ugh... stairs..." Tom mumbled to himself as he stood, outside the Green Hills Police Department station, glowering miserably down the small flight of steps leading down to the street. "I hate doing stairs."

Tom had a reason for his newfound dislike of ascending or descending stairs. They were built for humans. Each step was twice the size it had been for him just a few weeks ago. The brown hedgehog groaned to himself, thumbs tucked into his belt, before he raised a boot and began to carefully descend.

Tom had finally been released from his confinement. Fortunately for him, Green Hills was a small town and the cops here could 'look the other way' in many matters. Especially matters that involved space-hedgehogs. This included Tannen and his gang, on the condition that they left town for a little while. The bikers had already gone to retrieve their vehicles, barely remembering how they had wound up in the jail in the first place. Like Wade had said. Just a drunken bar brawl. Nothing to see here.

Tom would never, ever forgive the bastards though. Ever. Nobody talked about his family like that.

Still, thoughts of vengeance and retribution would have to wait. At least until Tom had gotten down these damn stairs. Eventually he found his way to the pavement, glancing up and down the quiet street.

Lacking pockets, clad only in his belt and boots, Tom stuck his thumbs in his belt and miserably wandered off in the direction of home. A light breeze ruffled his messy fur. He wasn't looking forward to brushing this out.

Tom made his way through the centre of town, his discomfort rising as he encountered residents of Green Hills, going about their daily business. Cars twice his height passed by, eyes snatched curious glances his way from above. Tom's ears reflexively pinned against his head. Everybody knew what had become of their former sheriff.

He caught the odd whisper. His hearing was far better than it ever had been as a human.

"Is that Tom Wachowski?"

"Yeah..."

"Wow, what happened to him?"

"I hope it's not contagious..."

Tom did his best to ignore the voices, quickening his pace, tail ducking between his legs.

Everything was so big now, he couldn't help but notice. He passed by Pam's Pantry, the local bakery where he used to shop for donuts. He paused, briefly considering getting something to eat. His stomach growled.

He didn't bother. A brown hedgehog, hopelessly messy fur and tired eyes, looked back at him from the shop window.

He vaguely noted his reflection, before turning away and continuing to head home. He really wished he had his jacket.

It took Tom longer than usual to find his house, a combination of his unfortunate hangover and shorter legs making the trip twice a long, but eventually he found himself at his front door. He sighed, raising his house keys to the lock that was at eye-level, turning the handle and entering.

He was almost bowled straight back out by two very large, very slobbery yellow beasts.

"Woah, take it easy guys!" Bill and Tony whimpered and whined as they demanded pets from their dad, Tom having to muscle his way indoors and slam the door shut so they wouldn't escape, "yeah, I get it, you missed me. You boys hungry?"

Tom couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself for leaving his precious hounds home alone due to his actions the previous night, but one sniff in the air and he knew his absence would not go unpunished. The hedgehog sighed. "You guys been leaving presents for dad, huh? Great..."

An hour later, Tom had cleaned a very 'present' strewn kitchen and fed and watered the dogs. He flopped onto the couch, kicking off his boots and socks. He miserably looked himself over, noting his ragged fur. A shower was definitely in order.

Tom remained where he was, ears perking as he glanced around the empty room. It was getting dark out, grey clouds forming in the sky indicating coming rain. The clock ticked on the mantlepiece. Tom looked around his living room, taking note of the photographs on the walls. Two humans, man and wife, big smiles on their faces, looked back at him. Two kids, one blue and the other orange, joined them in some pictures. Tom looked to his left, finding his and Maddie's wedding photo. He reached out and gently took the framed picture. The man was dressed in a black suit, his bride in a magnificent white dress that reached to the grass below. He remembered that day. One of the best of his life.

His reflection looked back at him from the glass. The same tattered brown hedgehog from the bakery window.

Tom had dealt with it. Having Miles around and waiting for Maddie to come home had helped him come to terms with his new form. He'd raised two Mobian kids after all, it wasn't exactly torture being the same species as them now. If anything, it made him feel closer to his extra-terrestrial children. Like he was their real dad now.

But they were gone. They were all gone. He thought about the Warp Rings stored away in his bedside table drawer... he could, right now, get up and use one... go and join his family... he didn't even have to come back. Take the dogs with him and just... leave.

Tom didn't move. They didn't need him around. They were probably better off without him.

Setting the photograph down, Tom Wachowski closed his eyes as the tears welled again. Brown hands returned to his face, and he wept as the rain began to fall.