Sonic lifted his nose to smell the air as he and Tom walked into the house. They had just returned home from watching the Green Hills little league practice, and Maddie was in the kitchen flipping through a cookbook.

"Hey babe," Tom greeted, giving his wife a quick kiss on the cheek on his way to the fridge.

"Hey yourself," she replied with a smile. She looked down at Sonic. "And hey to you little man. How was practice tonight?"

Sonic offered a little smile and shrugged. "Eh, not their best performance, honestly. They'll need to step it up if they want to beat Owensville in the playoffs. I hear they're pretty good. Owensville, that is. But Donut Lord let me go down to the fence and high five all the players, so not a bad ending." He paused, glancing at the book on the counter. "Are you making supper?"

"Thinking about it. Is there anything in particular you'd like?"

The blue hedgehog shrugged. "Nah, whatever you want to make is great."

Tom finally finished his inspection of the fridge and snatched a beer. He took a swig, then pointed to Sonic. "How about you pick tonight? Anything you want. Name it."

The boy shook his head. "I'm good with anything, really."

"Oh come on," Tom said, leaning against the counter. "There's gotta be something you've always wanted to try. Fess up."

A feeling of unease appeared in Sonic's chest. Why was this so important? "Really, whatever you guys want is fine with me. It's your house."

Tom and Maddie both gave a little sigh as they exchanged a glance. Sonic didn't care for it much. Fear started circling in his belly.

"Sonic," Tom said, placing his beer on the counter. "How many times do we have to tell you that it's your house too? That we want you to feel safe and comfortable here?"

He flicked his eyes between the two adults. His chest felt tight. Were they angry with him? It kind of felt that way. Why? Because he didn't have any suggestions for supper? What difference did it make what he wanted?

"Hey, did I say I didn't feel safe? I totally feel safe, yep, nice and safe in this house with my stuff and you guys and the food and TV and the great bed you gave me and the trips watching baseball games and all the attention and company why would I not feel safe?"

As he spoke his voice sped up and by the end he was barely leaving space between the words.

They were looking at him, faces full of worry. Probably wondering if he'd start sparking and end up blowing the wiring in the house again. That had cost a lot of money to repair, all because he had had a nightmare and gotten upset in his sleep. So between the nightmares themselves—which often brought them running if he cried out—and his unintentional sparking during them, he was causing problems even when he was asleep.

Every day he wondered when they would realize their mistake and tell him he had to move back to his cave. When he said the wrong thing, or caused them more headaches and expense. He simply couldn't understand why they would ruin their perfectly good lives just to include him in them.

Because when it came right down to it, he was nothing but trouble. The government would likely always be on the lookout for him, he caused damage to their home, and interrupted their otherwise calm and uneventful lives.

They were wonderful people who had helped him and taken him in. But even wonderful people had limits to their patience.

"Whoa bud," Tom soothed, moving closer to Sonic. "Breathe, will ya? We're not angry at you."

Sonic furrowed his brow. "You're . . . you're not?"

"Of course not, sweetie," Maddie said, moving to the other side of the hedgehog. "Why would we be mad?"

"Because I don't have anything I want for supper?" Even to his own ears it sounded silly.

"Honey, we're not mad," Maddie said, going to her knees to look Sonic in the eyes. "I think," she glanced at Tom, "that we're more frustrated because it sometimes seems like you aren't comfortable here."

The tightening in Sonic's chest worsened. Frustrated? Wasn't that just another way of saying annoyed?

He forced his face into a crooked smile. "Wh-what? That's ridiculous. Not comfortable? Here? Pfft. As if." His mouth kept moving. "I mean, why would I not be comfortable? You guys have done so so so much for me these past two months and I've done nothing but keep you up at night and ruin your wiring and mess up your lives! Why wouldn't I be comfortable?"

Tom placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Sonic, calm down."

And still, Sonic's mouth kept moving. "You ask me what I want to eat and I know I'm supposed to tell you some food that's always been my favorite or something but I can't because I don't know! I've never had a hot meal before I came here and most of what I ate on my own was from the trash or leftovers from restaurants. Do you know what cold leftover trash tastes like? Spoiler alert, not great!"

Maddie took Sonic's hand into hers. "Sweetie, breathe. Please."

He yanked his hand back and stepped away from them. Their touch suddenly felt like daggers in his skin, and their compassion confused and frightened him.

"Why is this so hard?" he said, mostly to himself. "This is all I've ever wanted, all I've ever dreamed of, so why is this so hard? Why does it feel wrong? For years I've come here, watching you and pretending we were some family, and now I'm here, I'm really here, and it's wonderful and terrifying and I know you're trying and I'm trying but it's so hard and confusing and I don't know how to do this and I miss Longclaw so much and I'm messing it all up!"

Without giving them a chance to respond, Sonic turned on his heel and zipped upstairs.

X~X~X

"Sonic!" Tom called as he yanked the attic stairs down. He used a little too much force and they slammed into the hallway floor with a bang. He was up them in a second, Maddie hot on his heels. "Sonic!"

"The window's open," Maddie said, hurrying over. She looked outside before scanning the room. "I don't see his backpack."

Tom searched the bottom drawer of the night stand. "His rings are gone too." He ran a hand through his hair. "Damnit."

They stood still for a few seconds, the reality of the situation sinking in. Sonic had a habit of running when things got too much for him, and had done so multiple times since he moved in. It was a big adjustment to go from 'secret stalker' to 'welcome guest' in such a short period of time. Whenever things scared or confused him, he'd run, but usually returned calmer and more willing to talk relatively quickly.

This time felt different. He'd never taken his backpack or rings before.

Tom moved to the open window and scanned the nearby woods. Not a tinge of blue anywhere. He leaned out and called the boy's name, twice, before pulling himself back inside.

"I'm gonna call Wade," he finally said, fishing his phone from his pocket. "We'll get a search party and start looking-"

"Do you really think that will do any good?" Maddie asked quietly, sitting on Sonic's bed. "He could be halfway to Canada by now."

Tom gave his wife a look that was half confusion, half disbelief. "We have to do something! He's gone and just sitting around here isn't going to bring him back!"

The woman on the bed didn't respond. She noticed a lump under the bed covers and pulled them back. It was a large stuffed owl. She pulled it out and stared at it, stroking its soft plush fur with a thumb.

"This was the only thing he's ever asked for," she said softly. "The entire time he's been with us, this is the only thing he specifically wanted."

Tom stood watching her for a moment, before heaving a sigh and putting his phone back into his pocket. She was right, of course. Sonic could be anywhere by now. A freaked out lightning fast hedgehog could cover miles in seconds. He may not even be in the state anymore.

He moved to the bed and sat down behind her.

"We were at Walmart," she said, her voice soft. "There was a big plushie display near the toy section, and this was near the top. He saw it and stopped. He'd been yakking up a storm before that, you know, like he does, but when he saw this, he just . . . stopped. I asked if he was okay. He just kind of pointed to it and asked if he could have it."

"I've never noticed it. How long's he had it?"

She shrugged. "A little over a month, I think. He made me promise not to tell you."

"Why?"

She shrugged again. "Because he's twelve and thinks plushies are for little kids? I don't know. I asked him why an owl and he wouldn't answer."

"Yeah," Tom said with a sigh. "That kid's more questions than answers, isn't he?" He shook his head. "I don't get why he's so secretive about this stuff."

Maddie was quiet for a long moment. "Because he's protecting himself."

"From what? He knows we wouldn't hurt him."

She shook her head, hugging the owl to her. Turning to face him, she sat at the head of the bed, legs crossed. "Try to look at it through his eyes, Tom. His whole life he's been in hiding, living in the shadows. If he showed himself, if he got too close to anyone, he'd be in danger. Long-term isolation can have a serious impact on a person's mental state. And who knows what trauma brought him here to begin with."

"How do you know it was a trauma?"

"Because I never got the feeling his arrival here was planned or intentional. Something happened where he originally came from, and he was essentially tossed into a new world with no help. I think . . ." She paused, her voice going soft. "I think he's always been alone. At least on this planet."

Tom sat quiet, letting this run through his mind. Sonic was extremely tight-lipped about his past, and always tried to change the subject with a flippant, sarcastic remark when questioned about it. The boy wore a smile almost all day, but then had terrible nightmares most nights.

His high-energy 'lust for life' attitude was a coping mechanism. Can't feel bad about your past if you just ignore it, right?

The realization made Tom feel a little dizzy. How could he have missed that?

"He put up walls to protect himself," Maddie said, her voice quiet. "They kept him safe and focused on the moment. He convinced himself he wasn't alone because he was visiting us. It was safe. He could imagine whatever he wanted for this pretend family in his head."

"But now he's actually here," Tom said, putting the pieces together. "And it's not exactly what he thought it was." He paused. "Or what he thought he wanted."

"I think he still wants it, he just doesn't know how to ask for it."

"Or what to ask for."

Maddie nodded. "This is new territory for him. Us too, when you think about it. But we know what families are supposed to be, and how they're supposed to interact. He doesn't. He's watched through windows but doesn't really get the give and take aspect of inter-personal relationships. He doesn't understand how to actually be in a family."

"So," Tom said, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. "Was there something we should have been doing? To help him understand?"

Maddie shook her head. "I've read a dozen books on kids with trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and attachment problems. The message mostly boils down to 'be available, but don't push.' 'Give them love, but don't smother.' That's what I've been trying to do, but whenever it looks like he might be reaching out, it's like he catches himself and those walls go right back up."

"I've seen that. There were a few times he really looked like he wanted to go to you, but he never would."

She nodded. "I thought we'd had the first step about a week ago while you worked night shift. He came downstairs and sat with me. And even though he looked scared, he moved closer to snuggle up against me."

Tom smiled. "I remember. I came home and found you two asleep on the couch, cuddling. I got a picture." He pulled his phone out and scrolled through to find it. "See?"

"Thomas Wachowski, you never showed me that!" she said, smiling. "Send it to me."

He pulled up his texting app and made a few taps. "Sent."

She sat quiet for a moment. "You have a lot more photos of him than I do. He's so comfortable with you."

Tom shrugged. "It's only because I was here and helped him. If you were here instead he would have bonded with you."

She shook her head. "I don't think so. He adores you."

He uttered a short laugh. "No, he idolizes me. There's a difference."

"What do you mean?"

"I feel like when he looks at me, he sees Donut Lord, the guy he watched from afar as he skulked around town. Larger-than-life. Action hero-y. The guy who punched Robotnik and risked everything to help him."

"Like his own personal Keanu."

"Yeah, something like that," Tom said, nodding. "It's . . . a lot to live up to. I feel like at any moment I'll let him down somehow. That he'll see I'm just Tom, and not some super important guy who's got all the answers or is brave all the time." He paused. "Because I gotta tell ya, I look at him and the thought of something happening to him just scares the crap out of me." He looked out the window. "Like now."

She followed his gaze and hugged the owl tight. "I shouldn't have said we were frustrated."

He looked back. "What?"

"In the kitchen," she said, her voice dropping. "I told him we were frustrated he didn't seem comfortable here. I shouldn't have said that. It sounded like I was saying we were impatient or angry at him. I made it worse."

"Maddie, it's not your fault," Tom said, curling an arm around her shoulders. "If anything I'm the one who pushed him to pick supper. That seemed to start all this."

"Trash," she whispered, closing her eyes tightly. "Did you hear him? He ate trash for most of his life! Why didn't that occur to me? I thought about him living alone in a cave but I didn't consider what he was eating in all that time?"

Tom reached for her and hugged her tightly to him. She cried into his shoulder, her soft sobs shaking her entire body. He stroked her hair and offered soothing sounds.

In truth, he didn't know what to say in response. Mostly because it had never occurred to him how Sonic ate, either. It was just one of those things you didn't think about because it was too hard, like what happened when he got sick, or how did he stay warm during the cold Montana winters. There are some things that your mind simply refused to think about.

Because the mental image of a young, lonely hedgehog, shivering, cold and ill in a damp cave, and picking through trash to sustain himself made Tom's heart hurt.

"I want to give him so much," Maddie said, pulling back and wiping her eyes. "Everything. I want to hug him and kiss him and make him feel safe and loved. I want to see his smile, that beautiful, bright, happy smile on his little peach fuzz covered face. I want him to understand what it's like to be loved and in a family that cares about him. Damnit, I want him to reach for me—really reach for me—and not jerk away when I reach back." She paused, a small smile on her lips. "And I want to give him all the love and attention he deserves without feeling terrified to do so."

Tom gave her a confused look. "Terrified?"

"Maybe he's not the only one with walls," she sighed, looking at the owl in her lap. "I've read the books, Tom. I know how delicate a kid's psyche and mental health can be in the best of circumstances, let alone with the various issues Sonic is dealing with. And I know how much damage can be done if it's not handled right. I am absolutely terrified that in trying to help him, I'll just make things worse. That I'll wait so long to let him make the first move he'll decide it's not worth the trouble." Her face pinched. "Or think I don't care."

"He knows you care," Tom said quietly, stroking her hair. "You show him in a hundred ways. I like to think we both do. But you're right, it's gotta be hard for him. Being in a home with people who care about him. Not having to hide anymore. It's an adjustment. He's sorting through it."

She shook her head. "He doesn't have to do it alone, though. He can talk to us. But it just seems like he's building more walls."

Tom sat quietly for a moment, looking out the window. A soft breeze blew in, fluttering the curtains slightly. Night was falling, the crickets and frogs outside starting their nightly symphony.

"Come back home, bud," he said, pulling Maddie to rest her head on his shoulder. "Please."

They sat quietly for a few moments, thinking their own thoughts. Maddie hugged the owl to her tightly, and Tom rubbed a hand up and down her back. He watched as fireflies flickered to life outside, flashing their secret messages to each other in the cooling air.

He felt so helpless. In any other circumstance, if this were any other kid, he would have been at the station, organizing search parties, and barking orders to get the kid found and home asap. He wouldn't rest until the job was done.

But this wasn't any other kid. This was HIS kid. A kid who could run faster than sound, and knew the forested area around Green Hills like the back of his hand. There was absolutely no way Sonic would be found unless he wanted to be.

The sheriff rubbed a hand over his face. Maddie uttered a shaky sigh, huddling closer to him.

A soft shuffling from the far corner of the attic drew Tom's attention, and he turned to see a small furry ball roll out of the shadows and uncurl itself. Sonic stood, staring at the floor and pulling his fists to his chest. His backpack sat on the floor behind him, hidden in the corner he had come from.

He stood like that for a few seconds, as the couple on the bed looked on in silent shock.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice nothing more than a harsh whisper. "I'm sorry I freaked out downstairs. And ran off. And worried you guys."

"Sonic," Maddie said, almost as softly. She dropped the owl on his pillow and shifted position to sit on the edge of the bed. Her muscles were tense, almost vibrating. "We thought you ran away."

The boy shuffled closer. "I almost did. I had one leg outside the window when I heard you guys coming."

"What stopped you?"

He shrugged. "I . . . don't know." He stopped a few feet away from the bed. "I just couldn't go."

Tom stood and moved before the boy, kneeling to come eye level with him. He had never felt such a mixture of fear and relief before in his life. "You really had us worried. If you had run off, there'd be no way for us to find you."

The hedgehog looked up, his eyes shiny. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm messing everything up so bad."

"Sonic, there's no manual for this," Tom said, gesturing to the three of them. "It's new to all of us. We're all gonna make mistakes as we figure it out."

"And the best way to learn from mistakes is to talk about them," Maddie said as she joined her boys. "Figure out where things went wrong, and what we can do to do better next time."

"Sounds hard," Sonic said, brow furrowing.

Tom smiled. "Most worthwhile things in life are."

Sonic returned the smile and Tom placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Beside him, Maddie got to her feet.

"I'll just leave you two to have a little heart-to-heart," she said, moving back toward the attic stairs.

The hedgehog moved before Tom had a chance to register it.

"Wait!" Sonic grabbed Maddie's hand before she could leave. "I want you to stay."

Maddie tilted her head. "Really?"

The boy nodded. "No more walls," he said quietly, pulling her back to sit down on the bed. "No more running away. I'm tired of being afraid. I want to tell you guys about . . . well, before."

X~X~X

Once Sonic started talking, he found he couldn't stop. He told them of his original home, the beautiful island with waterfalls and beaches and loop-de-loops and lots of room to run. He told them of Longclaw, his guardian and surrogate mother. He told them the stories of her past adventures, and how she had told him how special his gift was. How dangerous it could be in the wrong hands.

He told them how she had taught him how to tell the difference between a good plant and one that would make you itch or sick or even die. How she had showed him how to find shelter and clean water. Showed him how to survive, through childlike games and stories.

He told them how she had played with him. Hide and seek, races (which he sometimes let her win), and how she would let him climb on her back and they would fly together, looking down on their island home below. And at night, she would scoop him up in her giant wings and hold him close to her. He would snuggle into the downy feathers of her chest, and fall asleep with her heartbeat in his ear.

He grew quiet at this point, his eyes far away. Maddie handed him the stuffed owl, and he stared at it for a long moment.

"I've never felt anything as soft since then," he said, running a thumb over the chest of the plush. A tear leaked from the corner of his eye. "She made me feel so safe."

"Sounds like she really loved you," Maddie said, her voice soft.

Sonic nodded slowly. "Yeah." His brow furrowed. "Maybe she shouldn't have."

And then it came time to tell of Longclaw's last sacrifice for him. How the echidna warriors had found them, thanks to his foolishness. How they had followed him and attacked, injuring Longclaw as the two of them tried to escape. The ring. The warning. The final words as the ring closed, the echidnas closing in on a downed and injured owl.

Words spent and heart aching, Sonic sat on his bed in silence. Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady sat in front of him, watching. He couldn't look at them. He stared at the owl plush in his hands. It didn't look exactly like Longclaw, there was too much white in the feathers, but it was close enough. Remembering had been painful, and talking about it made it feel like it really happened. For a long time he had tried to convince himself that life before Earth had been a dream.

He saw the couple exchange a glance. Would they throw him out now? They've already seen what trouble he was—the whole Robotnik fiasco had ruined their home, truck, and Main Street—so hearing that he had actually caused the death of someone who had cared for him would likely be the final straw. They were nice people, so they'd probably give him time to move his stuff back out before—

"How old were you?"

Maddie's question startled him out of his thoughts and he looked up. "What?"

"How old were you when you first came here?" she asked again. "When Longclaw sent you through the ring?"

He blinked. He'd never thought about it. "I'm not really sure. Two? Three? Something like that." Maddie's eyes went wide and the couple exchanged another look. "What?"

"You were just a baby," she said, holding a hand to her mouth. "Oh my God."

"Was that bad?" Sonic asked, fear overtaking the pain. "I don't understand."

"Sonic, you were just a little kid," Tom said, leaning forward. "What happened was not your fault."

The hedgehog shook his head. "If I hadn't run all over the island like that, then those echidnas wouldn't have followed me and Longclaw wouldn't be dead right now."

Tom shook his head. "Bud, if baby you was anything like you you, those warriors wouldn't have had a chance in hell in following you. Maybe it wasn't you they were after."

"But Longclaw said-"

"She was probably right in that people would want that gift of yours. Look what happened with that Robotnik freak. But you said Longclaw was a warrior, too. Maybe there was some deeper beef between the echidnas and owls."

Sonic furrowed his brow. "She never said anything about-"

"Would she, though? That's not exactly something you'd tell a toddler."

"I always thought they were after me . . ."

"But you could be wrong," Tom said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "They could have been after you, but they also could have been after Longclaw herself. She chose to protect you instead of just fighting for her own life or running away. That's very brave."

"But if I hadn't been there-"

"She did what she felt she had to do."

"I could have-"

"You were a kid, there was nothing you could do."

"My power-"

"Is amazing but you don't know if it would have helped. You could have been killed too."

"Yeah, but she's still DEAD!" The hedgehog slapped Tom's hand away and stood on the bed, his hands curled into fists. What difference did it make if the echidna were there for him or her? The end result was the same. "If she didn't try to protect me, if I wasn't such a distraction for her, maybe she'd still be alive right now. It's my fault she's gone! It's my fault everything's messed up for you guys! All I do is mess things up! Yeah, I've got this power, but what good is it if everyone I get close to is in danger because of it? She died, you almost died, and now the government knows I'm here. Do you think they're going to just stop looking for me? Do you think I'm safe? That you're safe? I'm a danger to everyone and shouldn't be here!"

Tom and Maddie stared at him with wide eyes. They slid off the bed and moved backwards, toward the attic stairs. Sonic wasn't sure why until he noticed the lights in the attic were flickering. He gasped and looked down to find himself sparking.

"Oh no," he muttered, clenching and unclenching his fists. "No no no no no! Not again!"

"You gotta calm down, bud," Tom called, his voice low and calm. "Take deep breaths."

Sonic tried, but in his current agitated state they came faster and he was in real danger of hyperventilating. "It's not working! You need to get out of here!"

Tom grabbed Maddie's hand and half turned to pull her down the stairs when she yanked out of his grip. She turned toward Sonic, her hands held out in front of her.

"Sonic, I want you to just listen to my voice," she soothed, moving slowly toward him. "Don't think, just listen."

"Maddie, I don't want to hurt you," the boy whimpered, holding his fists close to his chest. His quills sparked, blowing out his bedside lamp. His eyes burned bright blue. "Please, just go!"

"I'm not leaving while you're like this," she said, moving closer. "Just listen. Remember the first time you came up here and saw that this was your room? Remember how happy you were? How excited you were about the first night in your new bed?"

Sonic's lips curled into a half smile. "Y-yeah. That was really great."

Maddie nodded, inching closer. "It was. I was so happy to have you here, safe and warm. I always worried about you out in that cave."

"You did?"

She nodded again, nearing the bed. "You, little man, caused us quite a few sleepless nights as we figured out a way to turn this junk filled attic into a place you could call home."

"Home?" His body posture relaxed slightly. The sparks were fading.

"Well, we're not exactly a hotel," she said with a smile. She was just a few feet from him now. "There's no pool, but I do provide a halfway decent breakfast, if I do say so myself."

He smiled. "You do make a mean waffle."

She dipped in a stage curtsy. "My specialty." She held out her hand. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. What do you say we head downstairs and stuff our faces with something fattening and delicious?"

Sonic looked at her hand for a long few seconds, before reaching out and taking it. The last of the sparks in his quills snuffed out, and his eyes flickered back to green.

"You're amazing and I don't deserve you," Tom whispered as she and Sonic moved toward the stairs.

Maddie smiled. "Right on both counts," she said as he kissed her cheek. "I think we'll all feel better once we fill our bellies." She looked down at Sonic, who still held her hand. "Right, blue boy?"

The hedgehog looked back up with a smile. "Yes, ma'am."

X~X~X

"For the time being, let's just focus on you being on Earth," Tom said as the three sat around the dinner table. They had tossed a frozen pizza in the oven, and now set to work on demolishing it as quickly as possible.

"Okay," Sonic said, tossing the crust from his first slice in his mouth. "What about it?"

"Longclaw sent you here to be safe. And judging by the fact that we haven't heard about some invasion by echidna warriors, it looks like you seem to be safe from them at least."

"I guess." He reached for another slice.

"Don't you think Longclaw would be happy about that?"

Sonic thought about this as he chewed through his pizza. "I guess so. But she said there would always be someone who wants my power."

Tom nodded. "And she's right, because there are always going to be bad people who want something powerful. Usually for selfish reasons."

"So, I'm not safe."

"If you want to get really technical, no one is really completely safe," Tom said with a shrug. "I could step off the curb tomorrow and get plowed over by a bus. Someone could kick down our door right now and-"

"Thomas," Maddie said with a stern look. She flicked her eyes at Sonic, who had gone wide-eyed, his ears flattened against his head. "Skip ahead to the point, you ninny."

"Right. Sorry, pal." Tom dropped the slice he was eating and gave the boy a kind look. "The point I'm trying to make is hiding away isn't a life. Being alone doesn't make you any safer than being surrounded by people who care about you."

"There's safety in numbers, you know," Maddie said, wiping her hands with a paper towel. "We promise to do everything in our power to keep you safe."

Sonic's brow furrowed as he considered this. He put his half-eaten pizza on the paper plate in front of him.

"What if I'm the one who's a danger?" he asked, his voice quiet. "Upstairs, I nearly-"

"But you didn't," Tom said, his voice soft and kind. "You pulled it back. You'll learn how to control it. We'll do whatever we can to help you work on it."

The hedgehog sat quietly for a moment, his hands curling to his chest. "Are you sure I'm not too much trouble?"

"Never," Maddie said, running a gentle hand down his quills. "You will never in a million years be too much trouble. And we will always do everything we can to keep you safe."

"Absolutely," Tom added with a smile. "Because family sticks together. No matter what."

The boy's eyes grew wide. "Family?"

Tom and Maddie exchanged a look. Had he really not realized that's how they saw him?

"'Course, bud," Tom said, resting a hand on Sonic's head. "You're an honorary Wachowski now. Didn't you know that?"

The boy's large green eyes grew shiny as he looked between the couple sitting beside him. "You . . . you want to be my family?"

Maddie placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "Yes, sweetie. We love you."

Tears trickled down the hedgehog's cheeks, and he bit his lip. "Thank you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you guys so, so much."

Tom blinked away the tears that threatened. "You're welcome, little guy," he said, giving the boy a one-armed side hug. "But no more worrying about messing things up or not belonging or any of that other stuff, okay? From now on, just come to us if you're feeling worried or unsure about anything. I guarantee we'll work it out."

Sonic nodded, a small smile on his lips. "Okay. I'll try to be better about that."

"Good."

The boy turned to Maddie. He offered her a shy smile. "No more walls?" he said, holding his arms out.

The woman smiled as tears rolled down her cheeks. She nodded. "No more walls," she said, lifting him into her arms for a tight hug. "From now on there'll be hugs and kisses on demand. No line, no waiting! Whenever you want."

"Hey," Tom called, fake annoyance in his voice. "What if I want one?"

"Sonic gets first dibs," his wife said, squeezing the boy tighter. "Always!"

"Oh," the boy called, laughing. "Donut Lord gets knocked to number two! That's gotta hurt!"

The sheriff slapped a hand to his chest. "My wife, swept away by a younger man!"

"I just can't resist those big green eyes," Maddie said, giving the boy a loud kiss right between them. "My weakness."

"Stop!" Sonic cried, laughing. "Too mushy! Gross!"

The woman laughed as she let the hedgehog go, giving his head a quick stroke as she stood. "I don't know about you boys, but I feel like ice cream."

"Is there any rocky road left?" Sonic called, spinning in his seat to sit backwards.

"Maybe," she said, digging in the freezer. "Finish your pizza and we'll have some."

The boy spun back around and shoved the rest of his slice into his mouth. "Done!" he called around the half-chewed food.

"You are not," she said, cocking an eyebrow at him. "Chew that right. My goodness."

"Geez, what a stickler," Tom side-whispered. "It's like she doesn't want you to choke or something."

Sonic chuckled as he chewed, and he noticed he felt lighter. Like a weight had disappeared from his heart.

X~X~X

Later that night, after the bazillionth viewing of Speed, Sonic feel asleep leaning against Tom. He awoke, barely, as the man lifted and carried him up to his bed.

"I'm glad he finally felt comfortable enough to open up to us," he heard Maddie say, her voice low. "And I'm so relieved he didn't run off."

"Me too," Tom said, cradling Sonic against his chest. "On both counts."

Sonic smiled, a warmth spreading in his chest. Maybe having a home wasn't as complicated as he was making it out to be. Maybe having a family wasn't that difficult. You just had to find the right one.