Hey, all! I'm back at it with a good amount of hurt/comfort. The biggest thing about this fic that I should inform you of is that it contains a lot of my personal headcanons. This is also cross-posted on ao3.

For one, I think that Tails' does, in fact, have a family. There are different storylines based off different games and tv shows, so I just kind of granted myself permission to do whatever the heck I pleased. This does not mean that he doesn't view Sonic as his family. Most of the people I consider family are not blood related. Same deal. You'll see in later chapters. Two, Knuckles is the last of his kind in terms of Echidna Warriors from his tribe. But he's not the last echidna ever. There's a few games that have more echidnas in them, so again, I kind of adopted that. Also, it doesn't make sense for the entire echidna clan to go fight Longclaw and leave a child behind, alone. That would not be logical, lol. So there's more. Three, Sonic isn't allowed sugar in the morning. This is based off personal experience, lol. There's more within, but those are the top ones, I suppose. The idea for this fic has been itching my brain for weeks.

I hope you guys enjoy!

In which he decides to go

A few weeks had passed since the devastating battle against Robotnik. In those weeks, the government paid for their house renovations in return for their silence, and Olive Garden guy even talked about a monthly expenditure if they were to continue to house the three aliens. He, very humbly, admitted that their defenses were no match for the alien forces they'd encountered as of late, and decided that the three little alien creatures currently on earth posed no threat to them. So it might be nice to have them around.

He'd decided this all very quickly after a good verbal thrashing from a very pissed off Maddie Wachowski, and a very protective Thomas Wachowski.

Even Knuckles commented on their lionhearted ferocity when speaking to him, and how they do their names proud. The Blue Blur had laughed.

But now the house was fixed. The yard was still a little rough, but that was a project for this weekend. Also, the shed that Tails had rammed the squad car into had to be rebuilt. The little fox had felt terribly guilty about it, but Tom had barely batted an eye. What was important was that they were all safe now.

The pizzas had arrived just a few minutes ago. One meat lover, one veggie, and one supreme. Oh, and three orders of crazy bread, and dipping sauces which Sonic had insisted on. The Sheriff just shook his head, smiled softly, and added the dipping sauces to their online cart.

Knuckles had been amazed by the simple Italian food, saying how genius it was to combine the ingredients in such a tasteful way. He wanted to thank Mr. Caesar himself as Maddie helped him wipe tomato sauce and grease from his crimson fur. Sonic doubled over in laughter, trying to figure out how to explain corporations and fast food to him. Tails' eyebrow was cocked in confusion, but he giggled as the hedgehog struggled to catch his breath.

Maddie looked at her husband, who had the biggest, goofiest, most proud grin on his face as he watched the three interact, and it made her own heart swell with pride. They'd never wanted kids, really. It wasn't a hard no, but they also never had the desire. And now they couldn't imagine their life without Sonic. Who now had friends of his own to grow up with.

Tom had told her how Sonic... How he'd finally called him "dad" and how he'd had to hold back joyous tears hours later as he meditated on it. After the rocky few weeks they'd had with the hedgehog while he'd tried to become a real life Batman, it meant everything. Things seemed okay now.

"Oh, Sonic!" Tails called. "How many rings do you have left?"

The hedgehog tilted his head, ears tilting towards him. "Um. I think I have two left upstairs for emergencies. The others I lost in Siberia. Why?"

Knuckles curled his paw into a fist, lifting his chin. "I only have a few left as well, as does the fox."

"Okay?"

"Knuckles and I were talking before about how we'll probably need to get more, just in case. And I'd like to get some stuff from home if I'm going to be staying here." His cheeks instantly flushed red and his voice went up a pitch or two as his eyes snapped between Tom and Maddie. His ears snapped back with embaressment. "I mean—I'm not... Not trying to imply—"

Sonic's gaze softened as he glanced between his parents and the vulpine. They looked at him curiously, and when he gave them a simple nod, Maddie reached forward and snatched Tails around the waist, pulling him against her as he giggled.

"You're more than welcome, Tails," she said happily.

Tom nudged the echidna with his elbow. "You're welcome to stay too, Knuckles."

The teen let his eyes close, releasing a silent breath. When he opened them, there was a small grin on his face, and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Thank you, Lord of Donuts. Lady of Pretzels. In that case, there are a few belongings I would like to gather as well."

"And I should probably let my parents know I'm okay," Tails added.

Sonic, who'd been laying on his back on the floor, sat up suddenly, brow furrowed. Before he could say anything, the echidna spoke.

"And I should let my village know that I... That we were victorious in our quest." He smiled proudly, balling his fist at his side. He looked over at his friend. "Did you want to come, hedgehog?"

Sonic scratched his head, brushing his left ear. He knew what Knuckles was going to ask. He knew it'd been coming since they'd talked about getting more rings. He didn't really think he'd be asked though. "I, um. I... What planet are you from, Tails?"

"Mobius? Same as you."

Damn.

He folded his hands behind his head with his gaze fixed firmly on the ceiling. He kept his features carefully schooled, hiding the anxiety and panic rolling deep within him. "Sure, we'll see."

"Then it is settled," Knuckles grinned. "We shall go at dawn!"

Tails flicked both his tails in excitement, and he lifted off the ground a few inches. "Yes! But maybe not... maybe not dawn?"

The echidna gave a hearty laugh. "Right. Of course."

The room was becoming entirely too warm for Sonic. And his heart was beating much faster than its normal speed. He stood up, trying to be casual, and started flipping the old pizza boxes shut, gathering the trash. "I'm gonna take these okay before Ozzie eats everything."

Tom glanced at his wife, lips in a firm line. He had the grace not to mention that Ozzie was sleeping in the other room. She cocked her eyebrow, tilting her head minutely towards their blue devil. He groaned as he climbed to his feet. "I'll help!"

He's sure he imagined Sonic's ears falling. Tails and Knuckles seemed oblivious as they talked about their home planet. Maddie joined in, asking questions to distract while Tom helped carry the empty boxes and bags and dipping sauce containers into the kitchen. They worked silently and ended up with two full bags of trash.

"One for each of us," Tom said. He grabbed one bag before Sonic could protest, and pushed the screen door open.

The hedgehog huffed and took a deep breath, willing his quills to settle. He threw the garbage bag over his shoulder and started after the Sheriff of Green Hills. It took only a few seconds to walk to the bins, and they gave a twang as the pair dropped their bags.

Sonic knew it was coming. He knew before Tom made sure the lid was securely on, before the Lord of Donuts put one hand on his hip, and before he looked at him with open concern, half of his mouth pulled in a worried frown.

"You doing okay, bud?"

Sonic didn't meet his eyes. "Fine. I'm gonna go for a quick run, 'kay?"

"Sure, bud. But…" Tom kneeled down in front of him and put a firm hand on his shoulder. "Hey…"

The blue blue curled his toes in his sneakers, biting his tongue. Tentatively, he met Tom's eyes. The knot in his chest loosened just a little bit at the compassion in his eyes, the genuine care.

"You know Maddie and I are here if you ever need to talk, right?"

Sonic grabbed his left forearm with his right glove, giving his arm a quick squeeze before ruffling his fur. He offered the Sheriff a small smile. "I know. Thanks, dad."

The young hedgehog gave him one last grin before dashing off before Tom could say anything else mushy. The pressure on Sonic's chest had loosened slightly while talking with his favorite human, but it quickly returned while he sped over the mountains of Green Hills, heading east.

Cerulean streaks followed his every footstep, flowing through the lush forest he found himself in. He couldn't feel his quills raise slightly and didn't notice as they started glowing.

His heart ached. Sonic felt like he couldn't breath, despite the fact that his breaths were coming in short, shallow gasps as he picked up his speed.

Mobius

He knew Knuckles had to be from Angel Island. After all, it was his clan that had attacked him and Longclaw that terrible day. But Tails too? He thought he might catch a break. No such luck. And of course they asked him to come.

Longclaw had more or less ordered him not to come back. He'd already disobeyed her by not staying hidden like she'd wanted him to. He was so stupid. Awful. Disrespectful. Sonic had thought about going back. He'd wanted to go back to Longclaw more than anything. During snowstorms when his cave was too cold to stay in, he had to break into the Wachowski's attic and use spare blankets to keep himself warm. During summer storms when his cave would flood and he'd have to throw his beanbag on top of the dryer and sleep curled up. Every time the guilt haunted him, keeping him from stealing food so he'd rummage through the restaurant garbage for leftovers. Every time he was lonely…

But Longclaw had sacrificed everything for him.

"I can't ignore her again," he said to himself.

Panic and heartache coursed through him, self loathing pushing him faster and faster. He couldn't go back. He couldn't. But he also couldn't bring himself to express why. Just the thought of going back made him…

He was running through a city. He didn't know where he was, but glass skyscrapers lined the four lane road. He dipped and weaved through traffic like an expert, but the young hedgehog took a small glance to his left and suddenly saw his glowing reflection. His feet stopped in surprise, and it took some careful footwork not to get run over by a honking taxi.

"No!" He ran into an alley, blue electricity jumping between his quills and brightening the dark space. "Please, no, no, no, no."

Sonic hastily brushed his quills down, trying and failing to take deep, concentrated breaths like Maddie had taught him to.

"Please."

He didn't realize he was running again until he was back in the forest. More mountains. Green Hills. Tom's house. His home. The lights were dark in the kitchen. There was a light on in the attic. Tom and Maddie's light was on. The desperate teen rushed through the kitchen, up the stairs, and stopped at the foot of their bed, hot tears welling in his eyes as more lightening danced between his quills.

No. He shouldn't have come here. Idiot. What if they got hurt?

Maddie had become attuned to him appearing out of nowhere, but the book she'd been reading in bed was still thrown into the air in surprise. The electrified hedgehog watched it fly and reached for it out of habit, accidentally sending out a bolt and frying the book's cover.

"Sonic?"

"I'm sorry. Oh my god, I'm sorry. I shouldn't…"

"Baby, hey." She flung the blankets aside and rushed to kneel in front of him. "Tom! Come here!" Maddie turned her attention back to Sonic, looking him squarely in the eye. "Breath with me, okay? In through the nose, out through the mouth."

The hedgehog wasn't sure where Tom came from, but he was soon right beside his wonderful wife, breathing in tune. Purposeful. Deep. Calming.

It only took a minute or two, and the cobalt light that had been dancing around their room dissipated. Sonic was shaking, still too focused on his breathing to realize. But the lightening was gone, so Maddie grabbed her boy and pulled him close. Tom was on his other side, brushing his quills down.

Sonic was trying his hardest not to cry. He'd already ruined family night by getting emotional and running off, had almost caused another blackout in whatever city he'd been in, and then risked his family's life by bringing his stupid electricity with him.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. "I'm so dumb. I shouldn't—I wasn't thinking—"

"Shh. It's okay, blue," Maddie whispered. "You're safe. We're right here…"

Sonic all but collapsed against her, his knees finally giving out as the adrenaline left his system. The vet took all of his weight, gently rocking him in her arms until his breathing evened out and his lithe body stopped shaking so much.

"You okay, bud?"

Maddie gently pulled Sonic from her, her hands cupping both sides of his face. "Baby?"

Sonic sniffed. "I'm okay."

Donut Lord gently scratched beside his ear, earring him a contented sigh as Sonic leaned into the comforting touch. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"You don't have to if—"

"No, I—I want to. I… It's just hard to explain."

Tom slowly got to his feet. "Take a second to think about it," he said with a sly grin. "I'll be right back."

As the Sheriff raced out of the room, Maddie stood and guided the hedgehog to the bed. Maddie shuffled into her spot, with Sonic leaning against her in the middle of the bed. She carefully stroked his quills and scratched his fur, humming all the while. Tom returned a few moments later, juggling three bowls in his muscled arms. The vet laughed lightly and took two bowls out of arms, handing one very full bowl of ice cream to their blue boy.

They ate in relative silence, save some humming and reassuring words. Tom squished on Sonic's other side, ruffling his fur. The hedgehog's ice cream was only half gone when his eyes welled with tears. The adrenaline of his inner demons, panic from the lightening, the crash of emotions bundled within him... the roller coaster was taking its toll. Maddie looked sadly at her husband.

Tom put a careful hand around the boy, setting his bowl on the bed. "Is it the rings?"

Sonic shook his head.

"Mobius?"

A nod.

Maddie hit the nail dead on when she said, "You haven't been there since Longclaw…"

The hedgehog sniffed and rubbed his nose. "Right."

"You don't have to go, baby."

Tom ran a hand down his dark quills. "Yeah, stay with us. We'll do something fun or something until the boys get back. I'm sure it won't take long."

"No, no, I…" The hedgehog paused and leaned his head against Donut Lord's strong arm. "I… I think I want to go. See everything again. Get some stuff. But, um.. Would you guys…" He ducked his head and closed his eyes.

Above him, Tom and Maddie shared a small look and a small smile.

"We'd love to come, bud."

"Of course we'll come, honey."

Sonic sighed, snuggling closer. "Thank you. So much."

"You can show us around," Tom said, nudging his arm. "I've never been to another planet."

Maddie's eyes suddenly grew wide, and she slapped her husband's arm out of excitement. "A new planet!" The hedgehog started laughing as she started squirming in place. She evidently couldn't handle it anymore and jumped off the bed to pace. "I can't believe this! Why haven't we gone to a different planet before? Wait, Sonic, what do we need to wear? Is it cold or hot? Is the air even breathable for us?"

Sonic couldn't reply through his howling laughter. He fell into the place where Maddie had been sitting, clutching his sides. After a moment: "Yes, you'll be fine. The weather seemed to be parallel to here, so wear whatever you want."

The blue blur sat up again, still grinning as Tom put an arm on his shoulder.

"And you're okay?"

Sonic's smile faltered just a second, and he looked into his gloved hands. "...I will be. I left so quickly, you know? And I... I didn't get to say goodbye. I feel like I never really got closure... or something. And since the Echidna's were apparently hunting Longclaw instead of me, I think it's safe. I think it's time. I'm just... scared."

Maddie climbed back into bed, sitting in front of him this time. She reached forward and took his right hand in hers, grabbing Tom's left hand. Tom and Sonic linked hands as well. A family circle. "We'll be right there with you, sweetheart. And if it gets too much, we can leave. Okay?"

Large, watering green eyes broke contact with hers, and he took a deep breath. "Okay. Thank you."

Tom withdrew his hands suddenly in favor of wrapping his arms around the two and pulling them into a tight hug. "We got this."

Sonic smiled and leaned into the hug whole heartedly. "We got this," he echoed.

A moment later, Maddie withdrew, a soft grin on her face. "Okay, boys. Let's get some sleep. It's going to be a big day tomorrow."

"Why don't you bunk with us, bud? I think the other two went to bed already."

"Sure?"

"Of course," Maddie said.

The young hedgehog peeled off his shoes and threw them over the footboard. "Sleepover!"

The Sheriff laughed as the teen threw himself against the pillow. Tom hiked the blankets up and shut his bedside light off. Maddie did the same. Soon, they were all huddled together in the darkness, cozy and warm, hearts filled to the brim.

"I love you, guys," Sonic whispered.

"We love you too, buddy."