((Hello, peoples

((Hello, peoples! Thanks for all your reviews! Muchos Gracias to Blaze and Skybright. I feel so loved! :: wipes tears from eyes:: Ok, I forgot to write a disclaimer last time, so here goes. Sonic the Hedgehog and all other characters don't belong to me, they belong to Sega and some other companies that I don't know. Don't bother suing me, I'm just a broke high school girl. Carmen and her mom do belong to me, so no stealing! Although I might be flattered if my characters were good enough to steal. ))

" There you are, little bro!"

The two children had made it back to Knothole Village, Tails telling Carmen all about the other Freedom Fighters on the way. Sonic had poked his head out from the doorway of a hut, only seeing Tails, as Carmen was coming up behind him.

" We've been looking all over for you! Where have you been? " Sonic questioned. "And who's your friend?" Carmen had stepped into view.

" Oh, this is Carmen. I was taking a walk in the morning and I found her getting attacked by a SWATbot."

Carmen hugged Tails around his neck. He blushed, embarrassed yet happy. " Tails rescued me. He's my hero!" she said appreciatively. The two grinned at each other.

Heh. Look at how cute those two are. Sonic thought to himself. " My name's Sonic, kid. I'm the fastest guy on the planet! " he bragged. Carmen raised an eyebrow.

" Really? How fast are –?" Tails covered her mouth before she could finish. " Don't get him started, please," he whispered in her ear. The duo walked on to another hut to find the others.

" Aunt Sally! Aunt Bunnie! We have a visitor!" Tails called out to his adoptive aunts, who were sitting on the bed talking.

"Oh! Hello, my name's Sally." She got up from the bed to greet her. Carmen stared incredulously.

" You mean, Princess Sally? I never thought I'd meet you in person, a real princess!" She said, astonished. Sally smiled understandingly.

" Don't worry. I'm really just a regular girl, you'll see."

Bunnie, who had been watching them talk with interest, swung her legs to the edge of the bed and offered her left hand to Carmen.

" Ah'm Bunnie. Pleased ta meet ya."

The young otter girl looked at Bunnie's metallic legs and arm with a mixture of confusion and shock.

" Umm, I don't want to be rude or anything but…" she trailed off, not sure if she should finish.

" Go ahead, Ah don't mind," Bunnie prompted. She smiled, pleased at the girl's politeness.

Carmen continued, reassured. " How did you get like that? What happened to you?" Bunnie told her the entire story, about when she had been captured and nearly roboticized, and how Sonic and Rotor had come to her rescue before the process could be completed. Carmen seemed in awe of Bunnie's courage, and listened to the story with rapt attention. Afterwards, they went on to meet Rotor, Antoine, and to find some lunch.

" Your friends are really cool, Tails! That walrus guy, Rotor, he's so smart to be able to build all those machines and things. Antoine's neat too, I wish I could speak French." Carmen paused to pick up a smooth rock from the edge of the power ring pool. Tails grinned and shook his head, she had been incredibly energetic since lunchtime.

" What are you doing with all of those, Carmen?" he asked curiously, since she already collected a small pile.

She knelt to pick up a stone, examined it, and put it back. "Do you know how to skip stones?" Tails shook his head. " You haven't? It's easy, I'll teach you." She picked up a stone from the pile, and with a neat flick of her wrist, threw it at the pond. It bounced neatly three times across the water before stopping.

" Cool!" Tails exclaimed. " Can you teach me how to do that?" He picked up a rock and threw it at the water, where it splashed and sank.

" It's more like this. Don't just toss it, glide it." Tails picked up another stone and looked at the pool.

" All right! Here goes nothing' !" He swung his arm back in a wide arc, causing the stone to fly out of his hand.

"OW!" yelled someone behind them. Tails turned back nervously. " Whoops. Sorry." Sonic rubbed the bump on his head gingerly. " Its ok. Come on you two, dinnertime. And afterwards there's a meeting in my hut." He walked off, rubbing his head.

Tails and Carmen began to walk away from the pool.

" Y'know, that was a pretty good throw," Carmen said with a mischievous grin on her face. "All we have to do is work on your aim." She laughed and ran ahead. Tails scowled at her.

" Funny! Very funny! Hey, wait for me!"

" … I flew out of the way at the last second and the dumb thing smashed right into the tree!" Everyone laughed as Tails finished his story. He and Carmen had both told the other Freedom Fighters about her rescue, with a bit of added excitement mixed in.

" There's one thing I don't get," Rotor murmured. "How did it get you in the first place?" Carmen shrugged. " I didn't have anyone to warn me. It was early in the morning, and I had just woken up."

" ' Didn't have anyone to warn you'? " Sally wondered. "Are you all alone? Where are your parents, Carmen?" Sally inquired gently.

Carmen looked away, blinking back a sudden stinging at her eyes. "Well… my father, he died when I was very little. I really don't remember him much. I was only a baby. My mother – " her voice failed her and she stopped. The young girl took a deep breath, summoned her courage and tried again. " A few days ago, my mother and I were chased here by those robot monsters. My mother started to fight them off –she told me to run. I did and –I left her behind and –" she couldn't bring herself to finish. My mind can't believe that my mother is gone when she's still so alive in my heart. Tears began to fall from her eyes, and she ran from the hut sobbing. The rest of the Freedom Fighters looked on with sympathy.

"Ze poor child," Antoine said sadly.

"She must feel so lonely right now." Sally whispered. The group murmured their agreement. Only Tails was silent, somewhat worried about his new friend. Finally, he spoke up.

" Hey, guys, do you think I should go talk to her?" He was looking out the window of the hut, where Carmen could be seen at the edge of the power ring pool. Sonic and Sally exchanged a glance and Sonic nodded. Tails rushed from the hut and ran outside.

" Do you think she'll be alright?" Sally asked as she prepared to leave. Bunnie answered softly, her eyes on the two children by the water. She smiled as she watched Tails sit down next to her.

" Ah'm sure she'll be just fine."

Carmen stared out at the stars reflecting off the water, tears still softly streaming down her cheeks. She didn't look at Tails, who was sitting beside her on the lakeside. She's gone. The child thought sadly. I'm never going to see my mother again… Her thoughts broke off as she began to sob softly, hugging her knees to her chest. Tails reached over and touched her shoulder.

" Are you all right, Carmen?" he whispered, unsure of what to say. Carmen lifted her head and turned to him.

" Y' know, I didn't let myself realize that my mom was gone until they asked me that. I didn't forget, but I didn't want to remember." She stopped and brushed the tears from her eyes. " I don't know what to do; I feel so alone." Tails moved closer and put a comforting arm around her.

" You're not alone, you have all of us," he said gently. "We'll take care of you. We'll be like a family, I promise." Carmen sighed and rested her head softly on Tails' shoulder.

" I know. But I' m going to miss her forever."

" Are you all alone? Where are your parents, Carmen?" Sally inquired gently.

Carmen looked away, blinking back a sudden stinging at her eyes. "Well, my father, he died when I was very little. I really don't remember him much. My mother – " her voice failed her and she stopped. The young girl took a deep breath, summoned all of courage and tried again. " A few days ago, my mother and I were chased here by those stupid metal monsters. My mother started to fight them off –she told me to run. I did and – and –" she couldn't bring herself to finish.

My mind can't believe that my mother is gone when she's still so alive in my heart. Tears began to fall from her eyes, and she ran from the hut sobbing. The rest of the Freedom Fighters looked on with sympathy.

"Ze poor child," Antoine said sadly.

"She must feel so lonely right now." Sally whispered. The group murmured their agreement. Only Tails was silent, somewhat worried about his new friend. Finally, he spoke up.

" Hey, guys, do you think I should go talk to her?" He was looking out the window of the hut, where Carmen could be seen at the edge of the power ring pool. Sonic and Sally exchanged a glance and Sonic nodded. Tails rushed from the hut and ran outside.

" Do you think she'll be alright?" Sally asked as she prepared to leave. Bunnie answered softly, her eyes on the two children by the water. She smiled as she watched Tails sit down next to her.

" Ah'm sure she'll be just fine."

Carmen stared out at the stars reflecting off the water, tears still softly streaming down her cheeks. She didn't look at Tails, who was sitting beside her on the lakeside. She's gone. The child thought sadly. I'm never going to see my mother again… Her thoughts broke off as she began to sob softly, hugging her knees to her chest. Tails reached over and touched her shoulder.

" Are you all right, Carmen?" he whispered, unsure of what to say. Carmen lifted her head and turned to him.

" Y' know, I didn't let myself realize that my mom was gone until they asked me that. I didn't forget, but I didn't want to remember." She stopped and brushed the tears from her eyes. " I don't know what to do; I feel so alone." Tails moved closer and put a comforting arm around her.

" You're not alone, you have all of us," he said gently. "We'll take care of you. We'll be like a family, I promise." Carmen sighed and rested her head softly on Tails' shoulder.

" I know. But I' m going to miss her forever."