Experimentation Chapter 13: Part 13, a sonic the hedgehog fanfic

Don't think that I haven't forgotten about this story, since I put out a short story after Chapter 12 (Dependency). But... here's Chapter 13. So sorry for this taking so long, but as you can tell from the size, the chapter is really : 23 pages long.

Total story page count: Experimentation: 98 pages. Just to let you know how big it really is. ^_^

Other things to know: I have another short story (a two chapter piece), that I have written down in a notebook. Don't be surprised if you see that up in a few days or so, since I plan on typing it up and putting it up here too. (It's called Unknown, for those of you who are interested)

Once again: Sonic and crew, are all copyright of SEGA.

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He hadn't gotten too far down the hallway before he leaned against one of the walls, blushing. The Guardian looked down at the floor, staring at his bare feet as he thought to himself. Why…the hell did I… He shook his head and continued on his way down the stairs. Don't think about it. Completely spontaneous! Yeah, that's it…Not like it meant anything… He stepped off of the last stair, turning to the left. I got to find a blanket. Knuckles headed for the hall closet, opening the door slowly and plucking the spare blanket off of the top shelf. It unfolded onto the floor, due to his hand only gripping one corner of it, annoying him slightly. He didn't bother folding it up though, since he would be just unfolding it in two minutes when he laid down.

The Guardian grumbled a little as he dragged the blanket, half asleep, to the living room. He rubbed his head a little, flicked a dread behind his shoulder, and tossed the blanket onto the couch. Flopping onto it, Knuckles slouched into a sitting position. He let his head fall back against the back of the couch. His eyes stared up at the ceiling, watching the ceiling fan blades spin slowly. What the hell was I thinking…? I…His fingers touched his lips for a brief moment. I shouldn't have done that…but she's so fucking stubborn…and… He smirked just slightly. Soft…His right hand slapped against his face. Stop thinking about that…kiss…GAH!

He closed his eyes. His mind wandered to ponder his actions briefly. I'm really surprised that she didn't… His left eye opened just slightly as he moved his hand off of his face. Wait a minute…

Her arms had been around his neck.

He blinked once.

She…

Her lips had pressed back against his own.

A small smirk.

…kissed me back…

His eyes slid closed as he slumped over into lying down.

***

Hours passed and the small fox tiptoed past the lightly snoring echidna. He smiled just slightly at his older friend. Must have given Miss Rouge the bed upstairs…Tails wandered toward the other rooms, to check up on Sonic and Shadow. He poked his head into Shadow's room first, preparing himself for anything. Ears flicked as he heard soft breathing. Normal breathing. Tails' ears folded slightly, unsure if his presence would disturb the sleeping hedgehog.

Shadow's head was turned away from the door. Tails observed that he hadn't moved much from his original position, considering that the blanket was still tucked in tightly around his body. His light blue eyes blinked once. Miss Rouge must have given him something to help him sleep…His sleep…it just…doesn't seem completely natural… Shadow continued to doze, looking peaceful. I should change his bandages, but I'll let him sleep. He turned and tiptoed out of the room again.

" How is he?" Rouge's voice carried from above.

Tails looked up at the ceiling. To the rafters.

" Hun, over here. Stairs."

His eyes turned to the stairs. Rouge was leaning over the banister, looking down at him.

" Oh! Good morning, Miss Rouge."

" Good morning, Tails. And just Rouge." She smiled at him. " You're always so formal…"

" But Miss---" He caught himself as she eyed him with a brow raised. " Yes, Rouge."

Her smile relaxed him a little with her reassuring presence.

" So how is he? Have you checked on Sonic…?"

Tails frowned slightly.

" Shadow's still sleeping…"

" He shouldn't be up for a few hours."

" And I haven't checked on…Sonic…"

Rouge nodded. She hadn't expected him to, unless accompanied. The female treasure hunter wasn't stupid. Tails was worried that Sonic wouldn't recover. That he would die.
They were all afraid of that.

Even Shadow is…when he's conscious at least…
She walked down the stairs, taking note of the still sleeping echidna. Rouge's cheeks flushed slightly, but she shook her head a little to clear her thoughts. Tails looked up at her.

" Are you okay, Rouge…?"

A slight twitch came from her.

" Y-yes, I'm fine!" She smiled at him, trying not to blush.

His worried disposition did not change. Her smile soon turned to a frown.

" I can go check on him for you, dear."

" N-no, I want…to go."

" Then I'll go with you, sweetie."

He looked up at her.

" You…will…?"
" Of course I will. I know you're worried about him." She placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to give him another reassuring smile. " You don't have to do this, you know."

" I know…but I want to…"

" Let's go then, okay?"

The small boy nodded, following her as she headed toward the room that Sonic was in. Rouge opened the door slowly, feeling his hand grip at her arm a little. She put her hand over his, giving it a little squeeze. It'll be okay, kid…Tails had moved behind her, shivering slightly. He was scared. He couldn't hide it anymore. Rouge knew this. He's just a little kid. Scared to death of what he has to witness… She took a step into the room with the boy right behind her, who was peeking around her right side. Once they cleared the door, the bat let it close gently.
***
Knuckles was still asleep when Rouge left Sonic's room. Tails was sitting on the floor outside the door, with his knees to his chest, staring out into the living room. He had stopped shivering by now, but it was apparent that he was still shaken. She gently touched the top of his head, rubbing one of his large ears. His eyes closed slightly.

" I'm…sorry, Rouge…I…"

" It's okay, Tails…you did your best."

" But I wanted…to help…"

" It's fine. You did help. You just got scared and that's understandable."

He nodded a little, not looking at her. She felt herself frown. It was hard for the small boy and she knew this. She had to shove him out of the room when he was getting too jittery. I shouldn't have let him go in there. Not when Sonic's hooked up like that… Rouge just knew now Tails would have nightmares. He was just a little boy. He shouldn't have seen what he had. The treasure hunter was kicking herself mentally for allowing it to happen.

" Are…you going to be okay, hun…?"

Tails nodded. He sniffled a little. She blinked once and kneeled down next to him, giving him a hug. The small fox rubbed his eyes a little bit and tried not to cry.

" H-he's going to be…okay…right…? He's going to get better…right…?"

Rouge would have told him the truth if she could. She honestly didn't know. She didn't want to lie to him either, but she knew that there were times that she just couldn't tell the truth.

" Right, kiddo…" She continued to hug him. " Sonic won't give up…You know that…"

" W-what if h-he…doesn't…get better…? I-I'll be alone again…" Tears ran down the small boy's face, dripping down and onto his soft fluffy fur. " I-I-I don't wanna…be alone again…!"

She hugged him tighter, quieting him. Her ears flicked as she heard Knuckles make a noise. I wouldn't be surprised if we woke him up… Rouge didn't worry about it for the moment. Her top priority was calming Tails down.

" It will be okay hun…Shh, just calm down…"

Tails sniffled, rubbing his eyes a little.
" O-okay…"

" You going to be okay…?"

He nodded a little. " Y-yeah…" A soft smile appeared on his face. " I know Sonic won't give up…He'll get better!"

She smiled a little herself.

" That's right."

" I'm getting kind of hungry." Tails blinked a little. " What about you, Rouge…?"

" A little. Should we make some lunch?"

Tails nodded.

" I'll see what we have to make!" His voice had somehow regained sort of its cheerfulness. " But you have to stop hugging me, Miss Rouge."

Green eyes blinked and she laughed a little, letting go of him.

" You're a cute kid, Tails." She rubbed his ears a little. " And it's still just Rouge."

He laughed quietly to himself.

" Got it…"

" Go make something to eat. I'll be right there."

" Alright!" The young fox said cheerfully, walking off toward the kitchen.

Rouge watched him for a moment. Her ears flicked slightly again as she heard Knuckles move.

" You'd be a good mother or a big sister or something, Rouge." He said softly, stretching. She saw his ungloved hands rise up a little from one side of the couch, then disappear again.

" You were quiet for awhile." She said quietly.

" Didn't want him to think that I was awake. The kid likes to be strong in front of Sonic and I."

A hand grabbed at the back of the couch as the echidna pulled himself into a sitting position. His dreads were slightly messed up and he still had sleep in his eyes, which he rubbed with his other hand. Once again, she tried not to think about how adorable he looked sometimes. It was obvious that she was trying not to look at him. Knuckles knew this, but thought it was for another reason.

" You're still mad at me, aren't you?"

A blink.
" What?"

" …for last night."

Even an experienced treasure hunter couldn't hide the blush that was forming now.

" …Depends on what you're referring to."

Silence.

They could both hear Tails tinkering in the kitchen, humming quietly to himself.

Neither one was looking at the other.

" …Well, are you still mad?"

" About…?"
" U-um, w-well…"

Rouge blinked slightly. She never saw Knuckles fumble his words like that before. It was kind of cute. Not that she'd EVER tell him that to his face.

Now it was a matter to see what he would say.

The Guardian was rubbing the back of his head now, unsure of what to say. He had half expected to be slapped the second that she laid eyes on him for the night before. But she hadn't. That puzzled him to no end.
She couldn't help but smile at the perplexed look on his face.

" Sleep well…?" She asked.

" H-huh? Oh. Yeah. …You?"

Rouge didn't look him in the eyes.
" …Yeah."

Silence resumed.

" Rouge, I---"

" Did you want waffles, pancakes or---oh! Good morning, Knuckles!" Tails interrupted, walking back into the living room with a small smile on his face.

Both treasure hunters had flinched a little as the fox returned. He blinked a little, looking to one, then the other, trying to figure out if something was wrong.

" Morning, kid."

" I'll eat whatever you make, Tails…" Rouge said, smiling a little.

" Would you like something too?" The fox looked over at the echidna.

" Sure." He smiled gently.

" Okay!" And with that, the fox went back into the kitchen, humming.

Rouge's ears flicked a little as she heard Knuckles get up from the couch. She looked over at him for a moment, then turned away again. He stretched again, making another noise as he did so, and folded up the blanket.

" You did the checks on the two hedgehogs?"

" Y-yeah…well, I didn't look in on Shadow yet…but Sonic is…"

" …As okay as he can be, right?"

" Right…"

" Still out?"

" He probably won't wake up for awhile…The sedative I gave him will keep him out for a bit…and the rest is really up to him."

" You mean…"

" If he doesn't have the will to wake up, he won't…"

" Couldn't we…give him something…?"

" We could…not sure if it would work. At the moment, it's not wise. It's best to wait it out right now, and do what we can for his wounds."

The Guardian nodded a little bit.

" What about Shadow?"

" His wounds are bad, but not as bad as Sonic's. He was worse when Sonic brought him here."

" Fever?"

" It broke last night. Hopefully he didn't get another one…he shouldn't, since I gave him some medicine for it, though."

" I'll go check on him for you. You go relax."

" I can do it, Knuckles."

" You don't have to play nurse all the time, you know."

" And you want to? I can just see you in a white skirt…"

She giggled as he glared at her.

" Not funny."

" Yes it is…"

" Go get something to eat. I'll check on Shadow."

" His bandages are going to need to be changed…"

" I'll do that if he wakes up. If not, then I'll do it later."

" Alright…Thanks, Knuckles."

" No problem. I don't mind helping out."

The echidna padded past her, still not wearing his shoes or gloves. She waited as she heard him open and close the door, then looked back. She left the blanket on the couch, figuring that someone was going to need to use it that night as well. The bat pondered for a moment, and then walked into the kitchen to assist Tails with the cooking.
***

He felt a hand on his forehead as he was slipping out of unconsciousness. He hadn't dreamed anything really. His sleep had been very unnatural. The hedgehog barely even knew he had slept. His eyelids fluttered as he strained to open his eyes. Red found red as he looked up at the Guardian's arm. Shadow made a soft noise as he tried to wake up completely.

Knuckles notices his eyes opening, removing his hand slowly.

" Did I wake you?"

Shadow's hand reached up and touched his head, rubbing it gently.

" No… Guess Rouge's serum wore…off."

" How are you feeling?"

" As fine as a torture victim could."

Shadow's bluntness did not faze the echidna.

A brow flicked slightly, but Knuckles expected bitterness from the hedgehog. He knew that he too would be irate if Rouge had drugged him if he had refused to rest.

" Your fever's gone, so that's a good sign." The echidna said quietly, peeling a bandage on Shadow's arm away so he could look at the wound. " We're going to have to change these too."

" I would like a shower first."

Knuckles looked up.

" I don't see how that would be a problem…if you can stand and all."

" I walked in here, didn't I?"

" Point."

Neither one of them really truly knew each other. Tension was a little high between the two males. Shadow wasn't comfortable. He knew Rouge to an extent, but the echidna that she was so fond of was a mystery to him. All he knew was that Knuckles was just as bullheaded as the bat was, and he didn't want to mess with anyone who could give him a good clobber when he knew he couldn't avoid it. With his injuries, he was lucky that he could move as much as he could. Granted, he knew that the echidna had helped Sonic and Rouge help him when he was first brought to Tails' workshop, but he wasn't sure of how the echidna really felt about his being there. He got the feeling that he wasn't welcome.

It was the same with the Guardian. Shadow had always been an enemy and the echidna had trust issues to begin with. The ebony hedgehog had been a threat before to Sonic and the rest of the world, so the Guardian wasn't fond of affiliating with him. But, they had all believed that Shadow had died at ARK. Died helping them save the world. That had proved to the Guardian that there was some good to the hedgehog, just like Rouge had showed him when she had given him back the pieces to the Master Emerald.

Even if he had been an enemy, Shadow had helped them. A friend…? Knuckles had debated it. But there were many things that pointed in Shadow's favor toward him being a comrade. The echidna recalled that Shadow had helped Sonic when they attempted escape from GUN Labs. He could have just left him there and tried to save himself…But he didn't… He helped Sonic… Whether it was just repaying a debt or not, Knuckles wasn't so sure. But he saw the concern in the black hedgehog's eyes. Perhaps…he's not so bad after all… The Guardian continued to check the bandages in silence. Shadow didn't move as the echidna tinkered with him.

" Can you move your arms up?"

Shadow nodded and complied, so Knuckles could peek at the bandages wrapped around his chest.

" How come you're not taking them off?" The hedgehog asked quietly.

" You said that you wanted to take a shower. There's no point to change them right now, if you're going to take them off in a little bit."

The hedgehog nodded once again.

Silence resumed between the two of them as the checking continued.

" Chatty bunch, aren't you?" Rouge's voice called from the doorway.

The two males looked up at her, still saying nothing. She frowned, snickering to herself though.

" Figures you two would do that." She tried to smile at them.

Knuckles returned her smile, finishing with his work. Shadow – did not.

" Aren't you changing them, like I told you to?"

" Of course not. I never listen to you." He said, smirking.

" Knuckles!"

" I'm kidding! Shadow said he wanted to take a shower!"

The bat blinked a little, looking over at the sitting hedgehog. He nodded with his eyes.

" Very well." She smiled.

Shadow resumed with his stoic look. Rouge wasn't sure if he was still out of it from the drugs, or if he was just annoyed at her or Knuckles.

" Are you finished then?"

Knuckles nodded, stepping away from Shadow to give him his space. She walked up to him, pointing up with her index finger.

" Follow with your eyes please." She asked, watching his crimson eyes watch her finger as she moved her hand back and forth. " Okay, good. Are you feeling sick or anything…?"

Shadow shook his head.

" Fever gone?" Her hand touched his forehead again.
" Yeah, it's completely gone." Knuckles said, leaning against the wall, watching.

The hedgehog nodded a little, still very quiet.

" I'll show you to the bathroom, Shadow. Can you stand?"

Rouge moved to help him stand up, but he wouldn't allow her to take his arm. She didn't take offense to it though. The bat knew that he was out to prove that he was fine. Knuckles had moved to help Shadow himself, but she waved a hand at him, trying to get him to back off. I'll handle it, Knuckles… He nodded slightly at her, resuming his leaning position against the wall. The hedgehog was standing on his own, slowly headed for the door. Rouge followed close behind him, giving her fellow treasure hunter a look before departing.

***
" Shadow, please let me help you at least up the stairs."

" I can do it…"

When he stumbled on a step, she didn't even scold him. Taking his arm, Rouge steadied the hedgehog with her other hand on his back.

" You alright?"

He grumbled about the stairs. She couldn't help but smile a little. It was a known fact that when a person was getting better, he or she bitched more about things. She helped him up the stairs, thinking about how there really should be a bathroom downstairs as well, so the injured wouldn't have to deal with the stairs at all. Shadow grumbled again, trying to get her to let go of his arm. The bat would not let go of his arm and continued down the hall to the bathroom.

" Here we are." Rouge said, opening the door and flicking on the light. " Everything should be in here that you'll need to use…"
Shadow walked into the bathroom, looking about a little bit. He nodded and started to undo his bandages on his arms.

" Let me help you with those."

" I can get them…"

" Not the ones in the back."

" I'll manage."

" No, you won't. Don't be stubborn."

He paused, looking up at her. She stared at him for a moment.

" I just want to help, Shadow."

" I don't need your help."

" That's where you're wrong."

The hedgehog fell silent.

" …You wouldn't let me help you on ARK either."

" I didn't need your help then."

" Maybe. But you do now. I don't care if you think you're fine. Even if you feel fine, I'm going to assist you because I can see that you're not."

" Why do you care?" He looked away from her.

" And why don't you?"

His ears flicked a little as he looked back at her with sad eyes. She was trying not to get angry, because it wasn't unlike him to do this. He's not used to someone caring about what happens to him…

" Look…I don't know what happened in your life before you were locked away by GUN and the Doctor released you…but you had to have cared about someone then, didn't you? Or were you always this…cold…?"

Shadow made a face as his thoughts flashed back to the blood spray. His fist tightened a little, then relaxed. Rouge frowned.

" I'm sorry, Shadow…but you have to realize that we care about you now."

He looked up at her a little, almost like he didn't believe her.

" You know we do…if we didn't, then why would you even be here…?"

" …Sonic…wouldn't have saved me then. And you guys wouldn't have…"

She blinked for a moment, then nodded once.
" Yes…Please understand. We just want you to get better. I know it's annoying, but you need our help, even if you don't like it."

" R-rouge?"

" Yes?"

" …Will you help me with these?" He tugged on a bandage gently.

The bat smiled a little.
" Of course, Shadow."

Green eyes met crimson for a moment. Sometimes he reminded her of a child. Trying to be brave and independent, when he was truly frightened and needed help. Shadow was too much like Sonic for his own good. They were very similar in stubborn personality traits, although Shadow's lacking people skills shone through more than any of Sonic's annoying traits.

Then again, Shadow was technically a child. In a manner of speaking. Granted, he had been locked away in stasis for who knew how long, but as a living being, he only had a few years of actual life on the planet. Wise, yes, but Shadow hadn't really experienced anything that resulted in living his life. Especially when it came to doing what he wanted. No wonder Sonic insisted on taking Shadow out to Station Square for that night out…He probably wanted to let Shadow enjoy a little free time, since he never really had any time to have fun…Rouge smiled coyly as she helped Shadow unwrap his bandages. He grunted a little when she pulled at one, where she quickly apologized, looking over the wound carefully. She didn't want to actually rip any of his skin when taking the bandages off.

The dirty bandages were scooped up and placed into the garbage can as soon as they were all off of the hedgehog's body. Rouge inspected him carefully, then watched as he busied himself with trying to get a fresh towel to use. She looked up and down his body, since now that all the bandages were off, she could get a better look at his wounds. Despite the places where it had been shaved off, Shadow's black fur was still healthy looking and beautiful. His skin that showed through was a ripe shade of red-pink colors. That was a good sign. It showed that the cells weren't completely dead due to the torture that was inflicted on him. Even though his body had been damaged, the GUN scientists hadn't toyed with scarring his face. His head spines were still intact and folded slightly against his back, due to his sleep.

He was clearly still full of life. His face showed it.

It also showed his pain.

" Why…are you staring at me?"

His voice startled her, snapping Rouge out of her thoughts.

" Oh, I'm sorry, Shadow."

He raised a brow at her.

" Did you want to watch or something?" A small smirk appeared.

She flushed just a little, laughing at him.

" No, I'm sorry. I'll leave."

" Alright."

The bat headed for the door, pausing slightly. He looked over at her, with a questioning look on his face.

" …Did you want to ask me something?" She asked, quietly.

" …No. Why?"

" I just get this feeling that you're not saying something, or asking something that you want to know about."

He shook his head slowly.

" You're sure…that you're alright?"

Shadow blinked and nodded once more.

" Just…thinking…"

" About…?"

" …Something."

" …Or someone?"

Rouge wasn't stupid. It was clear as day on Shadow's face. He was still worried.

But he waved a hand at her, wanting her to leave.

" Alright, I'm going. If you need anything, I'll be downstairs. Tails has been making lunch and everything too, so there will be some food for you to eat when you're done. Knuckles and I can help you put the bandages on again when you're all done…okay?"

" Okay."

She gave him a smile, trying to reassure him as much as she could, then left the room. He closed the door behind her, sighing a little to himself. His back touched the door as he touched his face with his hand, wincing slightly. His gaze turned to the mirror on the wall, just to his right. He moved from his leaning position, walking up to the sink, and bent down to look at himself in the mirror.

He hoped that his fur would grow back. To cover the scars that would appear eventually as his body healed. His fingers traced wounds, feeling at the tissue that was beginning to grow slowly. His eyes averted for a moment to the shower. He looked it over, turning on the water. He let his fingers touch it, trying to determine the temperature. Too hot would hurt his tender flesh. Too cold would drive him crazy. He finally got it to an adequate temperature, turning another knob so it would go through the actual showerhead, and stepped into the shower.

Closing the shower curtain behind him, the hedgehog winced as the water hit stinging flesh, pulling loose dead skin from his body. He started to tug at a piece of skin that was hanging now, making a noise as it ripped off. Blood trickled down a little, mixing and diluting with the water. He watched it slowly run down his lithe body, soon hitting the floor of the tub, creating little faded swirls as it went down the drain.

The soap was going to hurt. He knew this, but took it anyway. Yelping a little here and there, Shadow cleaned his wounds and fur cautiously, trying not to open them up any more than they were already. I really hope Rouge doesn't want to put more antiseptic on me… He knew that she would though. Sometimes I think she has a sadistic streak in her somewhere… His thoughts soon went back to thinking about Sonic. What the hell did they put in him…? I wonder how he's doing…Shadow's quills, now very wet, laid against his back by now. It was almost impossible for them to stay upright with all the water that had soaked into them.

It didn't take him long to clean up. He stood in the shower, staring at the floor of the tub as he let the water run against his head. His quills, drooping now, kept the water from his eyes as he thought. As he worried.

He knew he would survive.

Sonic, he wasn't so sure about.

I need to see him for myself.

Rouge wasn't going to allow that in a million years. He knew the second that he was done with the shower, she would be waiting to turn him into a mummy again.

And with the Guardian helping her, there's no way that I could get far even if I ran…

He pondered.

He had to know.

A little trickery worked wonders sometimes.

***

Leaving the water on, Shadow stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel to dry off with. He carefully dabbed at the sores, trying not to make them bleed. Some did, when pressure was applied, but it stopped soon after. He sighed, looking back up at the mirror again. His quills were down and against his back, with little drops of water and blood dripping down his body. He padded at it again with the towel, frowning at the color that it was turning. Deciding that he should try and dry his head spines, Shadow started rubbing them before he stained the towel too much. They did not perk back up again. That was typical though. He knew that. It always took those things forever to dry…No matter. It's not important. Staring at himself for a moment, Shadow frowned. Despite my normal markings…I could pass for Sonic if I was the same color as him…He felt himself frown even more. He wasn't sure why he felt like this, so worried about someone who had been an enemy.

At one time.

But Sonic had helped him. He knew this. If the blue hedgehog hadn't gotten him out of GUN Labs, he would most likely still be locked up in that stasis tube like some sort of grotesque experiment. Once finished with drying himself off, Shadow wrapped the towel around his neck, so that the water from his quills would drop onto that, instead of the floor. He left the water still running in the shower as he slipped out of the room to make his way downstairs. Can't be seen by any of them, or else I'm just screwed. He was going to get to Sonic's room by any way possible. Shadow slowly walked down the hall, leaning up against the wall. He prepared to duck into a room if he had to. His right ear flicked a bit as he listened, then poked his head around the corner of the stairwell. So far, so good. No one's in the living room… He could hear voices coming from the kitchen though.

Tiptoeing down the stairs, Shadow braced his feet, just in case he needed to dive off of them. You never know…those two treasure hunters are pretty hard to get around when they actually work together… No one seemed to notice his descent down the top of the stairs. He could smell toast and bacon wafting from the kitchen. Shadow was starving, but food would have to wait. He was on his own little mission this time. Continuing down the stairs, Shadow gripped the handrail tightly, just in case his feet decided to fail him again, like they had when he had been going up them before. He made it to the last step, waiting and watching for anyone who might try and stop him.

He waited…

…but no one came to delay him from his goal.

A smirk.

Sneaking around the bottom of the stairs, Shadow made his way to the room next to his. He did another double check of his surroundings, before opening the door and disappearing into it.

***
The door closed softly behind him. It was very dark in the room, considering that the lights were off and the drapes must have been closed. Shadow's hand groped along the wall, trying to find a light switch. His ears flicked at the sound of labored breathing and the hum of machinery. A finger found the switch. He took a deep breath, bracing himself mentally, flicking on the light. Turning away from the door, Shadow blinked as he slowly took in the sight. He felt his face pale a little as he looked toward the bed.

Various machines were next to the bed, monitoring Sonic's vitals as well as administering drugs to him. An IV bag hung next to one corner, as another machine nearby plinked Sonic's heart rate out loud. Shadow remained standing, but he let his back touch the door, taking it all in. It looks like a hospital in this room…God… He swallowed a little as he walked forward, looking Sonic over as he laid there, practically unmoving.

The hero's face was somewhat pale and almost completely devoid of life. His eyelids were closed as he breathed shallowly into the mask around his mouth and nose. The IV needle was attached to Sonic's left hand, slowly dripping some liquid into him. Not sure if that's just some form of medicine or actually his "food"… Shadow continued to look his friend over. He was tucked in pretty well with the blanket, so Shadow couldn't really see half of the bandages that had to be wrapped around his small frame. He only knew that they had to be far worse than the ones that had been on his body. His eyes softened a little at his injured adversary.

" Sonic…"

Shadow couldn't tell if he was just unconscious or if Rouge had drugged him with a sedative. I know she had to when she and Knuckles were trying to tend to his wounds…He felt like he had to do something. To help Sonic somehow. There's…nothing I can do now though… He eyed the chair that was up against the wall. Grabbing it, Shadow pulled it over to the bed, where he sat down and stared at Sonic.

" You have to get better…"

Sonic still did not wake. Shadow wasn't even sure if Sonic could hear him.

" You probably can't hear me…" He started. " But…thanks. For helping me…I would still be stuck in that tube…if it hadn't been for you." Crimson eyes continued looking the other hedgehog over, searching for any sign of movement.

There was none.

Only Sonic's chest rose and fell slightly as he continued breathing quietly into the facemask. Shadow's eyes softened again, feeling completely helpless once more.

" You have to get better, Sonikku. Your friends are worried about you…"

He frowned, pondering.

And then touched Sonic's hand with is own.

" …and so am I."

***

" Jeez…" Knuckles said, leaning back on his chair while looking up at the ceiling with a brow raised. " Sure taking his sweet time up there, eh?"

" Hush, echidna." Rouge said, munching on a piece of toast. " Let him be. He's probably trying to be really careful so he won't open his wounds more than they already are."

" Or he passed out up there and drowned in the shower."

Her eyes went wide. " Knuckles!"

His large hands waved at her in his defense, leaning back more to avoid any swipe she might have made at him.

" I'm kidding!"

" That is NOT something you joke about…! I'm worried about him too you know!"

The echidna frowned. His toothpick dangled low from his mouth, taunting its escape. The white bat slowly sank back into her chair, sighing loudly as her ears folded.

" Maybe…I should have stayed up there with him…"

" Like he'd let you…"

" What was that?"

" You heard me. I don't think he'd let you stay in there with him while he's showering."

" I could have stayed outside of the bathroom…"

" You're worrying too much…"
" Knuckles, just because you don't know him that well, doesn't give you the right to criticize me for caring about him. You might not care. But I do."

" Whoa, now!" He sat up from his reclined position. " Who said I didn't care?!"

" You're implying it."

" Look, you're right. I don't know him that well. You do because of your time on ARK with him, but that doesn't mean that I'm not worried about him too!"

" You could show a little more compassion then…" She said, dejected.

The echidna frowned, looking down at his plate slightly.

" Sor—"

" Don't be sorry." She interrupted. " I know you're worried…I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled."

" Yeah, but---"

" You two have the weirdest ways of dealing with things sometimes…" Tails said quietly, setting a plate of eggs down in his place at the table.

The two treasure hunters looked over at him as he sat down.

" …You sometimes scare me with how much you observe, kid."

He laughed a little as he ducked some toast into his eggs.

" Well, you two do usually deal with your problems by yelling… Usually at each other. Or someone else."

Rouge raised a brow slightly.

" That's true…"

Tails nodded, munching on his toast a little.

" How is it that a small boy can know so much about his friends in just a short time?" She questioned.

Knuckles shrugged a little, grinning.

" Rouge?" The fox asked.

" Yes, dear?"

" Does…Shadow need more medical attention and everything?"

" I might have to give him something for the pain, yes. Along with some new bandages. But otherwise…he's probably as fine as he's going to be for awhile."

" …W-what about Sonic?"

" Sonic…is going to need more time and treatment… You know that…"

The Guardian looked over at her with his violet eyes.

" Want me to check on him?"

" Now?"

" I wouldn't have asked if I didn't intend on doing it now…" He smirked a little at her.

She rolled her eyes at him, smiling. It was like him to try and keep the lighter spirit up in the room, considering how down everyone had been. Keeping our faith will only help things get better…I hope.

" Sure. Thank you."

The Guardian got to his feet, nodding at the two of them. He soon departed from the kitchen, while Rouge sipped on her tea. She looked over at Tails.

" You and I should work on finding out that sensor's purpose…"

" O-okay…" Tails said, shivering a little.

" But, that can wait until we get Shadow settled, dear…Don't worry about it now…"

The small boy was quiet, chewing on his toast again.

" Try not to worry…"

" It's hard…"

" I know…but we have to have faith that Sonic will get better. He won't leave us…" She laughed a little. " He's a fighter…and anyways, he's been in situations like this and he's gotten better…right?"

" Right…" Tails said, nodding. A smile appeared on his face.

She got up and rubbed his head a little.

" I'm going to go help Knuckles, okay?"

" Alright."

The white treasure hunter walked off, following the Guardian's lead. She smiled to herself, feeling a little relieved that Tails wasn't completely disheartened at the situation that they faced. Rouge rubbed her ear, pondering an approximate time that it would take the hedgehogs to recover. Shadow will most likely get better in a few days or a week or two…Sonic…God, it's so…hard to tell. His injuries are so much worse…
***

The doorknob turned. Shadow jumped as he heard a questioning comment about the lights, come from the echidna as he opened the door to Sonic's room. Knuckles blinked, staring at him.

" Shadow?!"
The ebony hedgehog moved slightly, removing his hand from Sonic's as he looked at the echidna with a small smirk. His hand was still resting on the bed though, a few inches away from where it had been. Knuckles couldn't help but smirk himself.

" Cunning little shit, aren't you?"

" I figured Rouge wouldn't let me see him, so…here I am." Shadow said, extending his left arm out slightly in a sweeping gesture.

The bat walked into the room, as if on cue, almost running into Knuckles as he stood in the doorway. She jumped a little in surprise, giving him a sock in the shoulder for just standing there, then jumped again as she saw Shadow sitting there.

" What---how…?"

He only grinned at her, reminding her of Sonic instantly, since his quills were down against his back. Just like Sonic's always were.

" Why you little…"

" I'd run, but I figure one of the two of you will tackle me, so… I'll just sit here and let you fume at me." Shadow smiled gently, rather amused at them.

Knuckles laughed as the bat next to him seethed. She glared at him, practically trying to kill him with her eyes. He only laughed harder at her then. Shadow felt himself snicker a little himself.

" Shut…up. Both of you."

The Guardian leaned up against the doorframe, still snickering a little to himself. Shadow smiled just slightly, feeling a little more comfortable being around both treasure hunters. He quieted, looking back at Sonic. Concern returned. Rouge glared at him, but her face softened quickly.
" How…long have you been in here, Shadow?"

" Not long."

" I'll go shut that water off then." Knuckles said quietly, ducking out of the room.

The bat didn't turn to watch him leave this time. She was concerned about both hedgehogs now.

" How are you feeling…?"

" Fine. The shower helped…"

" We should really get you bandaged up again."

" Sadist." He said softly, smirking a little.

" W-what?"

" You just want to douse me with antiseptic again. I'm on to you…"

She felt herself laugh a little.

" Maybe…but it will help your wounds heal."

" I know…"

" Shadow…"

" Yes?"

" …Did it help?"

" Did what help…?"

" Seeing…him. Like this…"

His ears folded slightly as he looked down. Her hands found his shoulders, rubbing gently.

" I shouldn't have asked…"

" It would have driven me crazy if I didn't see."

" I know…Tails had to see him too."

" How bad?"

" It is pretty bad, Shadow. I won't lie to you."
" What's his chance?"

" …Of surviving?"

He nodded once.

" I haven't been able to make that assumption yet."

" Don't lie."

" I'm not…"

" Are you now?"

" Shadow…please don't do this to me. I truly do not know…These next few hours…or days, are really up to him."

The black hedgehog raised his head, turning to look at her.

" W-what…? What do you mean?"

" She means it's up to him whether he lives or dies." Knuckles voice came from the door again.

They looked over to the door, finding the echidna standing there again, only this time, Tails was hiding again behind his legs. The fox was still very afraid about even going into the room. Knuckles didn't move though and had his right hand on top of the boy's head, rubbing an ear gently to get him to remain calm.

" It's…basically up to his will to live right now." Rouge said, her ears folding.

" So, you're saying…that if he gives up fighting to survive, then he'll die?"

" Yes…"

" We can't let that happen!"

" Shadow, we can only do so much… we can tend to his wounds, help him heal as much as we can…but if…he wants to die…with the state that he's in now…"

Shadow remained silent. Tails made a noise, cowering against his older friend, who only tried to coax him with another rub to his ear. Rouge noticed Shadow's hand covering Sonic's again, rubbing his knuckles a little with his thumb.

" So, what can we do?" The black hedgehog asked.
" Nothing right now…"

" There's…got to be…something."

" All we can do is hope he wakes up…"

" You mean you didn't sedate him…?"
" I did." The bat nodded slightly. " It should have wore off about an hour ago…"

" …And he's supposed to wake up."

" We don't know if he will for sure…"

Tails made another noise, closing his eyes and trembling. Knuckles looked down at him, slowly kneeling. He wrapped an arm around the fox, trying to quiet him.

" It'll be okay, kid…shh…"

Rouge frowned, hoping Tails would be alright.

" All in all…it is up to Sonic if he lives or dies."

" Think…he knows we're here…?"

The question seemed to surprise the bat a little.

" I'm…not sure. One would think he can hear us though…But he hasn't really been responsive…"

" What about his vitals?"

" Most of them are pretty good. His heart rate and breathing are weak though… I wish they were stronger, but…"

" …But?"

" But all of the vitals could be stronger. If his heart gives at any time, we have to act quickly or else we'll lose him…"

" Someone will have to sit in here and watch him."

" That was the plan."

Shadow nodded, still looking at Sonic. The hero's ears had moved a little in his sleep, but he did not wake.

" We really should get you into some new bandages."

" I suppose so…"

The white bat noticed him squeeze Sonic's hand once, then let go of it as he stood.

" Need some help?" Knuckles asked, still trying to comfort Tails.

She shook her head, motioning at the small boy with her hand. The Guardian nodded, picking the fox up now and walking off with him. Shadow looked over at them, frowning a little, and then returned his gaze to Rouge.

" Wait…who's going to watch Sonic then?"

" I will, once I'm done with you. You should probably rest some more anyway."

" But we can't leave him alone."

" It won't take me very long to bandage you up. I'm sure you can help me by doing the ones you can reach yourself."

" Then let's do it here."

Rouge blinked, noting how serious Shadow was about this.

" Alright. You win." A smile. " I'll be right back."

She left the room, leaving Shadow once again. It didn't take her long to return with the bandages…and the antiseptic.

" Oh no, not that stuff."

" Must be the 'sadist' in me." She winked at him.

He laughed. After asking him to sit down again, Rouge began cleaning his wounds with a cloth doused in the antiseptic. Shadow gripped at the chair once or twice, gritting his teeth as the biting liquid stung at his sores.

" Sorry…" She said quietly, trying not to hurt him.

" It's okay…" He said through clenched teeth.

Working quickly, Rouge finished cleaning his wounds and handed him a roll of bandages for him to wrap his arms. She tended to his back and chest as he slowly wrapped the cloth around his right arm. He gasped once when she tightened one of the bandages. Promptly apologizing, she gave the bandage a little slack and then tied it off. The hedgehog was trying to tie off a bandage around his hand, struggling slightly. She was about to start bandaging his leg when she noticed his struggle.

" Here… let me help you." She said, gently taking the bandage from his hands.

Shadow said nothing as she finished wrapping his hand, tying it off snugly.

" There. I'll just finish your leg and then you'll be all done."

He nodded at her as she went back to her work on his leg. Rouge completed her task and stood.

" All done."

Crimson eyes looked down at the bandages that were swathed over his body.

" I feel like a mummy."

" I'm sure Sonic would agree with you on that one."

The hedgehog frowned, regaining his worry.

" Are you still in a lot of pain?"

" It hurts a bit."

" I'll give you something for it."

" Don't make me sleep again."

She frowned.

" Resting will help you heal, Shadow."

" I don't want to sleep."

" Okay, I won't give you a sedative…but I'm warning you now. The painkillers usually make people drowsy, so don't be surprised if you wake up from a nap in about an hour or so."

Shadow shrugged as she turned to a cabinet. He raised an eyebrow, watching her take a jar of something out of the cabinet, and yet another needle.

" Bloody hell, don't you have anything that doesn't require you to stab me with something?"

Rouge laughed a little as she filled the needle with some blue liquid.

" You have no idea how many times I've heard that before."

" If you're giving me a sedative too…" Shadow started. "…When I wake up, you'll be in trouble…"

" I'm not going to give you a sedative, Shadow. Quit worrying about it."

She tested the needle for air bubbles and walked over to him.

" Bend over."

His eyes went wide.

" ARE YOU FUCKING---"

" I'm kidding…!" She managed to choke out through her laughter. " Give me your arm." The bat thought his reaction was the most hilarious thing she had seen in awhile.

" Sadist…" He muttered as he let her take a hold of his arm.

" Shush and hold still."

Shadow tried not to tense up as she gave him the shot. It hurt like hell, despite anything he did to prevent from tensing. A whine emitted from the ebony hedgehog as he clutched his arm, rubbing it a little.

" I still think that you're a sadist."

" Hush."

" What are you going to do now?"

" Probably watch over Sonic again. He'll need another treatment shot…so I'll probably do that shortly."

" What about that…thing that you found inside of him…?"

" Tails and I were going to take the sensor apart to try and figure out what it was recording, once I was done helping you…but I need to keep an eye on Sonic."

" I can watch him." Shadow said, looking up at her.

" You? You'll probably fall asleep in about an hour."

" You gave me a bloody sedative, didn't you?!"

He jumped quickly from being mellow to being angry. A trait that he did often. She wasn't fazed by it though.

" No! I told you! The painkillers are going to make you sleepy!"

" Jesus, you two bicker like a married couple." Knuckles said, poking his head into the room. " Try not to bother the patient…"

Both Shadow and Rouge turned to look at him.

" How's Tails?"

" He's fine… I managed to calm him down. It's hard for him though."

The bat nodded.

" How are you feeling, Shadow?" The Guardian asked.

" The pain is starting to go away…"

He nodded, smiling a little at the hedgehog. Violet turned to meet green as he glanced over at his fellow treasure hunter.

" Tails started tinkering with that sensor. He wanted me to come and get you though. Said something about having to get into the GUN Database again."

" You'll watch Sonic then?"

" Of course."

" I said that I could---H-hey! Let go of my arm, Rouge!" Shadow interjected, trying to pull his arm away from the bat.

" I have the next treatment serum readied, Knuckles. It's still sitting where I showed you they were the last time." She pulled Shadow off of the chair.

He nodded, smirking at Shadow, who was still trying to pry Rouge's fingers from his arm.

" Leggo!"
She tightened her grip, just a little, to get him to yelp slightly.

" No. You're going to relax and rest or else I will give you another sedative. Understand?!" Green eyes glared at him.

Shadow's ears had folded back, his eyes widening a little in surprise.

" Yes'm!"

" Good." And she nearly hauled the hedgehog off of his feet as she dragged him out of the room.

" Owowow…stop gripping my arm so hard!"

" Sit." Rouge instructed him once she had pulled him close enough to the couch.

" Don't treat me like I'm a chil---"

" SIT."

He sat quickly. She handed him the controller to the television, which he took reluctantly.

" Watch something and relax."

" But---"

" DO IT."

Shadow slumped a little.

" Why can't I help?!" He back talked to her, which was probably a bad idea, considering that she was already pretty enraged at his stubbornness.

" Because you're still injured and YOU need as much rest as you can get. We've had this discussion before, Shadow. Don't push it."

" Yes, Mother."

" Don't make me smack you."

He slumped again, giving off a dejected sigh. Yet another trait that reminded her of Sonic. The blue hedgehog pouted whenever he didn't win an argument. Granted, Shadow was not pouting like Sonic did, but he was annoyed that he couldn't do anything, which was close enough.

" There's books on the bookshelf if you don't want to watch anything…and a blanket next to you if you feel like taking a nap."

" I'm not going to sl---"

He shut up quickly since her glare was returning.

" I promise I'll fill you in on everything once we figure it out…"

" Alright." He gave a slight nod.

" Okay. Thank you. Please rest, Shadow."

Another nod.

She gave him a small smile, before walking off to another part of the workshop.

The hedgehog refused to sleep, so he proceeded to turn on the television. My pain has stopped, thanks to whatever she gave me… His eyelids began to feel a little heavy though, so he rubbed them, trying to get the sleep out.

He did not even remember falling asleep, some ten minutes later.
***

" What's the scoop, kid?"

Orange ears perked a little as Tails looked up from his work, wearing his odd green goggles over his large eyes. The bat tried not to snicker at him, for they always made him look silly.

" I've been taking the external plates off of it so we can hook it up to the computer to figure out its programming. We might have to worry about another GUN code though…so that's why I wanted you around, just in case we needed to hack into the Database again."

" I left us a backdoor in the Database, so if it came to that, there would be no problem." She took a seat nearby, allowing the boy his space to work. " If it comes to that though, I'm ready to dive back into the program."

Tails nodded as she put goggles on, just in case. Rouge watched him taking another plate off with a wrench, exposing circuitry and wires. The fox worked quickly but skillfully. He had always been a fast worker in her eyes.

" Did you deactivate it?"

" Technically…no."

" Why not? You could get hurt if it shocked you or something!"

" I figured that GUN would be smart enough to have a tracking device in it…if I shut it off, they'd know that we took it out of Sonic for sure."

" But they can find us now by tracking us here."

" True, but I thought Knuckles could do us a favor and take it somewhere and leave it there for them to track."

" Therefore, they'd be out of our hair for a little while."

The fox nodded, setting the removed panel down on the table.

" What do you think?" She asked.

" I think we were probably right about it simply monitoring Sonic's vital functions…since I don't see anything in here that might be trying to administer drugs to his system or something."

Rouge looked into the small spherical sensor. All she could see was circuits and other electrical panels. Nothing that might hold anything suspicious was there.

" What do you think this is?" She pointed to a piece of circuitry that did not look familiar to her eyes.

" I think it's the transmitter. For GUN's research gathering…but we'll know for sure once we find out what it was programmed to do."

The bat was fiddling with some of the connections to the main computer. She handed Tails a few wires, which he connected to input and output jacks inside the sensor's body. Rouge waited for him to give her a nod before she attached the wires to the computer itself. She opened up a diagnostic program, watching the new windows that appeared on the desktop.

Analyzing Data…

An error message popped up.

Data Encrypted. Please Enter Access Code

" Shit. You were right, kid."

" Do you think we can find it on the Database?"
" I can try…I really hope some fool was stupid enough to log in some information about it."

The treasure hunter clicked on her hacking program, using the backdoor that she had made into the GUN Database, to get back in. She worked quickly, knowing that she only had so much time before she had to mask her hacking before they were discovered.

" Give me the serial number of the sensor."

Tails flipped over the sensor, inspecting it quickly for said number. He ranted it off to her, which she quickly used to search through the Database. Hacking back into the system was no problem for her. Staying undetected, as well as finding the information that she wanted, was a little trickier. Scanning the results quickly, Rouge looked for Sonic's name in the subject of memos, or anything that concerned the Chaos Control Project. She soon came across a memo that mentioned the device and placement into one of the two hedgehogs. It had a few links to other files concerning the sensor itself, but it had the access code that they needed at the bottom of it. Stupid bastards must not have deleted it…or this is a backup copy or something. Eh, who the hell cares? It has what I need. She told Tails she found it, then typed it into the diagnostic program. It was accepted, giving them the schematics for the sensor, which had its various programs and other output commands. While Tails was looking it over, Rouge got out of the Database before she was discovered, creating a new backdoor into it, and destroyed the last one.

" Just to be safe, you know." She said as Tails had given her a look, wondering what she was doing.

He nodded and looked back at the schematics.

" Seems like we were right." A finger pointed at a program of code. " This is monitoring his bodily functions, making sure to take everything from his heart beat to his breathing into consideration."

" Wait, what's that one?" She pointed to a bit of code at the right.

" Apparently…it monitors…energy?" Tails seemed to be confused by this.

" Like…life force energy or chi?"

" No…I don't think so…I wonder what it could be?"

" I can dig in the Database again to see if that one memo had a link to another description of this device."

" Well…they did say that it was for the Chaos Control Project. Do you think it might have been something to do with that? Monitoring…whatever happens when someone does one?"

" It wouldn't surprise me. Makes the most sense." The bat said, diving back into the GUN Database.

" Maybe we should ask Shadow about what he remembers from GUN Labs?"

Rouge winced slightly, just barely noticeable.

" That might be a bad idea, dear."

Her thoughts flashed back to the crying mass of black and red fur on the floor.

" I-if you say so, Miss Rouge."

" Aha!" She cried, pulling up a new file. " I think I found something."

Tails moved closer to her, so he could read the file himself. There was no need for her to read it aloud, but the bat did it anyway, just in case.

CC Project

Subjects Sonic the Hedgehog / Shadow the Hedgehog

The project is coming along nicely. Shadow is responding well to the survival training that we have been putting him through. He has a determined will to live, therefore allowing us to monitor him and record data. Sonic has yet to be tested. We have collected many blood and tissue samples from him in order to be tested against Shadow's. Our sensor has also been installed into Sonic's body, so that we can collect even more data, which will result from another "Chaos Control" by him. Will compare this data of Sonic's to the data of Shadow.

Rouge felt her face pale a little as she continued to read the rest of the file. Tails' hand gripped her shoulder a little, as he listened.

We only hope that forcing Sonic to withstand a Chaos Control will not kill him. Our request for prolonging the scheduled time and date of his attempt at the move has not been approved by the project's head. We had hoped to give him a little more time to regain strength before attempting the feat. We fear that we will not be able to control Shadow if we do not have Sonic as a hostage. His death, is simply, not permissible.

She felt her teeth clench a little in rage. All of that…was simply for them to understand how Sonic could Chaos Control like Shadow?! They nearly killed both of them…!

" So…they experimented on Sonic so they could find out why he can Chaos Control…like Shadow…?" Tails asked quietly.

" Looks…like it."

" And they hurt Shadow so they would have this information to compare…?"

She nodded solemnly. The young boy's hand left her shoulder, dropping down to his sides. His fists tightened a little.

" They…didn't even care…if…they killed them! It was just so they could…compare information…How…cruel!!" He stomped his foot against the metal flooring, creating a little echo.

Rouge was a little surprised at his outburst. She logged out of the Database again, turning to him. She put her hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eyes.

" Tails, I'm just as upset about this as you are."

" We're going to get them for this, right?!"

She laughed.

" Don't rush into that right now. You sound like Sonic."

" But…we can't…let them…get away with this." He said, lowering his voice a little.

" We're not going to. But…what comes first?"

" …Sonic and Shadow have to get better."

" Exactly, sweetie. We've got to let them get better before we take any action. Then we'll get those bastards. I promise."

Tails nodded.

" Okay, Miss Rouge."

" C'mon. We should go tell Knuckles that our assumptions were correct."

The fox nodded, disconnecting the sensor from the computer. He put the wires away and then looked at her once more.

" We should get rid of that sensor as soon as possible."

" I know, dear. I'll ask Knuckles if he can do it for us, since he knows the best isolated places where he could dump it. Let's put it back together and then ask him if he will do us that favor."
***
Poke.

Poke…!

" Damn it…lay down…" The Guardian said in an aggravated whisper.

" What are you---" Rouge started as she and Tails entered the living room.

" Shh…" Knuckles waved his hand at her as she questioned his poking of Shadow.

The black hedgehog had nodded off on the couch. His head was slumped back against the back of it; his mouth slightly agape. Knuckles poked him in the right shoulder a couple more times, watching him slowly move to get away from the annoyance. Soon, Shadow was laying down on the couch, curling up a little. Tails stifled a giggle as the echidna covered him up with a blanket.

" How did you know that would work…?" Rouge asked in a whisper, so not to disturb the hedgehog.

" Do you know how many times a certain stubborn blue mule liked to fall asleep sitting upright, or even standing, for that matter?"

She giggled quietly.

" I guess you have a lot of experience at moving sleeping hedgehogs then."

" You'd be surprised…" He said, nodding a little. " Did you guys find out what that sensor did?"

Rouge nodded, filling the Guardian in on what they had discovered. She watched as he too began to get angry, smashing his fist in his hand a few times.

" Those fucking bastards…"

" I know…but we can't do anything about it right no---Tails, what are you doing?"
The boy was silent, very gently trying to move one of the couch pillows underneath Shadow's head. Once he accomplished that task, Tails smiled a little and got up from his kneeling position.

" I didn't want him to have a sore neck."

She couldn't help but smile at him. The small boy was so kind sometimes. It was amusing for her to see him taking care of his older friends. Knuckles rubbed the fox's head a little with his left hand.

" Sometimes I wonder about you, kid."

He giggled quietly, trying not to bother the sleeping hedgehog.

" Knuckles, do you think you can do us a favor by ditching that sensor somewhere?"

" Sure. Where do you want me to drop it?"

" I figured you would know somewhere that is so isolated, that if they do come looking, they'll have fun trying to find us."

" That'll work. They'll think that we moved Sonic from here to there, since you said it was still active."

" Where do you think you'll leave it?"

" Station Square and anywhere around here in Mystic Ruins is much too close. And I'll be damned if I let them traipse around Angel Island either, so I was thinking of taking it to where the Egg Carrier had nearly sunk before."

" You mean to that little island out there?" Tails asked.

" Sure, why not? Might as well give GUN a nice wild goose chase."

" How long will that take?"

" I should be back in the morning if I leave now. Think you can handle the fort without me?"

Rouge nodded.

" Tails, you might have to help me watch over Sonic. Are you going to be okay with that?"

The fox gulped a little nervously, but he nodded.

" Alright then. I'll grab that sensor and be on my way."

" Don't forget your shoes, Knuckles…" Rouge teased, giggling a little as he padded off, still in his bare feet.

" Oh hush."

Tails looked up at her cautiously. He was a little scared of having to help her with Sonic, but he told himself that he had to. Sonic wouldn't be scared. He'd help me if I was in his position! I can't be scared! Knuckles came back with the round sensor in his hand. He still lacked his shoes, though.

" I gave Sonic that dosage that you left for him." He told Rouge.

" Did you get any response from him?"

" Other than a little movement from being pricked again, not really."

" He's just…got to wake up."

" You know him. It's like a game to him. I bet he's just waiting for the right moment to wake up and be all like… 'Ha, I got you guys good'…" Knuckles said, chuckling a little as he thought about it. " Then I'd have to refrain from giving him a good sock to the face right there for making me worry…"

Rouge's ears pricked up at this.

" You would not, and you know it."

He laughed.

" I know. It'd be funny though. Anyway, I better be off if I want to get back by morning. I'll grab my stuff and I'm out of here then."

" Be careful."

" Aren't I always?"

" No."

The Guardian smirked, but didn't retaliate with a comment of his own. He headed up the stairs to locate his shoes and gloves. Rouge watched him for a moment, and then looked over at Tails.

" Ready?"

" A-as ready as I'm going to be."

***

Yawn…

The bat tried to stifle it, but she couldn't help it. Time had passed. It was late in the evening by now. She pondered for a moment. It had been around sunset by the time Knuckles had left. Night fell shortly after that.

And so did Tails.

The fox was curled up at her feet, sleeping soundly. I knew he wasn't going to last…but then again, he was up before everyone else. She yawned again. God…I don't think I'm going to be able to stay awake. Her eyes went back to Sonic, whose breathing had gotten a little bit better…but that was really it. He had yelped a little in his sleep when she gave him another injection, but otherwise, he was still asleep.

She frowned.

I already changed his IV and everything…He should have woken up at least once by now…

Another yawn…

And a hand touched her shoulder, startling her.

" Eep!!" She moved to look up at well rested crimson eyes.

" You're tired. Go get some sleep." Shadow said quietly, trying not to wake Tails, who was trying to latch to his feet.

" I have to keep watch on Sonic."

" Let someone else do it."

" Knuckles isn't here and I don't want to wake Tails."

" Then let me."

" You need YOUR rest, though."

" Rouge," Shadow shook his head a little. " I've been asleep since those painkillers kicked in. I have a lot more rest in me than you do. So don't argue. I'll keep an eye on Sonic for you."

" Shadow, I---"

" You're not going to win this time, Rouge. Not this time."

She knew he was right. She could barely keep her eyes open. He had slept for hours and was really the only one who could sit up for another unknown length of time to keep watch. The bat stood, taking her hand off of Sonic's, and pointed to one of the machines.

" If that one goes off, you'll have to---"

" I know what to do if it does."

" W-what?"

" I know how it works."

" How?"

" Rouge, you're not the only one around here with some medical skills, you know. I was taught various things on ARK. Which includes how to operate these machines, as well as other things…"

The treasure hunter didn't argue. She knew that Shadow most likely knew these things due to training that he went through in his young life, and probably because he was pumped so full of information due to his time on ARK.

" Alright…you win. But if you get tired, come wake me up…okay?"

He nodded.

" Promise?"

" I promise."

" Okay…thanks, Shadow."

" Mind taking my new foot ornament with you?"

Tails had latched to Shadow's ankle, hugging it in his sleep. Rouge laughed a little, bending down to pick the fox up. She had to pry his small hands from Shadow, but managed to get him off.

" I'll get him to bed and I'll probably be asleep on the couch, if you need me."

" Use the bed in my room. At least try to be somewhat comfortable."

She blinked at him.

" But, you'll need it."

" Not if we trade places when I'm tired. I'm supposed to wake you up, right?"

A grin.

She returned his grin with her own.

" Good night, Shadow."

" Night."

The bat departed, carrying Tails off with her. Shadow sat down in the chair, looking Sonic over once more. Looks like his regained a little color and his breathing is better…He gave a small sigh of relief. Promising…If everything keeps getting better, then he'll live and it will be…well, a lot better for all of us.

The black hedgehog gently covered the azure one's hand again.

" Just letting you know that someone else is here. Rouge was tired. It's not like we left you alone again…"

He sighed. What am I doing? I'm talking to him like he can hear me…He probably can't…Maybe he knows I'm here though, in some little way. Shadow gave Sonic's hand a little squeeze, trying to let him know that he hadn't gone anywhere. He tried to relax in the chair, thinking about everything that had happened. I'm kind of surprised he hasn't woken up yet though… I mean, he's been asleep even longer than I have been…

Shadow didn't realize how long it had been since he took over the watch on the fallen hedgehog. It didn't matter to him. His ears flicked a little as the machine monitoring Sonic's heart rate picked up slightly, making steadier beeps. His heart rate just increased a little, to an almost normal range. That's great… He moved slightly to relax again, giving Sonic's hand another gentle squeeze.

And paused.

He felt fingers gripping his own.

He looked down, not believing it at first.

But sure enough…

…Sonic's hand was squeezing his. Just slightly.

A quiet groan…and movement.

Shadow felt like he should run and get Rouge to let her know that Sonic finally gave him a response. He started to get up, but felt Sonic's grip tightened a little when he had tried to let go of his hand. Sitting down again, Shadow watched, noticing something else. Did his eyelids move…? Another quiet groan. The black hedgehog stared, in disbelief. Is he…really…?

Slowly, blue eyelids opened…showing familiar green eyes. Sonic's eyes remained half lidded, as he looked about for a second, and then turned his head to focus on Shadow.

" So-Sonikku! You're---!"

The blue hedgehog smiled just slightly, still looking weakened.

" …hey…Shadow…what'd I miss…?"
***

And with that, we conclude with Chapter 13. The next chapter might take me a little while to get out, since I'm often times busy with other work, or my personal life. I also had a bit of a block when it came to this story, and for that, I apologize.

I want to thank the people who keep me writing. I do this for myself, but I also do it for my friends and fans of my work, even those who aren't Sonic Fans like I am. Especially from those who send me emails, notes, other things, cheering me on to keep it up when my self confidence is down.

To: Sonic No Miko/Yuzuriha Nekoi, Son Gosai, Orin, Ivory, and Cutie. I appreciate the emails, notes, and various flag waving for me and my writing.

To those who have reviewed me: I really appreciate it as well. The 100+ reviews on this story have also helped me to continue it.

To my other friends, who are basically rabid and try to kill me on a daily basis in order to suck the writing juices out of me, thanks for being rabid. My daily running from you only preserves my writing for more people to read.

Sonic: Are you done now being sappy?

Oh shush. Do you want me to just leave it now? I can stop writing…and we'll never know if you get better or not!

Sonic: W-what?!?! I FINALLY GOT SOME FREAKING AIRTIME!!!

Shadow: ::snickers::

Ha! ^_^ So if you want more, shush.

Sonic: Did I mention that I hate you?

You'll hate me more when Unknown hits FF.NET.

Sonic: ….rage…building….

^_^ Bye for now! Thanks again!