Chapter 1

"Rosie! Where're my spectacles?"

"In the parlor, love! The parlor!"

"I've checked the parlor! They weren't there!"

"What about the observatory?"

"No, checked their too!"

Sir Charles Wachowski was far from a patient man on a good day, but today of all days promised to push his temper much father than ever before. He had received a text message from his distant nephew that he and his wife would be coming down for a visit to the old Wachowski manor for the week. Apparently, Rosy had agreed to it behind the good Sir Charles' back. It wasn't that he hated his nephew, he was actually rather proud that he carried the tradition of law enforcement, but things were exactly in the best of straights at the moment. It was only made worse that he couldn't see a blasted thing without his spectacles. As the half blind man stumbled and thrashed through the parlor, knocking off the antique lamp from its table and the old candlesticks from the hearth, his silver-haired sweetheart entered, tightening her shall as she did her best to straighten her dress. She had been a might busy in the kitchen preparing for their guests and had only just gotten ready. She watched her husband for a solid minute before marching over and plucking something from the rat's nest he called hair.

"I believe these're what you're so hot for, love?"

Sir Charles spun around, and he blushed deeply at the sight of his favored spectacles pinched between his wife's fingers. He gratefully accepted them, and he carefully balanced them on the bridge of his nose, giving his stringing mustache a test wiggle to ensure they stayed.

"You truly are the love of my life, Rosie dear." He cooed as he took the lady by the hand. "Honest, I don't deserve you."

Rosie gave her nose a playful turn.

"Flattery gets you nowhere, Mr. Wachowski. Tom's already on his way. Says he's already in England."

"That fast?" Sir Charles gasped. "Good mercy, he blooming magic or something?"

Rosie gave her eyes a small role.

"Now love, there's nothing to worry about. The little sparrow is behaving, and nobody go out in the old wood no more."

"It ain't just that, love." Sir Charles said with a shake of his head. "What if Tom finds out about…well, you know."

Rosie frowned.

"He's gonna find out, Chuckie. If not now, then later, and it is better were the words to come from you than…her."

Sir Charles sighed deeply. Tom was such a good boy, and he had many memories of visiting him when he was young. He was his brother's child without a doubt, and as good a man as any. If there was one thing Charles couldn't stand the thought of, it was upsetting that boy. He unfortunately would have to face the music anyhow when he heard a car horn blare from the front lawn.

Outside, Tom and Maddie lugged their heavy bags out of the truck, three in particular giving them the most trouble.

"Again with the pickled farts smell?!" Sonic whined from his bag. "Seriously, we have washing machines for reasons people!"

"I'm kinda with Sonic on this one." Tails whimpered from his bag. "I'm kinda cramped in here, and something's poking me."

"I for one am perfectly fine." Muttered Knuckles from his bag. "I have trained for many years to withstand any torment, no matter how stifling, cramped, and it feels like the walls are closing in…GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!"

"Shhhh!" Maddie hissed. "Wait till we get you to the room and we'll let you out. We can't let uncle Chuck see you!"

As for Tom, he was taking in the old Wachowski homestead, breathing in the sights with immense reverence. Before moving to America for a, quote unquote, simpler life, Tom's father Richard had lived in this very manor since birth. Tom knew all the old stories of how his father had been born in parlor during a blizzard, how he had learned to hunt fox when he was twelve (a story he had not told Tails), and all of the hijinks he and uncle Chuck had gotten up to when they were teens. There was a lot of history here, and Tom was ecstatic to be a part of it.

"You guys are gonna love this place." Tom told the boys. "You can't beat this old country charm."

"It's certainly better than the view and the smell in here." Sonic muttered, but he was shushed again when the front door opened.

Coming out to greet them was Sir Charles and Rosie, and the four adults embraced and offered the usual salutations.

"It's so great to see you again, Uncle Chuck!" Tom said, giving his uncle a hearty handshake. "You seem to be doing well."

"As fine as brandy, Tommy boy." Sir Charles chuckled. "Lovely to see you as well. Hope the crossing of the pond wasn't too much of a trek. Never had the stomach for it myself, frankly."

"Nah, it was over in a blink." Tom said with a knowing smirk. "Like I didn't even see the water."

"Oh, Maddie, you're as lovely as Tom described and more." Rosie tittered as Maddie blushed. "I hear you're also a veterinarian, yes? Maybe you could give ol' Anny a check up. Lovely little mare, but she's been a bit uppity of late."

"Here now, love." Sir Charles piped in. "What's the bother of bothering her? She's on vacation for bollocks sake."

"Oh, it's no issue." Maddie said. "Horses are actually a specialty of mine. Just let me bring up our bags and I'll go and have a look."

"Oh pish tosh!" Rosie tutted. "You'll do no such thing. Snively!"

From out of out came a short, finely dressed man with a long nose. He wore a rather sour look on his face, an expression that told everyone how loath he was to be there and to see everyone.

"Yes, madam?" The man asked in a shrill, nasally voice.

"Do be a dear and fetch my nephew and his wife's things. You know their room: upper floor, left corridor, fourth room on the left. Do try not to mix it up this time."

"Of course…madam." The man grumbled as he trudged past.

He gathered up the bags in each arm, though he struggled to lift their combined weight.

"You sure you don't need help, pal?" Tom asked.

"Oh, of course not, sir!" Snively replied dryly. "I simply adore my work. I love nothing more than to lift heavy things to the point of snapping my arms like toothpicks before I've even had my morning toast. Back breaking labor like this is what I live for."

"Ok."

Snively balked as Tom and the other adults walked off, making their way for the stables.

"As ignorant of sarcasm as his relatives, I see." He grumbled with a sneer. "One of these days, I do so swear."

It took the better part of an hour, as well as numerous rest breaks for Snively to finally drop off the bags in the appointed room. He was not, however, very neat about the bags' placements, opting to merely throw them into room with mindless abandon before storming off to do something else. With the door shut, slammed actually, and privacy at last established, the three Mobians burst from their hiding places, a sock hanging from Sonic's ear.

"Oh gosh!" He groaned as he popped a kink out of his back. "That jerk is so only getting one star on Yelp."

"He is both dishonorable, and he smells like old mustard." Knuckles agreed, shaking off the bag that was now stuck to his foot.

"So we met a local that was far from accommodating." Tails said as he cleared his own bag without difficulty. "At least Tom's relatives are nice. Maybe we'll get to meet them."

"Sure sure, but that can come later." Sonic said with a hint of urgency. "Gotta go fast!"

He disappeared in a blur, and in the distance they could hear a toilet flushing. A moment later, Sonic was back and spraying himself with deodorant.

"Ok, so the guy's a creep, but at least he keeps a clean bathroom. Well, I mean it was clean."

"Oh, Sonic!" Tails wretched. "TMI!"

"I did not have to hear that." Knuckles muttered.

"Oh, relax guys." Sonic said as he jumped onto the bed. "We're on vacation, remember? Let's have some fun, enjoy ourselves, maybe watch some Doctor Who or something."

"I do not feel like that is anything different than what we do at home." Knuckles said, taking out the Master Emerald. "I do not like the idea of of this vacation ritual. We are unfamiliar in this territory, and far too open to surprise attack."

Sonic eyed the large gem.

"Why'd you even bring that? We could've just let Wade watch it."

Knuckles flashed him a look.

"Ok, yeah, answered my own question there. Still, can that big rock even do anything anymore? I mean, the chaos emeralds flew off to who knows where."

"It is the symbol of my ancestors' greatness and power." Knuckles said, pounding his chest for effect. "I am a proud echidna warrior, and I shall guard it with my life to my very last breath."

Sonic rolled his eyes.

"Yeesh, you really do need this vacation. You're way too tense."

"I think of it as focused."

"Sonic has a point, Knuckles." Tails pointed out. "No offense, but ever since you've come to live with us, you've kinda been…destructive."

He was of course referring to the numerous holes he had punched into the walls while he was training, how he kept "power bumping" baseballs through the score signs at the ballpark, and how he would always uproot a tree to throw at the mailman for trespassing.

"I do not see the problem." Knuckles said with a shrug. "I am simply doing what I always have in order to survive."

"But that's the thing, Knucklehead." Sonic said. "You're living with us, now. La Vida Wachowski. You could learn to loosen up a little."

Knuckles frowned and looked at the floor.

"I am…uncertain. I have been fighting my entire life, training and working hard to be the best I can be. I do not think I can, as you say, loosen up. My muscles are always tight."

Again, Sonic rolled his eyes.

"Clearly, this is going to be a working vacation."

He hopped down from the bed, and he wrapped an arm around Knuckles' shoulder.

"Just stick with me, kid. When it comes to hanging out and living loose, I am the king. I shall take you under my wing, grasshopper, and mold you in the ways of the hedgehog."

Knuckles scowled, and he shrugged him off.

"I am neither a grasshopper nor a hedgehog. I am one billion percent echidna warrior!"

"No, I wasn't…" Sonic started, but then he decided to drop it. "Whatever. Let's get out of here and look around. I'm going stir crazy."

"Should we, though?" Tails asked. "It's barely the afternoon. What if someone sees us?"

Sonic chuckled.

"Tails, I've lived my entire life hiding out from the people of Green Hills. Trust me when I say, I know how to stay hidden and have fun at the same time. Follow me!"

He disappeared again in a flash, leaving Knuckles and Tails behind. A moment later, Sonic returned, tapping his toe irritably.

"You guys are just so slow! Come on, already!"

"Just pace yourself a bit more, ok?" Tails chuckled sheepishly before following him out.

Knuckles looked back to the Master Emerald, gathering it up and then putting it back in the bag. He looked around, and then he punched a hole in a wall before stuffing the bag inside. A portrait moved over the hiding spot later, and he was on his way out to join his friends.