Vanilla burst awake and bolted upright, breathing heavily. She looked around and saw that she was in her bedroom. This didn't make her feel any better about the nightmare she had just had. She put her head in her hands and sobbed softly.
After a few minutes, Vanilla heard a voice. "Mom?"
Vanilla wiped her eyes and looked up. There was Cream in the doorway with Cheese by her side.
"Are you okay?" inquired Cream. "We heard you crying."
Vanilla sniffled, "No, I'm not."
Cream sat next to her in bed. "Was it the dream about dad?"
Vanilla nodded, then she looked rather frustrated. "Why does this always happen around this time of year? The Christmas season is supposed to be happy."
Cream held her hand. "I get it, mama. I miss him, too." Cheese hugged Vanilla's arm.
Vanilla really didn't want to be alone when she was in this state of mind. "Would you like to stay with me tonight?"
"Of course," Cream replied, and she cuddled up to her mother. Cheese lay down at the foot of the bed and curled up.
Soon, Vanilla and Cheese had dozed off, but Cream was still awake. Ever since her father's disappearance, Cream had always hoped for a sign that he could still be out there, no matter how small it was. She saw a shooting star from outside the window. Approaching it, she put her hands together and made her wish.
Meanwhile, up in Glacial Fields, Team Dark was exploring a cavern.
"Are you sure this is the right one?" Shadow questioned. "It feels like we've been going in circles."
"Of course it is," Rouge insisted. "This map says so. If we look in the very back, there will be gems, ripe for the picking."
They reached a dead end. There were no gems in sight, only rocky walls. Omega saw a torn piece of a photo on the ground. The picture had Ice on it.
"But…how?" Rouge asked, greatly puzzled.
"Just a moment," Shadow said, taking the map. He turned it and furrowed his brow. "This was upside down."
Rouge was surprised and embarrassed. "…I meant to do that."
"Mission failed," deadpanned Omega, tossing the torn piece over his shoulder. He turned to leave, and Shadow followed him.
"Can't we look around some more?" Rouge inquired. The other two were not paying attention, though, as they were already making their way out of there. Rouge was admittedly quite tired herself, so with a sigh, she decided to just come back another time. Before she walked out with the others, she looked at the ripped part. She noticed that it still looked like it was in mint condition, so she thought it could be quite expensive and wondered where the other pieces were.
The next day, Cream and Amy were going on a walk together. A snowflake landed on Cheese's nonexistent nose, causing them to sneeze. Amy and Cream laughed.
"They're so cute when they sneeze," Cream cooed.
"By the way, what are you getting your mom for Christmas?" Amy asked.
"Haven't really decided," Cream said.
"I'm gonna get Sonic some new shoes, he'll love those," Amy sighed dreamily.
Just then, Team Dark passed by. They all looked quite grumpy.
"What's the matter?" Cream asked.
"We spent hours looking in a cave in Glacial Fields and we found nothing," Rouge complained.
"This can be attributed to Rouge's bumbling," Omega snarked.
Rouge ignored Omega's remark and smirked before taking out the photo fragment. "But we did find this thing in there. Do you think it's part of something rare or pricey?"
Cream gasped and her ears perked up. "That's my dad! I knew it! I knew he was still alive!" She gave Rouge a big hug, which startled her. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Amy was bewildered. "Y-you have a dad? Why didn't you tell me?"
Cheese looked at Cream in excitement. Cream told Amy, "No time to explain, I better go." She took the photo fragment, and with a flap of her ears, she took flight with Cheese following close behind. Amy watched them go, and she was still rather muddled.
On the other hand, Rouge had a grim look. She felt a twinge of guilt for having thought of getting rich off something so important to Cream.
In the Chaotix Detective Agency, Vector was playing classic carols on his headphones, Charmy was putting decorations in higher areas, and Espio was meditating. There was a knock at the door. Charmy dropped what he was doing- literally, as he dropped the wreath right on Espio's head- and answered the door.
"Hi, Mr. Vector, Mr. Espio, and Mr. Charmy," Cream greeted with a curtsy. "I've got a case for you."
Vector did not hear her, as music was still playing on his headphones. Charmy lifted his headphones off and yelled, "Hello, anyone there?!"
Vector yelped and shook his head. "Wha- what's goin' on?!"
Cream cleared her throat quietly. "My mom's been really sad."
Vector stood up at the mention of Vanilla and his face lit up. "Yeah? What about her?"
"She's been missing my dad lately," Cream told him.
Vector's heart sank. He never knew that Vanilla had any significant other, and he really thought that he had a chance with her. However, he kept listening.
"He fell over an avalanche in Glacial Fields when I was little," Cream explained. "We've missed him, and nothing's really been the same since."
For once, Espio looked rather affected by this. He had a look of sympathy rather than his usual expression of aloof tranquility. Charmy was saddened by this information, too.
"So, I was just wondering, um, could you please try to find him?" she asked, and she showed them the torn photo. "This is what he looks like. Rouge found this in Glacial Fields, and I think this means he's still in that place."
Vector was quiet. He was crushed by the fact that Vanilla still had eyes for someone else, but he did his best to remain professional. He stood up and walked over to her.
Cream then started to look worried. "Oh, it's been years. He could be hungry, cold, and hurt."
Vector kneeled to her level. "I swear to ya, kid. We'll get him back."
"Oh, how can I repay you?" Cream asked, deeply grateful.
"Don't you worry about that," Vector answered. "This is a priceless kind of case."
"It'll take time for us to prepare," Espio advised.
"Ooh, how about we go first thing tomorrow?" Charmy suggested.
"Sure," Vector said.
They all began to pack.