A/N: As I drift ever closer to the end of this fic, I think about how accomplished I feel that I managed to write up such a long work and how sad I feel knowing that only like two people have put in the majority of reviews. Nevertheless, I will continue on to the end, because there is a moral to all of this, I promise.

Feeling better about himself, Shadow went down to the game room and to the seventh-gen kiosk. Rather than playing that Executioner game for the Xbox 360, he chose a far more peaceful and family-friendly affair: Animal Crossing: City Folk for the Wii. He particularly liked the soundtrack because it was so peaceful. However, the game made him somewhat sad because it didn't give him the option to hug any of the villagers and he thought that some of the female villagers were particularly cute. Eventually, he heard the doorbell, so he saved the game, shut it off, put the disc and case in the "RETURN" slot and went to answer the door. Rouge and Hope were there, carrying some bags.

"ROUGE! HOPE!"

With a big smile on his face, Shadow gave Rouge a big hug, and Hope joined in as well.

"Well, you're in a way better mood!" said Rouge. "I guess that therapy appointment did you well!"

"Truth be told, I didn't make lots of progress, but I do feel as though a weight has been lifted from my furry chest."

"And I'm glad to hear it!" said Hope. "By the way, Rouge and I stopped at this Chunanese takeout place called Dragon House and got tonight's supper!"

"I am intrigued," said Shadow.

By Shadow's estimations, Rouge and Hope had to have gotten at least 60 Mobiums worth of food. Rather than waste time asking, he simply put some on his plate: orange-flavor beef, chicken teriyaki and pork-fried rice. He took a piece of chicken teriyaki, bit into it and smiled.

"Rouge, you've truly outdone yourself with this one!" said Shadow.

Rouge smiled. "I know, right? I haven't had this kind of food in ages!"

"MY ANALOGIC CIRCUITS PREDICT THAT I WOULD BECOME OVERWHELMED WITH SADNESS FROM BEING UNABLE TO CONSUME ANY OF THIS…THAT IS, IF I HAD ANY EMOTIONAL CIRCUITS," said Omega.

Hope and Rouge laughed.

"Omega, you're such a riot!" said Rouge.

"NO, I AM A ROBOT," said Omega.

"Hey, I didn't know you were capable of jokes!" said Hope.

"I DO NOT HAVE A HUMOR MODULE INSTALLED," said Omega.

Hope and Rouge laughed again. Meanwhile, Shadow smiled, knowing that he was having great food in great company. Maybe Rouge was right; perhaps society would get the message if him and Hope continued to treat each other with love and kindness.

After supper, Shadow, Rouge, Hope and Omega decided to watch TV.

"Hope, you get to pick the program tonight!" Rouge handed the remote to Hope.

Hope brought up the interactive guide and browsed through the channels for a bit. Fortunately for Shadow, she chose ESPN 8 Mobius, which was currently showing…

"On tonight's episode of Celebrity Arm Wrestling, we've got just one more thing as the inimitable Lieutenant Frank Columbo takes on the unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt!" said an announcer. "Plus, it's duke-on-duke action as Duke Nukem faces off against the Duke of New York! Who will be A-Number-One? Find out! Plus, Lara Croft vs. Spider-Man, Solid Snake vs. Cloud Strife, and much more! And here are your hosts…Lou McFly and Brooke Bradshaw!"

"Welcome to another exciting round of Celebrity Arm Wrestling!" said Lou, a green walrus. "Lieutenant Columbo vs. Kimmy Schmidt? That's gonna be a real slobberknocker for ya!"

"Tell me about it!" said Brooke, a brunette with feathered hair. "You know, they don't call Kimmy Schmidt 'unbreakable' for nothing, especially considering her comeback from that near-defeat against Naoto Shirogane in last year's World Arm Wrestling Championships!"

"Yeah, I can't believe how ripped Ms. Shirogane was! Anyways, for our first exciting matchup, we take you live to the Mobius Royal Coliseum, where world-famous tomb raider Lara Croft faces off against the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!"

The camera feed cut to the Mobius Royal Coliseum, where Lara Croft and Spider-Man sat at a table in the middle of a path usually used for pole vaulting. Though not audible, the referee told both parties that he wanted a fair match and wished them the best of luck before giving a 3-2-1 countdown.

"And here they go!" said Lou. "Neither side looks to be giving up any ground…but OH! It looks like Lara Croft is gaining the advantage over…"

For a brief couple of seconds, a loud buzzer from the PA drowned out the audio from the program.

"Unrecognized visitors at entrance," said a synthesized voice over the PA. "Please confirm identity."

Rouge tapped Shadow on the shoulder. "Stay here, I'll be back…"

Rouge got up from the couch and walked to the front door. Shadow's ear twitched – which indicated that his Hedgehog Sense was tingling – and he got up as well.

"Shaddy, where are you going?" asked Hope.

"I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be back soon…"

Shadow walked away.

As for Rouge, she looked at the high-definition monitor next to the door, which was hooked up to an outside security camera. It showed a gray hippo in a gray suit and matching fedora, as well as a human with curly brown hair in a tan suit. Rouge gently cracked the door open.

"Can I help you two?" asked Rouge.

The two flashed their badges. "Sergeant Stauerbach, Emerald City Police Department. This is my partner, Detective Moroder."

"May we come in, ma'am?" asked Moroder.

"Allow me to step outside…"

Rouge gently opened the door and stepped out to meet Stauerbach and Moroder, smiling.

"Now, how can I help you two fine gentlemen?"

"You must be Rouge the Bat," said Stauerbach.

"Good guess, Sarge! This is where I live, if you must know!"

"We were hoping that you could answer a few questions for us…" said Moroder.

Rouge lost her smile and crossed her arms. "Look, if I'm being accused of a crime, I have a right to a lawyer. I'm not stupid, you know!"

"We're not accusing you of anything," said Stauerbach. "We just want to know about a friend of yours."

"Who?"

"You're friends with a Mr. Shadow the Hedgehog, am I correct?" said Moroder.

Rouge nodded. "I know him. Why?"

"How long have you known Shadow for?" asked Stauerbach.

Rouge put her index finger on her cheek. "Oh, about 11 months, give or take."

"Does he ever stay at your mansion?" asked Moroder.

"He does stay here on occasion, yes," replied Rouge.

"What is he like?" asked Stauerbach. "What are his personal habits and hobbies?"

"He's a strong loner," replied Rouge. "He mostly takes up solitary activities such as meditation, reading or exercise."

"Have you noticed any changes in his behavior lately?" asked Moroder.

Rouge put a hand on her hip. "He has expressed concern over the rioting in Emerald City, but other than that, he's been a very good boy."

"Do you keep any weapons in your mansion?" asked Stauerbach.

"Define 'weapons'," replied Rouge.

"You know, knives, swords…firearms."

"Aside from my cooking utensils, automotive tools and martial arts supplies, there is a room where we keep guns. I assure you that they're all legally owned and properly stored, though."

"We don't doubt that," said Moroder. "May we speak with Shadow?"

"You could…if he was here, that is."

"Well…we'll just have to see for ourselves!"

Stauerbach pulled out a search warrant and showed it to Rouge. In short, it explained that all rooms of Rouge's mansion were to be searched for Shadow, but they were forbidden from looking out of plain sight without probable cause, which meant no peeking in medicine cabinets or the like. The warrant had been signed by Magistrate D. Arnold Gagneux of the 7th District Judicial Office. Rouge nodded.

"Well, who am I to argue with a warrant?" said Rouge. "Come on in, gentlemen!"

Rouge stepped aside and let Stauerbach and Moroder in. Noticing Hope sitting at the TV, they walked over to the living room.

"Excuse me, young lady…" said Stauerbach.

Hope paused the program. "Um…who are you two?"

Stauerbach and Moroder flashed their badges. "Sergeant Stauerbach, Emerald City Police Department. This is my partner, Detective Moroder."

Hope smiled. "Well, good evening. Can I help you two?"

"We're looking for Shadow the Hedgehog," said Moroder. "We have a warrant to search this mansion for him. Have you seen him around?"

Hope shook her head. "No, I haven't."

"OK, sorry to bother you," said Stauerbach. "Carry on with your show."

Hope nodded and unpaused the program.

"That's a good one, by the way." Moroder smiled.

Stauerbach and Moroder got on with their search of the mansion. Unbeknownst to them, Rouge was following them as carefully as possible.

"You know what I think, Sarge?"

"What?"

"You know that security camera outside and the one we're passing by?"

"What about 'em?"

"Well, they gotta be connected to a central security room, right?"

"Most likely."

"So, I thought: if we can find this security room and check all the monitors, maybe we can find out where Shadow is for sure."

"Hank, that's a very nice idea, but there's only one problem with it…"

"What?"

"We can't go around messing with computer equipment unless it's already turned on. That's against the warrant. Besides, we've got enough bad press as it is."

"Right."

Stauerbach and Moroder searched every room in the mansion. It took quite a while, but they missed Shadow, who was hiding in one of Rouge's bedroom closets, standing as still as a statue. This was because he was hiding behind some clothes and tall black leather boots when the two detectives looked in there.

"Come on, let's go," said Stauerbach.

Moroder nodded. "You know, I knew G.U.N. employees had some neat housing arrangements, but this is way better than what my family and I have."

"You don't suppose she obtained this legally, did she?"

"You never know. With the kind of salary she probably gets and whatever connections she has, I wouldn't put it past her."

Stauerbach nodded. "Uh-huh."

Meanwhile, Rouge was waiting for Stauerbach and Moroder at the front door with her usual smile.

"Good night, detectives!" said Rouge. "Have a safe trip!"

"We'll try," said Stauerbach.

Stauerbach and Moroder exited the mansion.

"You know, I had a thought about Shadow and that bomb…" said Moroder.

"What?"

"Given that we found some of his quills, what if he used his body to cover up the bomb and absorb most of the blast?"

"With a bomb that big? He woulda been vaporized when it went off!"

"Not necessarily. According to what I found out, Shadow was created as 'The Ultimate Life Form', so it's likely that he's invincible to conventional weapons."

Stauerbach facepalmed. "Jesus…just what we need: a killer who can't be killed! How are we gonna go up against that?"

"Why don't we let him go and let G.U.N. handle it? Odds are, he'll get complacent and get picked up working at a car wash in some podunk little town like Quartz Village."

"Hank…shut the hell up."

Stauerbach and Moroder got back in their Biscayne and drove away.

Meanwhile, in Rouge's mansion, Rouge decided to grab a snack from the pantry.

"Are they gone?" asked Shadow.

Rouge shrieked, turned around and thrust her finger at him. "Shaddy, DON'T sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry. Now tell me, who was it that my Hedgehog Sense was telling me about?"

"Those two men were detectives from the Emerald City PD. They were looking for you."

Shadow crossed his arms. "Did they say why?"

"They said they wanted to talk to you, but about what I don't know."

"Hmph, it's probably about the bomb. They probably think I was the one who set it."

Rouge put a hand on Shadow's shoulder. "Shaddy…is there something you're not telling me?"

Shadow loosened his stance. "No."

"Are you sure?"

"It's one of the few things I am sure of right now."

"OK, I trust you. Just make sure it's not misplaced, got it?"

Shadow nodded. "I understand…Mama."

Rouge giggled. "Wait…did Sonic tell you to call me that?"

"No, I just did that of my own free will. I do think there's a certain appeal to it, given that women are the mothers of this planet."

"You're too kind, honey!"

Rouge gave Shadow another hug, which he returned.

Nothing notable happened for the rest of the night. Once again, Shadow added another entry to his journal.

"Dear Journal: last night, I had a horrible nightmare about Mephiles and Black Doom trying to pay me back for hitting Hope. I guess this means I'm just as much of a person as anyone else. Things got better today, however. After listening to some sad rock songs, I went down to the firing range and practiced with the M79. I think I could make some really nice works of art with those practice rounds.

After lunch, I headed to my appointment in Emerald City, and I must say, Rouge couldn't have picked a more beautiful woman to be my therapist. I know I haven't expressed much interest in such a thing in the past, and I recognize the boundaries between therapists and clients, but still, female beauty is a wonderful thing. Now, about the appointment: I can't say too much, but it allowed me to get something off of my chest without any consequences whatsoever. I even have another appointment coming two weeks from now, on June 10.

When I got back to the mansion, I played a game I hadn't played in a while: Animal Crossing: City Folk. It was a fun break from the Executioner games I usually enjoy, and I must say, some of the female villagers in that game are very pleasing to my eyes. That aside, Rouge and Hope brought home some really good takeout for supper. Between that and the food from the cookout, I doubt we'll ever go hungry again. Not everything was so good, though: two detectives from the Emerald City Police showed up and wanted to ask me some questions, but I stayed out of their sight. Rouge wondered if there was something I wasn't telling her, however. Fortunately, we hugged each other, so everything should be good now."

Shadow put his stuff away and cuddled with Hope. Despite his reluctance to dream, he did his best to go to sleep anyways. Soon, he was dreaming that he was in a grassy field on a clear, sunny day. On a nearby hill, he thought he could perceive two figures, so he briskly walked up the hill. There on top of the hill was not only Hope…but also Maria. Both ladies were sitting on a picnic blanket, with a small but perfect assortment of food.

"Hey Shaddy!" said Hope. "Nice of you to join us!"

"Hope…you know Maria?"

"Of course!" said Maria. "She's my first cousin once removed!"

Hope beckoned to Shadow. "Come sit down with us!"

With a hint of reluctance about him, Shadow did so.

"Here, have some chicken!" Hope handed Shadow a fried chicken thigh.

"You know, I'm glad to see you again, Maria." Shadow took a bite of his chicken.

"Thanks, Shadow…or shall I call you 'Shaddy'?" said Maria.

Shadow swallowed. "Call me whatever you wish."

"Well, 'Shaddy' is a pretty cute name…"

"It was Rouge's idea."

"Speaking of which, how's she doing?"

"She's doing well, thank you."

"Hey Shaddy," said Hope. "When you're done with that chicken, you gotta check out that water fountain over there!"

Shadow nodded. "Right."

Shadow finished up his chicken thigh as quickly as he could, put the chicken bones into a plastic bag used for trash and then walked up to the water fountain – or "bubbler" as it would be called in certain regions. There was a small step so that he could easily reach the spout. He pressed the button on the side to take a drink, only to find that it wasn't water, but Pepsi. He smiled.

"Hey Hope, this is a great water fountain!" said Shadow.

Suddenly, he heard giggling behind him, but before he could react, Maria locked her arms around his biceps and held him down.

"Oh no, please tell me you're not going to turn into Mephiles or something!" said Shadow.

Maria chuckled. "Don't worry, it's not like that, Shaddy! Hope, come on over!"

Hope put down her barbecue rib, cleaned her fingers off and walked over to Shadow.

"Ready?" said Hope. "Here it comes!"

"HOPE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

At this point, Shadow woke up. On one hand, he wanted the dream to last longer, but on the other hand, he was grateful that this dream was so pleasant.

Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.