"That's the spirit, Silv!" called a booming voice from Silver's left side. Startled, Silver jumped, and then blinked into focus the three figures that were approaching him.

"Oh, hi, guys," he greeted the Chaotix, his heart still pounding.

"We couldn't help but notice you making declarations to yourself," Espio said, "We were wondering if you were all right."

"Maybe the cold's getting to his head and freezing his brain," Charmy remarked, stifling a giggle. Vector pulled the hovering insect from the air and held him close to his own scaly face.

"Quiet, Charmy! That's a serious condition!"

Silver was about to tell Vector that his brain was just fine, when Espio appeared behind the hedgehog.

"What they're trying to say is that we were wondering if everything is okay," Espio said, concern actually creeping into his soft voice.

Silver scratched the back of his head.

"Uh, yeah, I guess. It's just that . . ."

He stopped mid-sentence as Vector and Charmy had suddenly stopped arguing to listen intently to what Silver had to say.

"Well," he continued, eyeing the two, "I need to find a gift for Blaze, and I don't know what to get her."

"No problem; we got ya covered!" Vector announced, slapping Silver on the back before he could finish explaining.

"Well, you see-"

"We can help you shop! We'd be happy to help, right, boys?!"

"But wait, I-"

"You don't have to worry!" Vector boomed, leading Silver down the sidewalk by his shoulders. "Team Chaotix is here to save the day!"

"Helping, helping, we are helping!" Charmy sang, "I'll bet I'm getting more stuff for bein' good!"

Silver realized that his attempts to explain the real situation were not going to get across to the Chaotix. He kept his mouth shut and decided to just go with the flow. Who knows? Maybe Team Chaotix would give him some decent ideas.

Vector's mindset in any situation, whether it's solving a case or helping a friend, is pure determination. He made this clear a bit too loudly as he paraded through the stores with Silver's shoulder in his palm.

"See anything she might like, Silv, old boy?" Vector bellowed, causing many of the quieter shoppers in a small candle shop to to shush him. Silver chuckled nervously and carefully removed Vector's hand from his small shoulder.

"Well, uh . . . th-these do all smell very nice," he remarked, not unsincerely. At this point, Silver didn't want to hurt Vector's feelings by telling him this didn't seem quite right for Blaze. She needed something a bit more . . . worthwhile.

"How about this one?" Espio piped up from behind, holding an orange candle. "I believe it's called 'Summer Campfire'."

Silver took a sniff of the ashy-scented candle, and then shrugged. Noted, he did appreciate the thought that Espio put into the scent specific to Blaze's powers.

"How 'bout this one?" Charmy suggested, pointing to a display of sky-blue candles. " 'Dance of Raindrops'," he read, wrinkling his nose. "I don't like it."

"Who in the world is gonna take time to smell raindrops?" Vector questioned aloud, "That's ridiculous!"

"Most of these scented candles seem to be just that," Espio commented, eyeing a row of pink candles titled, "Young Love". "Somehow I don't think 'young love' is something that has a certain aroma."

Silver, feeling as though the name of the candle might have applied to his and Blaze's relationship in the slightest bit, took a sniff of the candle himself. In response, his nose twitched.

"Ah-choo!" he sneezed.

"Well, somehow I don't think that one's the right one for you, then," Espio concluded, watching Silver replace the candle into its rightful spot.

"Me niether," sighed the hedgehog, scratching his protesting nose.

"Anything, Silver?" Vector asked, stifling a sneeze himself. "Cuz I think if we spend another minute in this place, I'm pretty sure my nose is gonna fall off."

"No, no, stay! I wanna see that!" Charmy chimed, latching on to his scaly green boss' tail.

"Gah!" Vector cried, prying off the bee. "So whaddaya say, Silver?"

"Um . . . well, I'm not seeing anything too interesting here," replied Silver, rubbing the back of his head.

"Not to worry, my boy!" Vector announced, getting a few dirty looks from a small group of elderly ladies. "We got plenty more options!"

"Why not try the department store?" Espio suggested, "There should be lots of choices there."

"Great idea, my reptilian friend!" Vector said, slapping Espio on the back. The chameleon face-planted on the floor. Silver winced and, after helping him up, was led out by Vector once more.

The department store was absolutely packed with people and Mobians, young and old, men and women alike. Silver let out a deep breath when he entered the crowd.

"We can find lotsa stuff in here!" Vector proclaimed. "Just tell us what Blaze likes, and we'll find it!"

"Well, I . . . that's just it," Silver stuttered, relieved that Vector had brought that up, "I don't know what she'd like. I feel like I've already done it all."

"Ah-ha, but you don't know that," Vector replied with a wink, "We can help ya pick somethin' out, I know it! Boys, let's all split up!"

Before Silver could get another word in, Team Chaotix had vanished among the crowd, leaving the hedgehog alone to peruse the store.

Clothing everywhere . . . he thought, Isn't there something besides clothes that women like?

He turned a corner, where he found a big and somewhat darker section that blared some kind of upbeat Christmas love song. Silver looked at the posters of models with makeup brand names plastered all over.

"Oh, right . . ." he muttered, "Makeup."

"Hey there, kiddo," came a voice from behind him. Silver whirled around to see a thin woman standing over him with a friendly smile. She sported a department store uniform and a curly black hairdo. As expected, she wore a thick layer of eye makeup and bright red lipstick. "Need some help? Or are you lost?"

Silver chuckled timidly and glanced briefly at the woman's seven-inch high-heeled shoes. He broke his gaze and brought his eyes to the woman's face again.

"Well, see, I need a Christmas gift for a girl-"

"Came to the right place, kid," the woman interrupted. Apparently that was all she needed to hear. Silver opened his mouth to try and explain that he was looking for something special, but it was to no avail.

"We just got in this new collection for those looking for a darker look," the woman explained, showing off a display of foundation, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, and concealer. "Our 'Winter Nights' collection is the hottest seller now. How do you think your special girl would like this?"

Silver looked at the little cases and tried his very best to imagine Blaze wearing it.

"Um . . . she, uh . . ." Silver, as many young gentlemen, knew absolutely nothing about makeup. "She, uh . . . she sometimes wears mascara," he said, hoping to get somewhere with that. The woman's eyebrow lifted slightly in confusion.

"Ohh, I see," she laughed. Silver chuckled with her, though whatever she had realized was a mystery to him. Pulling Silver into another row, the woman gestured to a shelf stocked with all different types of mascara. His mouth opened, and didn't quite close.

"I . . . Are these all supposed to be different?" he asked innocently. "I mean, no offense, but they all look the same."

The makeup saleswoman looked slightly offended and started to say something, when another voice spoke.

"You'd be surprised," the low purr of a voice said. Silver looked over to his side, where Rouge was getting her makeup done by an employee. "This 'Winter Nights' mascara is horrendous on my lashes. No offense, hon," she added in response to the employee's look of shock. She got out of the chair and approached Silver. "Hey, there," she greeted.

"Hi, Rouge," Silver greeted back, relieved to see a familiar and sane Mobian. "Are you doing last-minute shopping, too?"

"Unfortunately," she sighed. "Thanks for the help, ladies," she said to the two employees, who both glared at the two Mobians as they walked out of the makeup department.

"Boy, am I glad to see you," Silver said, letting out a long breath.