Even though jigokuwa probably isn't reading this, I would like to dedicate this chapter to her and her friend who died of leukemia on November 26th. May this loyal Sonadow fangirl rest in peace.

Sonic and Shadow walked in complete silence back to the ebony hedgehog's apartment. Along the way, Sonic shot glances at Shadow's flat stomach as if expecting it to suddenly expand dramatically for the unborn child that Sonic now knew was in there. How did this happen? Sonic thought to himself and nervously twitched. Shadow is a guy, right?

Shadow glanced over at Sonic, worried about the sudden silence that was now occurring between the two of them. With all his experience with blue speed demon, Shadow had not once heard silence from the normally overly talkative hedgehog. Now it was Shadow's turn to nervously twitch. He saw the glances that Sonic was giving his stomach and, despite what Sonic had said before, was worried that the cobalt hedgehog thought of him as a freak.

"So… ahhh," Shadows' ears swiveled around to catch the soft muttering coming out of Sonic's mouth. Sonic nervously played with his fingers, for once, unable to form words into his mouth. His mouth felt like sandpaper and an uncharacteristic lump had formed in his throat. Sonic had never felt so nervous before; when did it suddenly get so hard to talk to Shadow? If there was ever a person in the world who didn't care about how he acted or said, it was Shadow… So, why? Why couldn't he just talk like he normally did with the ebony male?

Shadow blinked in surprise as he actually started to see sweat form on Sonic's brow. The cobalt hedgehog was acting so bizarre right now that Shadow didn't know what to say or even if he should say anything to calm the other down. He sighed, "Just calm down, Sonic and tell me what you want to say."

Sonic wasn't sure why, but Shadow's soft voice seemed to calm him down a bit. He bit his lip and let out a deep breath. "So, ahhh, how did this happen?"

Shadow blinked, "You mean me getting pregnant? Sex, I believe, would be the most logical explanation."

Despite the situation, Sonic had to let out a small laugh at Shadow's answer. "No, I mean, how did you get pregnant? Last I remember you were a guy, right?" A sly smile formed on Sonic's face, "Or should I check and see for myself?"

Shadow turned away to hide the blush that had taken over his face. He didn't want Sonic to know that he actually wanted the other to do just that. Shadow mentally slapped himself. This was Sonic, the world's biggest jokester, the cobalt hedgehog was probably pulling his leg like he always did.

"You better keep your hands to yourself, hedgehog." Sonic kept the smile on his face so Shadow wouldn't see the sudden hurt he had felt from that remark. He knew that Shadow was just being, well, Shadow, but Sonic couldn't help but hope that the ebony male would someday return his affections.

Sonic held up his hands in mock defeat. "Okay, okay. I'll kept them to myself, but," Another sly smile formed on Sonic's face. "These things tend to get frisky sometimes, I can't control them very well when they do." Just to prove his point, Sonic wrapped his arms around Shadow's waist, causing them to stop in midstride.

Shadows' eyes widened; his and Sonic's faces were mere inches from each-others. Shadow could actually feel the cobalt hedgehog's breath on his face. I think I'm going to be sick, Shadow thought to himself. Then, without warning, Shadow's stomach did several flips. I really am going to be sick!

Sonic watched as the ebony hedgehog's face went from shocked to sick in seconds flat. Sonics' ears drooped slightly in sadness; did Shadow really hate him that much that he would get sick just from just his touch? "Are you okay, Shadow? You look kind of green." His question was answered as Shadow pushed him away and ran over to the bushes lining the sidewalk.

Sonic stumbled a couple feet back to regain his balance and winced as he heard and saw Shadow retching into one of the bushes. He slowly walked over and started to slowly rub the ebony hedgehog's back in comfort. "You alright, Shads?"

Shadow coughed one more time to get the rest of the bile out of his mouth and started to rub his stomach in an attempt to calm it down. "Yeah… just some morning sickness." He wasn't about to admit it, but when Sonic had started to rub his back his nausea almost immediately disappeared.

Sonic felt a small bit of warmth enter his chest as Shadow said that he was sick because of morning sickness and not because of himself. He knelt down on the ground next to Shadow, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Shadow blushed. "Just don't stop rubbing my back…" He whispered. Okay, so maybe he would admit he liked it if it meant Sonic would continue with the back rub.

Sonic smiled and hummed. "I have a better idea." Without warning, Sonic picked up Shadow, bridal style, and started carrying the ebony male back to his house.

Shadow held in a yelp when Sonic suddenly picked him up and almost immediately started to struggle in the other's grasp. "Sonic! Put me down now!" The ebony hedgehog growled and silently cursed the deep red blush traveling across his muzzle. Butterflies were frantically flying in his stomach, but not in a way that would make him sick and Shadow suddenly found himself having a hard time breathing. The ebony hedgehog was silently praying to himself that Sonic wouldn't hear the rapid beating of his heart inside his chest even though it felt like it would fly out of his chest at any moment.

Sonic sighed and was about to comply with Shadow's request when he looked down and caught the bright red blush on Shadow's muzzle. He smiled and tightened his grip on the other and started to jog down the street, ignoring the stares they were getting. Sonic understood the confused stares they were getting; who wouldn't stare if the biggest hero on the planet was carrying his biggest rival bridal style?

Sonic felt Shadow's struggling turn up a notch and he had to tighten his grip even more so Shadow wouldn't fall out of his arms… and Sonic didn't even want to think what would happen he dropped Shadow right now… "Calm down, Shads and just enjoy the ride," Sonic said and waited for the other to reply.

"And how can I enjoy this?" Shadow asked back, but stopped his struggling in the cobalt hedgehogs' arms.

"Just imagine I'm the guy who knocked you up," Sonic smirked, but secretly felt sadness seep into his chest. This would probably be the closest he would ever get to Shadow.

"I don't have to imagine," Shadow muttered under his breath.

Sonics' ears twitched as they tried to catch Shadows' words. "What was that?" Sonic asked and looked down at the hedgehog resting in his arms. They were almost to Shadow's apartment, so the cobalt hedgehog slowed down just a bit so he could carry the ebony hedgehog just a while longer.

Shadow shook his head and looked away. "Nothing."

Sonic blinked, confused as to what Shadow had said. He could have sworn he had heard Shadow say that he didn't have to imagine being carried by the person who had gotten him pregnant. That couldn't have been right… or could it? There was something he would have to check out at his own home after Shadow had gotten everything he would need from his apartment.

They finally made it to Shadow's apartment building and Sonic placed Shadow down at the front entrance. They walked through the automatic doors together and the lady at the front deck waved at them as they walked by. Sonic gave her a thumbs up while Shadow just kept on walking. The ebony hedgehog led them to the elevator doors and pressed the button to go up. Shadow walked inside first with Sonic close behind him and they soon were traveling upward.

Sonic jogged out the doors of the elevator as soon as they opened and was over at Shadow's front door in a flash. He stood in front of it and stared at the mat at the entrance. "Ahhh, the best place I've slept in a long time," Sonic joked and got out of the way when Shadow got there. "You should sell tickets for this five star sleeping place, Shadow."

The ebony hedgehog opened the door and walked inside. "I wasn't the one who forced you to sleep out there, Sonic. You could have easily left and come back before I left my apartment again." The cobalt hedgehog passed him through the door and walked over to check out Shadow's living room.

"But where's the fun in that? I wouldn't have an aching back to complain to you about." To prove his point, Sonic hunched over and groaned as he rubbed his back with his hands. "Oh, Shadow! I think I see the light! Quick! Take me to a chiropractor." Silently laughing to himself, Sonic took a look around the room and sighed, all his former joking self gone. "I forgot how dull this place was; it totally ruined the moment. However, at least you won't have to live here for the next couple of months." Sonic turned to his companion, "Get whatever you'll need and I'll carry it back to my house for you."

Shadow nodded and went to work on grabbing the things he would need. "Fine, but I'll be the one carrying it back. I can handle carrying a couple things on my own, I won't break." Sonic shook his head, but let Shadow do as he pleased. Shadow was just as stubborn as he was when he wanted to be and there wasn't any point in arguing with him.

Shadow had soon gathered everything he would need and a medium sized backpack was strapped to his back. He turned to the living room to find Sonic laying on his couch. "Let's get going, Sonic."

The cobalt opened his eyes and stretched. "Sorry, it looks like I dozed off on your couch, Shads." He stood up and yawned. "It might look dull, but man is it soft and cozy," Sonic commented and looked at the green couch. "Why did you pick the color green, anyways? It looks really out of place here."

Shadow shrugged, "It doesn't matter."

Sonic softly smiled; if only Shadow would open up to him a bit more…

*Ombra d'amore*

On the way back to Sonic's house, both of the hedgehog remained in silence. However, it was a comfortable one. The silence meant different things to the both of them. To Shadow, the heavy silence was like a wall that was helping him keep afloat and that Sonic was there for him whenever and however he would need it. To Sonic, it just meant that Shadow and him were finally getting closer to each other.

Sonic opened his front door and yelped to find that he had a visitor inside his house. It wasn't the surprise of finding a visitor, but who it was that was sitting silently in his living room. "Mom?! What are you doing here?"

Queen Aleena opened her eyes and locked onto Sonic's own emerald ones. She calmly got up from her seat on Sonic's couch and dusted herself off. "Sonic, I have been thinking on your words that you had said to me the last we had spoken… and I demand an explanation." Her eyes never lost focus on Sonic's form; she didn't so much as glance at the ebony hedgehog behind her son.

Sonic walked inside his house and crossed him arms across his chest. "I already told you, Mom. I am in love with someone else; give the throne to Sonia. She's more cut out to be ruler than I would ever be. Manic, Sonia and I are triplets, Mom; we were born within minutes of each other. It shouldn't matter which one of us was born first."

Queen Aleena narrowed her eyes, "It is tradition, Sonic. The first born, no matter the time difference, has always taken the throne and I expect you to do the same." Her eyes flickered to Shadow for a brief moment, but her eyes looked disinterested. "As for your so called love," the word 'love' sounded out of her mouth like she had said it was something vile or foul, "it's just a phase you're going through right now. You'll grow out of it, especially since this person is of the male gender."

Sonic muzzle took on an angry blush, but he kept himself under control. "What do you mean 'it's just a phase'?" Sonic grit his teeth in anger. Shadow continued to watch silently from the sidelines, not sure what to do besides stand there quietly and watch the events play out before him.

The magenta queen huffed, "Exactly what I meant. Love isn't real; it's something that people made up a long time ago that was meant for fairy tales and dreams. What you're feeling isn't real; it's a figment of your imagination looking for something to take comfort in."

Sonic was now shaking with anger; his fists were clenched at his sides and his knuckles had turned white from the tension. "Is this the reason why Dad left us? Because you didn't feel anything for him? If so… what are we to you? Are Sonia, Manic and I just the Royal Triplets to you? Are we nothing?"

"Your father left because he was selfish. He was put into an arranged marriage and left because he wanted nothing to do with us anymore," Queen Aleena said with only slight disgust on her face; as if she rarely cared about what had happened to her husband and father of her three children. "As for you three, you are my children and I expect you to act like it." Her eyes bore into Sonics'.

For a couple moments, nothing happened as Sonic and his mother stared each other down. The room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop and the tension so thick that you could cut it with a butter knife.

Shadow, meanwhile, felt like he was watching a tennis match. His ruby eyes flicked from one figure to the other, waiting for either Sonic or his mother to make a move against each other. However, neither one of them moved a muscle; a personal fight going on between the two of them.

Not taking her eyes off her eldest son, Queen Aleena asked Sonic one small question. "Who is he, Sonic?"

Sonic decided his best course of action would be to play dumb. "Who is he? You mean Shadow? I thought you met him before."

Queen Aleena would have growled at her son if it wasn't for the royal family training that had been engraved into her at a young age. "You know who I mean, Sonic. Don't play dumb. Who is the one that you've fallen in love," again, she said the word as if she had instead said the word vomit, "with? Who is the one that your so called heart craves after?"

"That is of no concern to you, Mother," Sonic said the word 'mother' as if it held no meaning whatsoever to him at the time.

A small angry blush formed on Queen Aleena's muzzle. "Tell me, Sonic!" Her former calm behaviors were completely gone from Queen Aleena's form; her anger finally taking her over. "I am your Mother, you will listen to me!"

"Being a Mother hasn't ever interested you before, why start demanding it now?!" Sonic yelled right back.

As they continued to argue, Shadow stood there, too shocked to move. He had never seen Sonic like this. The other hedgehog had been so carefree and happy go lucky that Shadow would have never imagined his family might be just as messed up as his was… Well, maybe not as messed up as his family considering Eggman was his beloved Maria's cousin and a homicidal floating space alien was his father…

"Shadow!"

Said hedgehog was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts as Sonic screamed out his name. Shadow looked up and was surprised to find that the cobalt hedgehog wasn't even looking at him and Sonic's mother was looking at him right now as if he had grown a second head.

"It's Shadow," Sonic whispered out, "he's the one who I'm in love with." Shadows' eyes widened in surprise and he felt like his heart had just skipped a beat. Was this true? Was Sonic truly in love with him? He was soon answered as Sonic turned and looked him in the eyes. "I love you Shadow," he then looked down at the floor and shifted his feet nervously. "I know you're probably in love with someone else since you're pregnant with their child, but… can we still at least be friends even though I'm in love with you?"

Against his will, Shadow grabbed one of Sonic's hands and tightly held it. "Being friends won't be possible because," Shadow had to swallow a lump in his throat and continued. "It won't be possible because you're the one I'm in love with."

A noise of disgust sounded from Queen Aleena's form, but the two male hedgehogs ignored her. The brightest smile he had ever seen formed on Sonic's face and Shadow felt like his knees were about to give out from under him. "You love me?" Shadow blushed and nodded. "But the kid? Who is its?"

Shadow nervously chuckled and scratched the top of his head. "Well… the day you took me to the meadow and then the bar… you kind of got too drunk and we, ah."

Shadow didn't have to say anymore as Sonic suddenly pulled him into a hug and nuzzled into his neck. "It's mine," he whispered. "It's mine," this time, with a little more enthusiasm. A small smile formed on Shadow's muzzle as well and he returned the hug.

Then, without another word, Queen Aleena left the two of them alone with each other and slammed the front door behind her. However, Sonic and Shadow paid her no mind, finding themselves far too content in each other's arms.

Shadow: FINALLY! It only took you EIGHT CHAPTERS to finally get Sonic and I together!

Sonic: Yeah!

Shadow: And you made Sonic's mom a bitch as well.

Sonic: Yeah!

Shadow: And Sonic is just going to agree with everything I say.

Sonic: Yeah! Ah, wait… Damn it, Shadow!

Anyways…

Sonic: Anyways isn't a word!

Shut up! I don't care! *Ahem* PLEASE REVIEW AS ALWAYS EVERYONE! All reviews are welcomed and each one is loved. (Yes, including you guests.) So, again, PLEASE REVIEW IN THE WHITE BOX BELOW! ^^