List: Therapy Angel, Shizuku Tsukishima749, Silverdawn2010, Zeldaskeeper, Sonic Speed Blue Blur 23, Sonic5521, IHeartSonAmy, and GalexiatheChao!

Thanks for sticking with me guys! I am SO sorry for taking so stinking long with this next chapter! And, the horror! I couldn't for the life of me come up with a drabble for Tia and Rose, like you guys wanted *hangs head in defeat*. I thought and thought…but nothing good came. And after about, what, three weeks of not updating this story, I was getting fluff-deprived. I had to update tonight. So alas, hopefully the next chapter will be Tia and Rose. And besides, this drabble seemed to be a good one for number 20. Sorry everyone! Onwards, march!

Chapter twenty

The Meaning of Fatherhood

If anyone had asked Sonic twenty years ago if he would someday have a seven kids, four being girls, and three being boys, he would've laughed and laughed, grin widely and answer,

"Heck no."

But that was twenty years ago.

In the current time, the blue hedgehog was sitting down on the living room floor, having a tea party.

Again, twenty years ago, Sonic wouldn't have been able to sit still long enough for a five year old to share imaginary tea and "rainbow cookies" with him and her stuffed toys. He would've been zooming through the hills, laughing, racing the hawk, being reckless as he'd jump off a cliff, hollering the whole time. But then he became a father.

Father. The word father had confused the hedgehog when he had first become one, eleven years ago, when Kyler had showed up on Amy's doorstep. The baby had been fragile, helpless…two words that Sonic had never experienced. Sure, he had helped the fragile and the helpless, but they had always at least told him what they wanted. They hadn't just cried there eyes out in the middle of the night. So the mere thought of being a father, helping the youngster on its feet, teaching the child manners that he had often lacked…

One word:

Scary.

By the time Violet was being thought of, Sonic had finally managed to get used to the idea of having Kyler. He had finally decided that being a father of the young girl wasn't all that bad. She could be fun. Even enjoyable. But he hadn't been expecting another one, followed so closely after adopting Kyler. And until Violet was born, the hedgehog had been scared out of his mind. One kid was already hard enough to deal with, even if she was fun. But two? Two kids yelling and screaming in the middle of the night? Two kids pulling at him and begging for attention? The thought made him shiver.

And as he thought of all of these things, Sonic was vaguely aware of young Samantha pouring some water into his tea cup, humming a merry tune as she turned to her stuffed animals' cups, giggling at some comment a toy had supposedly made. He smiled at her, watching her little hands reach out for each individual cup, thinking to himself how much of a miracle this child was; how much of a miracle they all were.

"Daddy?" The child turned to him, a silly little grin on her muzzle. "Daddy, would you like some more tea?" The hedgehog grinned and nodded, lifting his cup up for her.

"I'd love some more," he played along, winking, and the child giggled. It was so easy to make her happy, Sonic realized. Just like Amy. All the kid really wanted was some love and attention.

And wasn't that what fathers were for? To give love and attention, especially for the girls? Weren't they supposed to tell the girls how pretty they looked as children, how beautiful as teenagers, how remarkable as adults?

Yes, Sonic had figured after the first few years of parenthood that that was indeed what a father was to do. For some reason, the blue hedgehog had caught on pretty quickly on his job role too. Sometimes his mother in-law congratulated him for always making an effort to be there for his family. Sure, he hadn't outgrown some of his childish antics, like running as fast as possible, and sometimes when he wasn't in check with himself, he'd be jumping off a cliff, screaming at the top of his lungs and grinning.

Long ago, the thought of not having as much free time for running scared the heck out of him. But today…

Today something was holding him back. Today he found himself somewhat wanting to stay and act naïve and girlish with his daughter, who was growing up way too fast. Today was different.

"Oh!" Samantha suddenly cried, looking up in alarm. "We're out of tea! Don't worry, everybody, I'll go get some more! You can all just stay here an' mingle, 'k? Don't leave, Daddy." Sonic laughed.

"I won't, hon," he replied as she got up and skipped off into the kitchen for some more water. He watched her leave, a permanent smile on his face and heart. He loved the girl, he realized. He loved all of them, more than life itself. That's how a father was supposed to think, he thought, proud of himself.

A small noise from behind attracted his attention, and the hedgehog turned to the living room entrance, where Amy stood, smiling at him in a joking manner.

"You having fun?" she teased, giggling. She sauntered up to him, bending down onto the ground next to him and hugging him. He hugged her back.

"'Course I am," he replied when she pulled away, and he kissed her gently on the forehead. "'M having the time of my life."

"Really?" she questioned sarcastically. "I had no idea." Sonic laughed.

"Of course ya didn't," he answered. "I'm usually such a terrible Dad. No time for the kids and their tea parties." Amy giggled once more, than her face turned serious.

"You're a good Dad…" she whispered, snuggling into his warmth. "You know that? You're always able to put up with their silly antics like this."

"So can you."

"But you're a male," Amy quipped teasingly. "Males don't like girly things."

"Who's to say I'm not different?" It was Amy's turn to laugh.

"Me," she replied, her face in his chest, his head on hers. "You've never been one for girlish things." She glanced up at him then. "But you do a great job faking it."

Face flushed, Sonic turned away from her, and Amy giggled.

"I have fun playin' around," Sonic insisted, and Amy squeezed him for a second and then let go as Samantha suddenly bounded back into the room.

"I know," she called, as she left the room for Sonic and Samantha. The child turned to her father, about to speak. "You're still a good Dad."

Samantha began chattering again, and Sonic was forced to turn back to her. But just before he did, he smiled at his wife, glad to finally hear her say it. He could hear Tails and Barbara and Howard tell him he was a good Dad. But Amy's opinion was what mattered the most.

"Did ya know I love ya, Daddy?" Samantha randomly asked, making Sonic blink in surprise. But then he smiled at her lovingly, ruffling her spines.

"Love ya too, kid."