He would never forget this day.

He would never forget this day for as long as he lived. Just like how he hung onto his promise, fiddling with the gold ring on his finger as he remembered the night he made said promise.

But after one last night of looking back longingly, he was finally able to fulfill that promise.

To a surprise.

And he would never forget this day.

The surprise was on a doorstep he should've shared. Playing with chalk and asking him who he was.

He didn't say his name in shock, stuttering on the first few syllables of his name as green eyes looked away in thought. Chalk put down as the idea of this unexpected member of the household recognizing him from somewhere.

It only made his anger grow larger than his confusion and fear that what he thought wasn't true.

He didn't say another word as he walked into the house as calm as could be as someone other than him would assume.

But it was the opposite. And once he was in the foyer he made it known.

The surprise couldn't hear, thank god.

"AMY!" He cried out like a roar from a hungry lion. His ears perked up to hear a light gasp, and feet smacked against wooden floor as the woman of the household made her way down the stairs.

"Sonic! Oh, Sonic I've missed you, I—!" She stopped two thirds on the way down. Just a few steps were left as it was obvious in the scowl and furrowed eyeridges that he wasn't happy as he breathed in deep; shoulders and chest lifting, and lowering.

Her face contorted in a way that said she knew exactly what was wrong. And she didn't say a word.

But he did.

"You didn't. Tell me." He said sternly at first.

"… T-tell you what?" She hesitated. She didn't to be yelled at, oh no. Not after so long. Not after dealing with terrible two years alone. She didn't want this marriage to fall apart.

"YOU DIDN'T. TELL ME." Sonic grew louder, his hands as fists beginning to shake.

"S-Sonic, what did I not tell you—?!"

"You didn't tell me, that that one night where we—…" He swallowed, voice calmer but body shaking and eyes wavering. Studying his wife's new curves. They weren't the curves he's held and kissed before. No. They grew. Things were coming together.

He was right. He was right.

"… Where we made love, that…. That we made something else, too?!" He pointed outside, towards the door he had entered. Lime green eyes darted to the right-hand side window, and yes. There she was. Enjoying her chalk. Enjoying the sun. She turned back to her lover; she didn't want this…

"… But you were leaving to go to Lost Hex soon thanks to Zavok's ultimatum—."

"Yeah, to protect YOU and everyone else! That was early in the morning and you knew that, and Eggman and I hadn't even had it planned out until TWO WEEKS LATER! All those mornings? When you were sick?! Just being "FINE" and that it was "FOOD POISONING"?! You didn't TELL ME?!"

"S-Sonic, I—… I didn't want—."

"YOU DIDN'T TELL ME, THAT YOU WERE PREGNANT, THAT WE WERE GONNA BE PARENTS, AND THAT I WAS GONNA BE A DAD?!"

"Sonic, please—!"

"I WOULD'VE STAYED!" He shouted. For the last while his voice was chipping away. But now it had come full force. His eyes gave out, his muzzle was now wet, and he was crying. Sniffling. But he still stood his ground.

"I would've stayed. For you. For us. For HER…! And I—…"

The hero come home after two and a half years of drama after drama continued sniffling and crying. Still composed a bit, but he wanted this to show. He wanted Amy to know he cared. Because right now, he felt like such a failure. Not being there for two years of his daughter's life… He just—…

The pink hedgehog sighed and slowly walked forward. Simple shoes tapping against the wood as she soon enough, touched her husband's cheek gently as he cried.

"You know it was better this way, Sonic… Don't you…? That's why I didn't—…"

"I—…. I would've."

"I know. I knew from the start, but… you had a world to protect. I couldn't take that away…!"

"But I was… I was…"

"Hm…?"

"I was never there… I didn't get my hand squeezed to hell on her birthday, I didn't see if she could keep up when she could walk, I—…"

Amy blinked twice.

"… Sonic. Do you really think she'd be your daughter without knowing who you were?"

"…. Y-yeah…?" He admitted sheepishly. He knew where this was going. Had he gotten this all wrong?

As if on que, the front door opened. A small light blue head with green eyes and a tuff of bangs leaned into the crack.

"Mommy…? I heard some yelling… Are you and…?"

"We're fine, sweetie!" Amy smiled, her heart secretly soaring about what she was about to ask. "But… do you know who this man is?"

What was his wife trying to pull here…? Sonic pivoted forward, blinking as his tears were beginning to dry. The little hedgehog girl of two and a half years shook her head and then tilted it.

"He… looks like Daddy, though."

The blue hedgehog's eyes widened, but. He understood. Photos. Yeah. But he doubted—…

"And who is Daddy?"

"Daddy's daddy! He's your hero, my hero, he's everyone's hero! He fights to save everyone from evil people, and loves you a lot! He loves me a lot too, and is coming home very very soon and I can never EVER doubt it 'cause I'd be sorry I did! Right?"

Well… Daddy was speechless. He gasped as he turned to Amy, to find that her eyes were shimmering the same way they were when he proposed. He knew what was coming. She was waiting for the moment of truth.

"Y-yes, Starry. You're right." Amy answered. And that was the last straw. Amy even named her the name he'd kept for a daughter for YEARS….

Starry. 'Cause her eyes'll sparkle like yours.

"… S-Starry, huh…?" The hedgehog muttered, stepping forward and kneeling down slowly. With his arms held out another one of Amy's descriptions came into her memory.

He'll hug you every time you ask for one. And when you meet him it'll be one of the first things he does.

"… Daddy…?!" Her eyes shined just like he expected them to, as a bright smile echoing his own appeared on her face. The mother covered her mouth and let the waterworks fly.

So did the father.

"You bet'cha, kiddo! It's me!"

"Daddy…!" Running faster than normal children, not that any of them noticed it, Starry barreled towards her father, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she finally got all she ever wanted.

One of daddy's amazing warm hugs.