While Fiona Fox's afternoon had been inching by rather slowly, she'd allow herself to take it easy and not make haste in getting the latest intel on how the Freedom Fighters had been fairing. It'd been a considerable amount of time since the red and cream furred vixen had been given the opportunity to get a good rest, even if it was never for very long.

Fiona would glance over the newspaper she'd been reading, fittingly titled 'The Knothole News'. She'd not often concern herself with gossip and opinions over the most recent oddities, but her current collection of books had admittedly been drying up as of late. Those icy blue eyes gently scan upon the paper for anything of noteworthiness, yet it'd all been rather bland to her. The headlines were definitely eye catching at the least, Freedom Fighters this, Freedom Fighters that, so and so drama.

The Freedom Fighters were always at the forefront of attention in Knothole, treated as local celebrities of sorts for their efforts against Eggman. Her position as a Freedom Fighter wasn't something that the vixen had ever been prideful of, although thankfully being one of the lesser known members, not having as many bother her. She still remembers why she joined, to make a difference against the man who took everything from her, and despite all of her efforts that difference had simply never come to fruition.

There'd be times where she pondered her choices, wondering how things would have turned out had she remained in Casino Night Zone as a treasure hunter with mixed success. It was a dangerous line of work, yet no doubt gave much more freedom than that of a Freedom Fighter, how ironic.

Her thoughts were cut short by a knock on the door of her compact home, Fiona furrowing her brows as she gingerly places the paper down on the coffee table and heads over to her door. Another set of knocks sound through the air, and she grits her teeth. 'How impatient.' It wasn't until she reach the door and opened up that she'd understand what the haste was about.

"Hey Fiona, how's it hangin'?" The sight of the Sonic she knew standing outside hadn't been what had given her cause for concern, rather the unconscious state of who Sonic was cradling in his arms. "You wanna help us out?"

"Get him in here," All of Fiona's previous dwellings had come to a halt at an instant, focusing on the here and now. "Tell me what happened to him."

Sonic had felt himself being half pulled inside of Fiona's home, the blue blur allowing the vixen to guide him towards her bed, not wasting any time in setting the injured fox boy down on it. "We we're out running a scouting mission this morning, base got flooded on the way out, got zapped by some wires before I could pull him out of there in time-"

Fiona cut the hedgehog off with a sharp look, as if to tell him that was all the details she'd need to know. "Next time just say the last part," she'd mutter as she rushed to her bathroom, pulling open a cabinet to find a rather large medical kit sitting there, waiting to be used. "How long has it been since Tails got electrocuted?"

"A few minutes at most, I ran to the hospital fast as I can," Sonic felt himself wince lightly as he remembered the hospital being at full capacity, a glaring flaw of Knothole that he didn't wish to be reminded of. "They were at their limit, and you're the only other medic I know."

"You took him there?" Fiona felt herself get a little ticked off at that, maybe if the hedgehog took things more seriously they wouldn't have a full hospital in the first place. She'd quickly make her way back to the bed and placed the medical kit down on the nightstand next to the unconscious Tails, examining the bruises and burns with a careful eye, placing her palm to the fox's chest to check his pulse. "At least he's out cold, this wouldn't be as easy if he were awake."

Sonic hadn't even noticed until now just how hard he was biting his lip, part of him wanting to lash out the longer Fiona had gone on, yet he didn't know at who or what anymore. The hedgehog had merely nodded his head in understanding, standing idly as he watched the red vixen get to work.

Being a Freedom Fighter wasn't ever the cakewalk Sonic had often liked to believe it was. More often than not his friends got hurt, even he got hurt from time to time, and he was always able to stomach it. But looking at Tails... it just felt so different to him, the gentle fox had been like a little brother to him in all but blood, perhaps one of the most important individuals in his life now that he'd begun to dwell on it. The speedster had tried to keep the growing tendrils of guilt at bay, yet he'd promised Tails that he'd always be there to keep him safe, and yet he felt as if he failed-

"Sonic," Fiona had broken the blue hedgehog's train of thought, a serious look still on her face. She hadn't been oblivious to Sonic being deep in thought, but now wasn't the time to talk about it. "If you're going to stay here then make yourself useful."

The hedgehog had simply nodded his head, not having the desire to argue with Fiona, his frustrations could wait until later. "Alright, what do you need me to do?"

Fiona had looked towards the medical kit for a moment, then back towards Tails. The fox's condition wasn't by any means life endangering, but it was definitely worse than it'd looked at first glance. His normally well kempt fur was rather messy, and the vixen was able to see his skin clearly as she brushed a part of his waist, his skin singed and blistered in multiple areas. "I need to examine him a little more, but I'll need your help making sure he gets cleaned up properly, can't have him getting any infections. Get a bath ready."

She saw Sonic simply nod his head once more in response, the blue blur quickly speeding off to get the water running. Fiona grimaced a little, hoping he didn't knock anything over, but that could wait for later. Upon further inspection, a splotch of red could be seen trailing onto the bed, and Fiona tried to push back that uneasy feeling in her gut. She'd focus on stopping the bleeding first, unsure if it were due to Sonic running too fast with him in his arms or if the electrical shock had done it.

Fiona carefully peeled back the layers of fur on Tails' shoulder, the white fur underneath tainted red. She'd take a hand towel from the nearby table, placing it on the wound and applying a small amount of pressure to it, keeping the blood from bleeding any further. It would take a few minutes until Sonic came back into the room, and Fiona made sure to keep a close eye on her patient as she did. "Let's get him cleaned up, then I can treat this properly."

Gently picking up Tails, Sonic had followed Fiona into the bathroom, the two easing him down into the tub. Sonic had stood by and watched as Fiona began to clean up his body with a wet washcloth, the warm water helping soothe his burns and bruises as the vixen worked. "He's gonna be fine Fiona... right?"

The red vixen would keep focused on her work, gently putting pressure on the fox's side to keep the clear water from becoming too stained with red, merely giving another nod. "Yes Sonic. Let me work here."

The hedgehog didn't dare to challenge the strict tone the red vixen had, yet her words had done little to ease the turmoil he felt. Minutes would pass as Sonic observed Fiona carefully working away on Tails, he wanted to help, but what could he possibly do with a lack of medical knowledge? 'Is this what ordinary mobians feel like in these situations?'

"Help me dry him off," Fiona hadn't stagnated in her treatment of Tails, grabbing a towel and gingerly lifting him out of the tub, then passing a towel to Sonic, the blue blur quickly grabbing it and beginning to pat Tails dry. "Be gentle this time, he'll only get more injured if you jostle him around, his skin is sensitive."

There was only more silence on Sonic's end, the hedgehog helping Fiona dry the unconscious fox swiftly, just wanting his brother to be better. 'He'll be better.' The pair had eventually finished after ensuring Tails was mostly dry, then carefully laid him down onto the couch, the orange and white furred fox looking a bit better compared to before. Of course Fiona's bed was damp and had blood on it, but that could be dealt with later.

Fiona had reached for her medical kit, she'd need ointment and gauze bandages, a good amount of it. Sonic had begun to pace around the room, the vixen knowing he was rather stressed as she began to disinfect and wrap the multiple wounds, a firm look ever present on her face. She hadn't been one eagerly to provide comfort for others, nor was she fond of Sonic, yet she'd try her best in the hedgehog's time of need. "He knows the risk of being a Freedom Fighter, you can't blame yourself for this."

The blue blur felt himself freeze up as he stood conflicted, his eyes darting towards Fiona for a moment, then back at the ground. "You don't get it I-" He had to catch himself, not wanting to hurl his frustrations at an undeserving Fiona. "I promised myself that he'd always stay safe, and I didn't live up to it."

Fiona hadn't ever heard the hedgehog sound so desolate. A moment of silence drifts among the air, the vixen wrapping another section of Tails' body that'd been burnt. "Promises aren't always meant to be fulfilled, Sonic. Every Freedom Fighter has to learn to be resilient in the battle they willingly fight, and Tails is no exception to that. As long as he knows that someone, that someone being you continues to support him, he will always get back up."

She never had much hope in her fellow Freedom Fighters to make the correct choices, what remained of her dwindling faith being nothing more than an unanswered wish, yet she was part of them all the same, and wished for Sonic's spirit to remain. After all, that was something that Tails needed the most. "We're done with the hard part. Sit, relax, he's safe now."

Sonic had felt an odd sense of comfort at Fiona's words, the unfamiliarity of her kindness mixed with the sincerity of her outspoken thoughts giving him some peace of mind that things would turn out alright. The hedgehog would allow himself to follow the red vixen's demands, setting himself down on the edge of the couch near Tails, the unconscious fox's chest rising and falling slowly and peacefully, his burns and bruises slowly being wrapped and covered by Fiona's expertise.

Even if she was going through a lot of her supplies, Fiona made sure to do the job right, a few areas of the unconscious fox's body looking akin to that of a mummy. Perhaps in retrospective it may have been slightly more than needed, but she could easily replace her stock of bandages and ointments later, Tails had been her primary concern at the moment. It was a tedious process to be so gentle, Tails looking so peaceful and tranquil in her gaze, desperately needing his rest. It wasn't until she ensured twice that she didn't miss a spot that the vixen took a step back several minutes later.

"The worst is behind him now," The red vixen gave a weary sigh as she began to gather her supplies and close her medical kit. "He needs his rest."

Sonic would give a simple nod, the worry in his voice gradually shifting back to his usual more confident tone. "Thanks a million Fiona, I owe ya one..."

Fiona let a genuine smile form on her lips, a rare sight from the typically neutral and reserved vixen. "That you do, Sonic." Her gaze remained on Tails for a few moments, contemplating how to move forward. "It'd be best to keep him here for now, Sally will want whatever info you two've gotten, I'll be sure Tails stays safe and sound in the meantime."

There was a glaring suspicion on Sonic's end that Fiona just didn't trust anyone else to make sure Tails was looked after well, yet he couldn't really blame her for it. A part of him was hesitant to leave Tails alone with Fiona, even if the orange fox never told him, he was already aware how he felt towards the red vixen. "Yeah, you're right. I'll be back later, coolio?"

Watching as the relieved Sonic had gotten off the couch and walked towards the door, Fiona had given a small nod. "I know you will. Maybe you should think about getting some rest too, though."

The cocky grin that had formed on Sonic's face was all that Fiona needed to know for an answer, that hedgehog was restless. As the door to her home closes, the vixen takes a deep breath, the familiarity of quietness washing upon the home once more. Her head turns back towards the sleeping fox, a small sigh escaping her lips.

Tails would probably be out cold for a few hours at the bare minimum, and while Fiona had felt bad for him for getting stuck in such a predicament, she had to focus on cleaning up, not exactly wanting his dried blood on her sheets.

A dim light fills the vision of a dazed fox, his eyes squinting in retaliation, his body still tired. His head was laid against a comforting pillow, and the bed below him felt neatly made. Despite his best efforts to fall back asleep, his thoughts had already begun to race. '…What? Where?'

A momentary feeling of confusion washed over Tails, his eyes wide open as he stares at a ceiling he does not know. All he remembered was him and Sonic getting stuck in a flooding base, and the multiple wrapped areas of his body did little to ease his worries. Trying to sit up, Tails was immediately reminded of just how sore and bruised he still was, giving an involuntary grunt as he laid back down in defeat.

His hands had gingerly wandered across the bandages wrapped around him, his worry growing as he did not know the extent of his own injuries. The sound of a door from across the room creaking open caused the fox to stiffen up in place, a sense of nervousness filling him from the unknown, until he sees the familiar figure of an auburn haired vixen he'd admired emerge, relief washing over him soon after. "Fiona..?"

"Yeah, me." Fiona looked to be noticeably tired herself, her voice having dipped down in volume as if she were speaking to many others prior. "You've been out for a good few hours now, I wouldn't try moving much yet if I were you. How do you feel?"

Tails had looked away from her for a moment, still unsure himself. Things had still been hazy in his head, his body in need of more time to properly recover. The soreness had flared back up when he tried sitting up, but he didn't want to worry Fiona, who he pieced together at this point was the one who patched him up. "I don't really know... I'm still sore whenever I try to move around a lot. I guess it's not too bad otherwise."

The red vixen simply hummed in response, sitting down on the rocking chair nearby her bed, mulling over what he said. What the young fox was feeling was rather normal, so she wasn't overly concerned about it. A good amount of recovery combined with Tails' untapped chaos energy would no doubt gift him a swift recovery, an abnormality which she did not fully understand but was thankful for nonetheless. "Then don't. We don't have to talk right now if you're tired."

Giving a weak little nod, Tails let his head fall back down on the pillow, the events of earlier in the morning still flashing in his thoughts. He felt a pang in his chest from how he'd gotten stuck in such a position, things could've been so different had he simply been more aware or reacted faster. Tails wanted to make Sonic proud- how could he have possibly done that when he wasn't good enough? Being a liability was the last thing he wanted, Tails needed the Freedom Fighters to see him as capable, how else could he possibly prove himself? Perhaps the fox could at least take solace in the fact that he'd recovered useful information on Eggman's multiple bases... except he couldn't feel it in his hammerspace.

Fiona would be startled as Tails had practically shot up from his resting position in the bed, witnessing such a calm expression shift into panic in an instant. "Tails, calm down!" The vixen had immediately moved over to the seemingly distraught boy, supporting him upright as she sat on the bed next to him, able to feel his breathing out of pace. "You'll hurt yourself again if you don't relax."

Tails still felt his heart rate pumping fast, the fox not realizing just how much he needed to be supported upwards as he felt his side flaring up. A pillow would be put against his back as the worried Tails had slumped against the wall, the Freedom Fighters' medic seeming to have expected the movement. "I'm sorry… it's just… I was supposed to bring something back, but I lost it."

Nodding her head, Fiona had made sure her patient was steady before letting him go, she'd already known what he was referring to. "Sonic already passed your findings off to Sally and Rotor, you don't need to worry about it, the data is safe. Speaking of, you just missed him again, he stopped by a little before you woke up."

A wave of relief washes over Tails, the brief fear of all that being for nothing having vanished from his thoughts. He'd mouth a small 'thanks' to the red vixen, his body once again laying peacefully in a curled up position. More silence fills the room between the two foxes, Fiona making sure he was alright before shifting her gaze to the window.

The dim light that poured into the room would grow dimmer as the minutes passed, the evening inching closer to its conclusion. Fiona had glanced over the junior Freedom Fighter, seeing him follow her line of sight. "You need some fresh air?"

Tails was quick to take Fiona up on that offer, merely giving a nod and a soft smile. It was difficult for him to move around and get himself out of the bed, his body still numb and sore. A small moment of surprise would overtake him as the vixen had helped him up and gotten him back onto his feet, his body leaning against hers, almost like a ragdoll. He wanted to interject, but knew he'd only be given a stern look in return. It was a slow process to walk out of Fiona's home with Tails using her for support, and the latter was thankful that his fur was hiding the redness in his face from how embarrassing it'd felt to be in such a weak position.

The orange tinted sky had enamored the two foxes as they got outside of Fiona's home, the evening breeze feeling refreshing against the fur like a gentle caress. Each step was a careful maneuver, Fiona guiding Tails outwards a little more, before setting him down on the grass right against a tree. There was something mesmerizing about watching the sunset near Knothole's outskirts, no matter how often she'd incorporated it into her routine the vixen was never burnt out from it. 'Perhaps it is not so bad to share this with someone,' Fiona had thought, leaning against the firm wood of the tree, glancing down at Tails who'd remained silent.

"Are you holding up well?" Fiona hadn't let her eyes leave the distant sky as she asked, catching Tails' attention. Of course she knew he would recover without much issue, but she wasn't talking about that. "The others came to visit while you were out cold, to be honest it was pretty tiring to calm them all down."

Tails had only given a sheepish smile of appreciation in return, of course, he should've known that everyone would be checking up on him. It was reassuring to hear that the other Freedom Fighters had cared so deeply for him, but his heart felt a pang of guilt for causing so much turmoil upon those close to him. "Yeah, mostly... I'm sorry, for everything. Maybe if I was a little more careful then-"

"Tails," Fiona's tired voice had hinted that this mindset Tails had carried was something that she'd just experienced beforehand, the parallels to Sonic's earlier self doubts making her truly understand how the two were viewed as brothers. "Has anyone ever told you how similar you and Sonic are?"

Such an unexpected question had caught the fox boy off guard, his gaze turning into something more puzzled and unsure. How could the red vixen to him say such a thing? Sonic was Sonic, and Tails wasn't. Surely if they were so alike then he would be looked at in the same way by all the others? "...What?"

It was a little amusing to Fiona, how so many had never seen it. Shifting her eyes down towards the slumped fox, she offered a small smile. "Do you know what Sonic said while you were unconscious? That he promised himself that he'd always keep you safe. And while on some occasions that promise can't always be held onto, such as today... that failure won't end up defining either of you, unless you let it."

Tails had fallen speechless, dwelling on what Fiona said. Had his idolization of Sonic truly caused him to inherit the same insecurities without him noticing? Would his journey to become just like his brother carry all the same mistakes? For so long he'd admired the blue blur, yet with how Fiona had put it... he began to consider that perhaps he was going about things wrong. Tails would turn his head back towards the beautiful sunset, wondering if it held all the answers for his uneased mind.

"...Fiona? Do you think I can become a strong Freedom Fighter like him?" Tails muttered in an unsure tone, his eyes taking in all the blue and orange that tinted the sky high above them, wondering what it'd be like to be someone else. "Someone who can always give protection to others who need it?"

Fiona didn't need to hesitate to know her answer, her voice genuine as she told the fox of all the things that he himself had never been able to see in his self doubt. "You're already stronger than you believe, Tails, even if you don't ever notice it. Sonic, Sally, and the rest of them look at you as their inspiration to keep going, you are their beacon. But it's up to you if you want things to be that way, do you want to be a Freedom Fighter?"

Tilting his head downwards, the youngest of the Freedom Fighters would ponder on it. The Freedom Fighters were the only family he'd known, yet this 'fight' that he had kept on sticking himself into had felt so tiresome. Tails didn't want to be unsure, there was no strength in being indecisive, yet his thoughts raced. "I don't know..."

Such an answer had made Fiona give a thoughtful hum, sliding down the tree gently to sit next to the fox. Fiona now knew that sitting next to her was an individual of tragedy, someone robbed of their youth so early for the sake of a fight, one which nobody knew if it would ever end, just like her. Her unreadable gaze settles back onto Tails, seeing that perhaps they had more in common than she originally thought, because it wasn't like she knew either. "Then you gotta figure it out."

Tails felt himself dumbfounded, Fiona's statement being so straightforward and simple, but to a certain degree making sense. He feels his aqua blue eyes being pierced by her own, icy blue like a frozen lake, such a look seeming so intimidating to some, even if it was not her intention on most occasions. It was as if the vixen had been analyzing him, seeing if the fox was trustworthy enough to say what she was about to say, and a small nod comes from her not too shortly after.

"Would you like to hear a secret, Tails?" Fiona had seen much of herself in the young Freedom Fighter sitting next to her, so unsure on what to make of things anymore, yet not the black sheep that the vixen herself had known herself to be viewed as. She sometimes wondered if her presence would taint the Freedom Fighters' golden boy, they all looked at him so fondly, her arm draping around his shoulder in an unfamiliar pose. "I don't know either. But perhaps that gives us the opportunity to figure out what it means to be a Freedom Fighter together?"

He'd jolt from the brush against his fur, Tails hadn't ever predicted such an outcome, Fiona not asking someone like Sonic or any of the others for help, but him for help. Tails didn't even know how to respond, unsure if he could even fulfill such an oath, yet finding that stoic gaze tearing into him demanding an answer out of him. 'It'd be the right thing to do, it's what a Freedom Fighter would-" Tails would cut off that line of thought, he knew he couldn't think in such a way anymore. 'We can do it together... it's what I believe is right.'

"Yeah... I'd like that." It felt as if a chain had been broken, as if a dreadful weight had been removed from his heart. "Together."