Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic or any characters that appear in this fic. All the characters are property of Sega and Paramount Pictures. I own nothing.

Chapter 1: A Workaholic Fox

"Hey, Knux, have you seen Tails anywhere?" Sonic asked the red echidna, zipping into the living room where Knuckles was sitting on the couch with Ozzy.

Knuckles shook his head. "I have not seen the fox." He replied.

Silence followed before Sonic slumped over, his ears flattening. "That's it?" Sonic deadpanned. "Y-You're gonna tell me where you saw him last or where he might have gone or…?" He waved his arms before letting them fall limply to his sides.

Knuckles simply shrugged. "You asked me if I had seen the fox and I said I hadn't, that is what you asked isn't it?" He said, stroking Ozzy's back as the golden retriever laid his chin on the echidna's lap.

Sonic pinched the bridge between his nose, letting out a sigh of frustration. Knuckles was a good person and had a good heart, it's just that he could sometimes be a little oblivious when it came to certain phrases or wording.

Knuckles' brow then softened, a look of slight worry on his face. "Still, his absence for most of this day is concerning." He looked to Sonic. "Would you like me to help look for him?"

"Nah, it's all good." Sonic politely declined. "I'll go ask mom."

Sonic then zipped away towards the kitchen, leaving Knuckles and Ozzy to enjoy the peace and quiet.

Maddie was in the kitchen doing the dishes, scrubbing and washing them while humming a slight tune. Her tune, however, when Sonic appeared in the kitchen with a slight blue streak.

"Hey, Sonic, what's up?" She asked him casually as she went back to doing the dishes.

Sonic shuffled his feet a bit, folding his arms behind his back. "I was wondering if you'd seen Tails anywhere? I was hoping to play some Smash Bros with him, but now I can't find him anywhere. It's like the little dude disappeared off the face of the Earth!" He explained, his voice almost sounding panicky.

Maddie, noticing this, quickly dried her hands and knelt down to his level, gently putting her hands on his shoulders. "Hey, calm down, now." She said reassuringly, giving him a small comforting smile. "I'm sure Tails is around the house somewhere. You just need to know where to look."

Sonic looked up at his mother as she went back to the dishes before resting his hand under his chin and tapping his foot rapidly.

If he were Tails and he wanted to be alone, where would he go?

Sonic's eyes widened slightly in realization as he snapped his fingers before dashing away, leaving a light blue streak behind him.

Running across the house and towards the door to the garage, Sonic gently opened the door into the dark room.

After getting consent from Tom and Maddie, Tails had quickly turned the shed into his own little workshop, with the old desk at the end of the room being dusted off and filled up with several computers Tails had set up himself, similar to what he had made back in his village.

Sonic quickly spotted Tails at his desk, sitting in his chair with his face lying against the wood. Pieces of metal scraps were scattered across the floor and the desk. Listening closely, Sonic could hear quiet snores emitting from the kit's mouth.

Smiling fondly, Sonic walked over to the twin-tailed young fox, lightly grasping him by the shoulders and shaking him.

"Hey, Tails. Buddy? Wake up." Sonic whispered, a chuckle threatening to escape his throat.

Tails slowly blinked his eyes open. "Mmm…" He mumbled before trying to rub the tiredness out of his eyes. He then turned to see Sonic standing right next to him. "Oh, hey, Sonic." He said despondently.

Sonic blinked as his smile vanished, replaced with a more concerned expression. "Hey, Tails." He replied slowly, noting the bangs under his little brother's eyes. "Are you… feeling okay?" He asked hesitantly.

Tails gave the blue hedgehog a dull look. "Does it look like I'm okay?" He said in a rather uncharacteristically grumpy manner.

Sonic winced. "Yeah, you're not lookin' all one-hundred percent, buddy. No offense, of course." He said.

Tails turned back to his desk, going back to whatever it was he was working on. "None taken." He said tiredly, his grumpy face melting into something a bit more saddened.

Sonic felt his heart go out for his little brother. He then looked around the garage, noting all the loose parts and crumpled paper scattered across the floor. "Still, gotta say, this place looks like a scrapheap!"

Tails yawned but didn't reply, seemingly too tired to respond.

Sonic then noticed the unfinished device in front of Tails on his desk. "What'cha working on?"

"I'm trying to create a security system for the Master Emerald so that we don't have to take it with us everywhere we go, and so that it'll be safe if we ever leave the house without it." Tails explained, fumbling with a power drill. "But no matter what I do, it keeps shorting out." The kit scowled and clenched his fists. "If I could just… get this thing working!" He slammed his fist on the desk in frustration, startling Sonic.

Sonic calmed himself as he gazed sympathetically at the exhausted young fox. "Tails, how long have you been working on this?" He asked in concern.

Tails let out another yawn. "Since last night." He answered, not taking his droopy eyes off his project.

To say Sonic was shocked was an understatement. The poor kid had been working himself to death for who knows how long trying to make their vow of protecting the Master Emerald a little easier for them and he wasn't giving himself any rest?

Well, he wasn't going to stand for that.

"C'mon, buddy, you need a break." Sonic stated, wrapping his arms around Tails' midsection and lifting him off of his seat, earning a surprised yelp from the kit.

"Hey! Let me go! Sonic!" Tails cried in protest, squirming weakly in an attempt to get free. "I gotta… finish this…"

"Hey, not while you've got all this business jelling up your jam." Sonic said with a small smirk. "Lucky for you, Doctor Sonic is in the house with the best prescription he can recommend for you, a good old fashioned nap!"

"I'm not…" Tails let out a yawn as his struggles got weaker and weaker. "... tired… I'm not…" He mumbled, unable to finish before resting his head on Sonic's shoulder, nuzzling it against his fur as he couldn't keep his eyes open, even lightly snoring a bit.

Sonic smiled widely at the now sleeping adorable fox cub in his arms, enjoying this way more than he should be as he exited out of the garage.

Sonic entered through the house via the backdoor, passing into the living room while carrying the sleeping Tails close to him as he passed by Knuckles and Ozzy.

Knuckles was surprised to see the blue hedgehog carrying the fox kit in his arms. He opened his mouth to speak, but Sonic quickly put his finger over his mouth with a quiet, "Shhh." Before gesturing for the echidna to follow him.

Hesitantly, Knuckles got up from the couch and followed Sonic as the hedgehog carried Tails up into their attic room.

Upon entering the attic, Sonic rushed over to his racecar bed, rather than the soft hammock they had set for Tails until they could get another bed, and gently placed his baby brother on his racecar bed before tucking his head on the soft white pillows.

Knuckles was quick to follow as he entered the attic just in time to see Sonic draping a soft blanket over Tails.

"A young warrior needs his rest." Knuckles said, giving Sonic a nod of approval. "Good thinking, Hedgehog. It brings me relief to see you care for him."

Sonic turned to the echidna with a soft smile on his face. "Thanks, Knux." He replied. "C'mon, let's let the little guy get some beauty sleep."

"Of course." Knuckles agreed.

The two were about to head down when Tails suddenly grasped Sonic's arm, causing the blue hedgehog to look back at the little fox.

"Sonic… wait." Tails mumbled, peeking his eyes open.

Sonic turned and knelt down next to the bed, holding Tails' hand. "Yeah, buddy?"

Tails shifted in the bed. "Can you stay with me… please?" He asked innocently, his tired blue eyes pleading.

Sonic smiled softly at the kit. "Sure, bro."

Tails scooted over as Sonic got on the bed with him, pulling the covers over them as he allowed the fox kit to snuggle into his chest.

Sonic rested his chin on Tails' head while Tails yawned cutely before nuzzling into Sonic's chest fur like a giant teddy bear.

"Sleep tight, Tails." Sonic whispered softly.

"Love you, big bro." Tails mumbled, accompanied by another yawn.

Sonic chuckled at the exhaustion laced in his voice, holding Tails closer to him. "Love you too, little bro." He murmured, giving the kit a soft kiss on the forehead. He then looked up at the red echidna standing by the bed. "You want to join in, Knux?"

Knuckles chuckled. "It is quite alright. I'm fine as is." He then sat down on the beanbag near the bed. "But I would be more than happy to stay and keep watch."

Sonic smiled. "Suit yourself, Knucklehead." He said with yawn before falling asleep along with Tails.


Tom Wachowski entered through the front door, having come home after a long day of work. He had to discipline a couple of rogue donuts, living up to Sonic's nickname 'The Donut Lord'.

After greeting Ozzy, Tom went into the kitchen just in time to see his wife finishing the dishes.

"Hey, honey." He smiled warmly.

Maddie smiled back upon seeing her husband. "Hey." She said before the two kissed. "How was work today?"

Tom shrugged. "Oh, it was fine. Had to help Wade tie his shoes after we got some lunch." He then looked around the house, noticing it was surprisingly vacant except for them. "Where are the boys?"

"I saw them taking Tails upstairs a while ago." Maddie answered. She then frowned in concern. "I haven't heard from them in a while."

"Want to go check in on them?" Tom asked.

Maddie nodded and the two headed over to the entrance to the attic, finding that the stairs to it were still down.

Heading up the stairs, Tom and Maddie found something that both surprised them and warmed their hearts.

Sonic slept with his head against the pillow of his race car bed, holding Tails close to him as if he were afraid to let go, his chin resting atop the kit's head just above his bangs, his breath lightly blowing the little fox's golden-orange fur.

Tails was snuggled against his big hedgehog brother, clinging to him like a big fluffy plushie, his face nuzzled into his peach-colored chest, his twin tails curled around Sonic's waist like a small blanket.

Knuckles, meanwhile, sat back on the beanbag, eyes closed and arms folded over his chest as he slept in the warm sunlight seeping through the skylight.

Maddie withheld the urge to squeal, almost overwhelmed by the cuteness of the scene while Tom smiled warmly at their sleeping kids.

Taking out her phone, Maddie quickly snapped a picture of the three alien kids. "This is pure gold." She said, looking at the picture.

Tom chuckled, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulder. "C'mon. Let's let the kids have their beauty sleep." He said.

Maddie nodded before the two of them headed downstairs, leaving the hedgehog, the fox, and the echidna to their dreams.

First time writing a Movie Sonic fanfic. Actually, this is my first time writing a Sonic fanfic in general. Hope you enjoy it so far! (No flames please.)