(Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any of the characters, all credit goes to Sega. Please support the official release).
Chapter 8: A Loving Family
Sonic and Co., along with Metal Sonic and Gwen, sat in the waiting room of the hospital as they all waited for the doctors to give them news about Eggman's condition.
Gwen hadn't said a single word in the last two and a half hours. She had been treated for her small injuries and was even given something to eat from the hospital cafeteria, but after that she remained quiet in Metal's arms, tightly clutching Egglet to her chest.
Shadow looked in her direction with a sympathetic expression, his heart ached for the child.
I can't blame her for being so sad...all the physical pain Starline inflicted upon her is nothing compared to the emotional pain of what happened to Eggman, he thought.
Just then, a doctor came over to the group.
"How is he, Doc? Is Eggman going to be alright?", asked Sonic.
"Well, Dr. Eggman sustained a lot of damage to his lower body, but thankfully his spine was spared and he wasn't paralyzed. His legs were broken quite a bit, but with plenty of rest and rehabilitation, he should be able to walk again in a couple of months.
"If you want, you can go in to see him, but don't make any loud noises. I want him to get plenty of rest so that he can recover properly. If you're going to visit, I'll only allow two or three at a time", said the doctor.
Shadow then stood up from his seat and looked over at Metal Sonic, "Give Gwen to me, she needs to see him and I will have to inform him about what will be done with her whilst he's in the hospital", he said.
The robotic hedgehog complied as he walked over and placed the small child in Shadow's arms. He then slipped into Eggman's room quietly, finding the doctor in the hospital bed, as pale as a ghost.
His head was resting ever so gently on the pillow, a bandage covering the bald scalp. He had a few scars all over his face, but they seem to have already started scabbing over. His neck down was covered by a while blanket, with his arms resting on top; an I.V. was hooked up to his left arm while his right was hooked up to a heart monitor.
His legs were in casts and suspended on two poles, and the rhythmic sound of beeping echoed in the room. The sight was painful to see, but less bad than what anyone had thought it was going to be.
Shadow grew closer, sitting on a chair next to the bed and watched him. He could hear the man's weak yet gentle breathing, in sync with the beeping. Gwen held his chest as she stared at Eggman, waiting for him to wake up.
Time must have gone by without her knowing, because she found herself in Shadow's arms with Eggman in that room for what felt like hours. Then, she caught sight of him shifting ever so lightly, the beeping growing rapid for only a split second.
Shadow set Gwen down on the ground so she could walk over to place her hand on Eggman's, feeling how cold it was, and beginning to rub it gently. "I'm here now, Papa. I won't leave you", she said as she gave a weak, broken smile.
Her heart skipped as Eggman's eyes opened slightly, looking up at her; that was when she realized he wasn't wearing his glasses anymore. His eyes seemed a bit dull, but they were actually a really nice shade of blue.
He smiled, weakly, gasping lightly for air. "I…am so glad…that you are…alright", he said. His voice was a little tired, "I was so…worried."
Gwen shook her head, "You don't gotta worry about me, Papa. I'm fine, I'm more worried about you. You'll be better in no time, I'm sure", she said. She let off a sigh as she went to sit back down on Shadow's lap, rubbing his hand more.
"Thank you…for making sure…I'm okay…", said Eggman. His voice was almost a whisper before he drifted once again; his breathing and beeping were in sync once again. Gwen climbed off of Shadow's lap again and found some extra pillows and a blanket in a closet in the room.
She went and fixed herself on the other chair in the room, making a sort of bed out of it; resting her head on the doctor's bed. "I'm here…Papa", she whispered. Shadow decided not to stop her since he knew she was emotionally vulnerable right now.
He watched both Eggman and Gwen as the former rested, twitching ever so lightly from time to time. He knew it was going to be a long night, so he made himself comfortable in his chair.
[Time Skip]
The next morning, Eggman awoke feeling a bit more lively than he did last night, his body was still a little sore but all in all, he was alright.
He felt something soft next to him, he looked down and saw Gwen laying next to him, fast asleep. One of her tiny hands were grasping his blanket while her cheek occasionally nuzzled into his body. Eggman reached his hand over and placed it on her head, gently scratching behind her ears.
She purred as she cuddled up to him, making his heart melt.
"She hasn't left your side all night"
Eggman turned around to see Shadow sitting down on a chair on the other side of the bed, "How long have you been there?", he asked.
"For the same amount of time as her, she couldn't be left here alone without adult supervision since you were still unconscious. I'm also here because there's something we need to discuss", said Shadow.
Eggman sighed heavily, "I think I have a feeling what this is going to be about but you're going to tell me anyway", he said sadly.
Shadow sighed as well as he ran a hand across his face, "Yes, exactly. Since you're injured and there's still the issue of your past actions, until a decision is made on who would be granted custody of her, Gwen is required to stay with a foster family.
"Cream's mother, Vanilla, was notified of the situation and offered to foster her for the time being. Once we've come to a decision, you'll be the first to know. Gwen will still be allowed to visit you in the hospital during your recovery, but she can't stay with you", he explained.
Eggman looked at Gwen sadly, "I figured this was going to happen...I really don't want to lose her, Shadow. She's the light of my life, she's my inspiration for trying to change my ways.
"I don't want to be separated from the one thing that has brought true happiness to my life. I feel like if I lost Gwen now...I just don't know how I'd be able to go on", he said.
Shadow stood up from his chair, he walked over to the other side of the bed. He carefully picked Gwen up, wrapping the blanket around her without waking her up. He then walked over to the door to leave, but before he did, he looked back and gave Eggman a reassuring smile.
"I can't promise anything, but I have a feeling that you risking your life to save Gwen might help sway things in your favor", he said.
[Time Skip]
Two days after the incident, Shadow had taken Gwen to Cream's house to be placed in Vanilla's temporary custody until the matter of deciding whether Eggman could keep guardianship of her or not was decided.
Gwen cast her solemn eyes from her cherished plush dog to the rest of her temporary room. It was simply decorated with pictures of nature, dolls, small plants set on the window sill, and light pink colored walls giving it a warm and cozy air.
Yet she didn't feel warm at all, she felt cold and alone in the little rabbit family's house. Gwen was grateful for the chance to stay with someone who was friendly and had someone her own age to play with.
Though she preferred to be back with her Papa, she decided to make the best of the situation by playing with Cream. She also thanked Vanilla for opening up her home, offering to do any small chore to help around the house as a way to repay their kindness.
A soft knock at the door startled the young hedgehog from his thoughts, "Gwendolyn, deary, may I come in?" Vanilla's muffled voice called out through the door.
The light blue hedgehog looked up at the door while holding Egglet in her arms, "Y-yes. Come in!", she called back.
The light from the hallway broke through the darkroom, lighting up where Gwen sat on the bed. Opening the door, Vanilla's eyes landed on the child, and she felt a tug at her heart, seeing the worry and stress on the young hedgehog's face.
She smiled the same smile she usually gave Cream whenever she was anxious. Her heart went out to the young hedgehog, wishing she could do more to help, but until the orphaned hoglet's guardian situation was settled, she would do her best to support her.
"I just wanted to let you know I'm putting Cream to bed, dear. Is there anything you need from me?", said Vanilla.
"Oh no thanks, Miss Vanilla. I'm okay. I should probably go to bed now too", she said politely as she yawned, holding a hand over her mouth.
"Alright, I'll be awake just a little bit longer. Call me if you need anything, sweetheart. Even if I'm asleep, don't be afraid to wake me up. I don't mind", said Vanilla.
Gwen's chest tightened a bit as she swallowed the lump in her throat, Vanilla's endearments reminding her of the same things Eggman used to say to her made her heart ache.
Though she was sure Vanilla was trying to come off as welcoming and helpful, her gentle demeanor came off more as an unwanted presence than comfort. It felt like someone took an arrow and shot it at Gwen's chest, tearing her heart out, and her stomach recoiled at the thought that...she may never hear those sweet words from the kind doctor ever again.
Gwen managed to weakly choke out a "Thank you. Goodnight", before she then turned away so as not to see the kind smile on Vanilla's face and to hide the tears filling her eyes.
"Goodnight, Gwendolyn", Vanilla whispered before softly closing the door with a click, encasing the room in darkness again. The young hedgehog listened to her walk away; once she was sure she was far enough away, she shuddered a breath and rubbed her hands over her face.
Papa...I miss you, I miss you...
These words repeated in her head over and over until she slid down on the bed, gazing at the ceiling with heavy eyes until she drifted off into a restless sleep.
The next morning, Vanilla went to Gwen's room to wake her up for breakfast only to find her not in the bed. She looked around the room for the young hedgehog but couldn't find her anywhere, that was when she heard soft whimpering.
It was coming from beneath the bed. Vanilla bent down and found hed under the bed; the young hedgehog was softly crying whilst hugging her plush dog.
"There you are, sweetheart! Oh my goodness, you poor thing!", Vanilla exclaimed and cooed, seeing the tears slowly pouring out of those big purple eyes in the darkness. Visibly sighing in relief to have found her, Vanilla looked at in confusion.
"What are you doing under there?", she asked.
"I'm so-sorry!", Gwen hiccuped, trembling and making herself smaller when the rabbit frowned, worried that she was angry at her.
"What on Mobius for? You haven't done anything wrong", said Vanilla.
The young hedgehog shook her head, disagreeing, and confusing Vanilla further. "Gwen. Please come out, sweetheart, and tell me what's wrong", she said with all the gentleness and love a mother could muster.
"I know I should be grateful that you're taking care of me, and that I have another kid like me to play with, but I don't like it here! This isn't my home! I wanna go back to my home, with Metal and Orbot and Cubot and...my Papa! I want my Papa!", Gwen finally stated as she started crying even harder.
She then curled into herself, embarrassed and ashamed at having to admit it out loud. She peered out from behind Egglet, watching as Vanilla let out a sad sigh and laid down on the floor, keeping her face where the young hedgehog could see.
She then reached a hand out under the bed without touching her, just close enough to let her know she was near; Vanilla opened and closed her mouth several times before speaking hesitantly.
"Gwen...I admit I don't understand completely what has been happening recently involving Eggman, but I do know when a child is in distress and needs comfort. And darling, look at me please", she gently pushed.
At first, Gwen hesitated but then she mustered up the courage to look at the older rabbit. "Right now, I see before me a child who really could use a hug. If you'd let me, I'd like to do that for you? Will you come out of there, sweetheart?", Vanilla said sweetly.
Part of Gwen was afraid that this was just a trick to get her to come out so she could toss her to the curb, but upon hearing that sincere and loving tone in her voice and looking into those warm waiting eyes...Gwen needed no further prompting for her to crawl out and into her arms.
Vanilla held her as she shook with silent sobs; she clung to the motherly rabbit while she cooed sadly and patted her back. Gwen cried for her Papa, she cried for her robot brothers, she cried for all that she might be losing, and she cried for her deceased parents who couldn't help her anymore.
There was absolutely nothing she could do to make the horrible feelings or the situation that brought them go away. The young hedgehog was stuck watching from the sidelines, waiting for the adults to make the decisions, and she hated being so useless.
It took a while before Gwen ran out of tears to shed, an occasional hiccup escaping with her still uneven breathing. Needing something to soothe herself, she shoved her thumb in her mouth and sucked it furiously.
The action only helped slightly, she was able to calm down but the dreadful feelings of sadness and despair didn't entirely go away.
Vanilla patted her back a few more times, making sure she was calm before slowly pulling Gwen away to look at the young hedgehog's face. Her heart broke at the sight of those big wet, sad eyes, tear streaks on her cheeks, and sucking her thumb with a frown.
It reminded the rabbit that the poor girl was the same age as her daughter and had gone through so much pain and suffering. She had experienced and witnessed horrors that no one of any age, let alone a very young child, should ever have to experience.
At her age, Gwen's main concerns should've been wondering which doll she was gonna play with next or when her favorite cartoon was coming on or which dinosaur shaped chicken nugget she wanted to eat next.
Not wondering who the scary men who broke into her house were or why her parents suddenly stopped moving and were lying in their own blood or why the scary men put her in a cage and beat her...
Or most importantly, why the kind human man who took her in as his own daughter was suddenly not allowed anywhere near her until other adults she didn't know said it was okay.
Vanilla thought about how she would feel if Cream were in Gwen's place and imagined that Eggman was possibly feeling the same way right now.
She tenderly kissed her head, "I'm so sorry, sweetheart, about all of this. You weren't expecting this just today, were you?", she said silently.
Gwen shook her head angrily, "Nobody cares about how I feel, all they care about are the bad things Papa did in the past! They don't care that he doesn't wanna be bad anymore and that he really loves me! And now, I won't get to see my Papa no more...it's not fair!", she cried out.
Vanilla said nothing, for even she thought the situation was unfair, at least towards this young child who did nothing wrong and just wanted a family. Shushing her charge, she pulled her back to her chest and rubbed circles on her back.
"I don't think that will happen", said Vanilla.
"How do you know that? How do you know they won't put Papa in jail and send me away to live with strangers again?", Gwen muttered.
Vanilla sighed, "I don't know that, sweetheart. But I do know that from the way you've been talking, Eggman really had been taking good care of you. From the way you speak, it seems like he truly loved you.
"I even heard that he nearly sacrificed himself to save you, so that proves to me that he really is a changed man. That he wants to be a better person, and the first step is being a loving father to you.
"So while I can't promise anything, I think that maybe the others will consider that and maybe give him a chance. Not everyone can or will change, but everyone deserves the chance to prove that they can change", she said.
Absorbing and thinking hard about what the rabbit said, Gwen sucked her thumb again. Even with having known Vanilla for only a few days, she felt like she could trust the rabbit's words; she felt silly now for assuming Vanilla would kick her out.
Slowly, the sick churning in her stomach ebbed away as a wave of security and acceptance washed over her. Something she had not felt since being taken away from Eggman.
Being held now in someone's arms helped calm her. She had missed this badly, but it wasn't quite the same as being in her Papa's arms.
"I miss my Papa," she whispered.
Vanilla rocked her gently, "I know, deary, I know. You'll be with him soon, I'm sure. You just need to be a brave girl and hold on a little while longer", she said.
Gwen knew this, but that didn't make things any easier. "Okay", she listlessly mumbled under her breath.
Vanilla continued to hold the hoglet in her lap, running a hand through her quills or rubbing her back every few minutes, until Gwen's belly growled loudly, startling her. Vanilla can't help but chuckle at the cute response to the noise, "It sounds like someone is ready to eat. I better fix that. Will you be alright now?", she said.
"Yes, Miss Vanilla," Gwen said, remembering that it was morning. Although now it was getting close to the afternoon, so she supposed it was lunchtime now instead of breakfast.
The rabbit smiled warmly and placed her on the floor before getting on her feet. Brushing away the dust from her skirt, she smiled again. "Alright, I'll call when brunch is ready, then. Since it's not breakfast time anymore but it's a little too soon for lunch", she said with a chuckle.
Gwen watched as she left her and jumped in surprise to see Cream standing in the hallway watching her. She frowned, she hadn't really interacted with the young rabbit since she got there. Even though they were the same age, Gwen didn't know how to approach her.
The small rabbit smiled, "Hi Gwen. How are you feeling?", she asked in her soft voice while walking up to her.
She shrugged an answer while hugging herself with her free arm. Cream frowned at this, "Oh, I'm sorry. You're having a bad day, aren't you? My Momma said I'm good at helping cheer people up. Maybe I can help?" she said thoughtfully, looking around the room and smiling brightly, spotting the plush dog on the floor.
She walked over and picked it up, holding it up in the air. "Egglet!", Gwen squeaked reaching for the toy. Cream handed it to her happily as she took the toy, closing her eyes and holding it close; the young rabbit thought she looked quite cute, and she was happy to know there was someone her own age to play with at home.
Though, watching the young hedgehog cuddling her toy and sucking her thumb like a baby, Cream realized that maybe Gwen was a bit younger than six...at least, on the inside. Then again, children were mentally stunted when experiencing trauma.
She probably missed playing with Eggman and his robots, which was why she was so uninvolved with Cream and her mother. Since she and the young hedgehog had only played once since hef arrival, perhaps playing with her now would cheer her up.
Excited to begin, she jumped up, grabbed the blanket off the bed, folded it into a neat square. She then tapped Gwen on the shoulder, she opened her eyes, blinking a question at what she wanted. Cream just smiled as she gently guided her to lie down on the floor, head resting on the blanket.
"We're gonna play House, I'm the mommy and you're the baby", said Cream.
Gwen looked up at her with confusion, but let her swaddle her with the blanket and hold her. Even though she had regained her proper weight at this point, she was still smaller and lighter than the average six year old, so it was easy for Cream to carry her.
A soft chirp caught her attention and that was when she spotted Cheese fluttering into the room, Gwen seeing him for the first time since being at Vanilla's house. The sight of him alone instantly reminded her of when Eggman took her to the Chao Garden for the first time.
Cream held Gwen in her arms and gave her tummy a loving rub with Cheese chirping above her. The soothing touch reminded her of her Papa, tears filled her eyes, and her bottom lip quivered along with a sad whimper. Cream and Cheese gave her a sad look, "What's the matter, baby girl?", the rabbit asked.
"I miss Papa..."
"Aww, you miss your Papa?", Cream asked, "Don't worry; you'll see your Papa soon. Mamma, Big Sissy, and Cheese will take good care of you!"
Cream then hugged the weepy hoglet, rocking her as she whispered sweet nothings to her to help her relax. Once a few tears had escaped, after Cheese wiped them away, Gwen relaxed with a sigh while sucking on her thumb and cuddling into the rabbit's soft fur, enjoying the sensation of being very small in her hold.
She was comfortable until a voice called out from downstairs, "Cream, Gwen! Lunch is ready!"
Cream helped Gwen stand up and led her out of the room, taking her smaller hand into her own. Cheese floated behind them as they slowly went down the stairs and to the kitchen.
A tug on the rabbit's arm stopped her from entering; with an upturned brow, the girl looked back to see the hoglet curling in on herself, nervously, sucking on her thumb.
Cream smiled reassuringly, understanding her apprehension, "It's okay, there's no need to be shy, baby. Big Sissy will protect you. Do you wanna be behind me?", Gwen nodded fast, thankful that she understood her apprehension, and followed the rabbit.
They entered the dining room seeing Vanilla stirring a steaming pot on the stove; the adult rabbit, hearing soft footsteps behind her, turned around and smiled warmly at the two, holding in a coo at her daughter and the Chao protectively shielding the shy hedgehog peeking out from behind her.
"Are my two little ones hungry?", she asked, bending down to their height, mentally cooing at Cream acting like a big sister for the vulnerable and shy hedgehog.
"Yes, Mamma!", the little rabbit answered for all three of them.
"Come and sit down then, lunch is just about done", said Vanilla.
Cream led Gwen over to the table and they sat down just as Vanilla served them a plate of macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets and peas. She gave them each a glass of apple juice and a fork. Gwen looked at the plate of food with awe, it looked just like the meals Metal would always make for her.
She happily tucked into her meal, enjoying the taste and the wave of nostalgia that hit her. Vanilla and Cream looked at her with wide smiles, glad to see she was feeling better. After lunch was over, Cream took Gwen by the hand and led her over to the living room with Cheese.
Vanilla washed the dishes and soon joined them, spying Cheese on his usual perch on the couch with the two children sitting below, both intently focused on a princess movie, one of Cream's favorites. Vanilla casually approaches and sat beside the young hedgehog, surprised when she crawled over to lay on her lap.
As she made herself comfortable in the older rabbit's lap, Gwen's eyelids began to droop and soon, she had fallen fast asleep. Vanilla smiled as she picked up and rocked the sleeping hoglet.
Cheese left the two be, joining Cream instead while she watched the movie and sang along with a low voice. Despite the rather scary last few weeks, today couldn't have gone any better for Gwen.
[Time Skip]
Six months. It took six long months for Eggman to recover from his injuries, and for those in higher power to assess his situation and determine whether or not he would be allowed to have custody of Gwen.
At first, no one was willing to overlook his past evil deeds and were adamant that he not have custody of her, even if he did properly care for her while he had her. Sonic and his friends, on the other, brought up the point that Eggman was taking good care of Gwen for the three and a half months he had her.
Not to mention the fact that he personally went to rescue her from Dr. Starline and was even prepared to sacrifice himself just to ensure she would be safe.
What Shadow had told Eggman that night at the hospital turned out to be right, the fact that he chose to give his life to protect his daughter was enough to have the authorities realize that he truly wanted to change and be a better person.
So, after much deliberation, the doctor was approved to have custody of the young hedgehog. The only thing that kept Gwen and Eggman apart further, aside from the doctor's rehabilitation, was the amount of official paperwork that needed to be filled out and processed first.
That also took an extra three weeks to get through, but finally, Dr. Eggman was named the official legal guardian of Gwen. She was now given the name of Gwendolyn Sophia Robotnik.
They still couldn't live together yet because there were some matters that needed to be taken care of. Firstly, Gwen's biological parents needed to be given a proper burial now that their bodies had been recovered.
A small funeral was held for the two of them, with Gwen and Eggman in attendance. It was closed casket so the young hedgehog wouldn't have to see the sorry state of their corpses, and she was able to say her final goodbyes to them.
Secondly, even with a fully furnished child's bedroom and playroom, Eggman's mountain base wasn't a suitable living place since she had gotten lost and nearly froze to death, even if that wasn't Eggman's fault.
So, Sonic and Co. got the idea that Eggman should move into a normal house in a town, and it was decided that he would go back to live in his old home in Windmill Village back when he was Mr. Tinker. It turned out that Belle was still living in the house and maintaining it, even after Eggman went back to being evil.
She had been hoping that one day, he would go back to being the sweet and kind inventor he was as Mr. Tinker and come back. So once she heard about the whole situation, she was more than happy to welcome him and Gwen to the house.
She was even excited to be getting a little sister, and even happier to Metal Sonic, Orbot and Cubot joining her as well. All of Gwen's bedroom furniture was moved to an empty room in the new house and the playroom equipment would moved to the attic, turning it into a brand new playroom.
Of course, Eggman wasn't without scrutiny. Though he was granted custody of Gwen, the deal was that he could be her legal guardian as long as he would have monthly meetings with Team Dark to report on the status of his home life and how Gwen was doing.
It was something akin to a former criminal meeting with their parole officer or a social worker doing check-ins with adopted children. It was a bit of an inconvenience, but if it meant he could finally be reunited with his baby girl, Eggman agreed to the arrangement with no complaints.
The day Eggman finally got out of the hospital and was reunited with his beloved adopted daughter was the happiest day of his life. He was happy that he could live out the rest of his life with his precious baby girl, and his four robotic children as well.
Sonic and Co. would stop by every now and then to check on the strange yet happy family. It seemed that Gwen was much happier now and she had moved on from the trauma she endured.
She was overjoyed to be reunited with her Papa and her robot brothers, and even happier to have gained a robot sister as well. Her early childhood may not have been the happiest and she had even almost lost everything she held dear including her life, but now that she had a family again, her life couldn't have been better.
[Time Skip: Two years later]
"Alright. Everyone say "cheese omelette"!"
It had been two years since the incident. Eggman had kept the promise he made to Gwen, and taken his family on a vacation to Apotos.
He held up a camera and took a picture of his children as they posed in front of the large bell tower. Then looked at the picture, "Looks good! Don't you all look so adorable? Especially my little princess!", he said.
He was referring to Gwen, who was wearing a cute pink summer dress with matching flipflops and a sun hat. It was midsummer so it was pretty hot out, so the attire was appropriate. They had come to Apotos for a week long trip, and it was only day two, so they were making the most of their trip and having the time of their lives.
"Hey Papa, can we get some ice cream?", asked Gwen.
Eggman placed a hand over his face to shield his eyes from the bright sun, "It is pretty hot out, isn't it? I think a nice cold and delicious treat would be perfect right now", he said.
They walked over to an ice cream vendor who was preparing some sundaes. Gwen looked at the treats with awe, "Looks good, don't it? That there Chocolate Chipped Cream Sundae Supreme is the pride of the city! The whole world can come tumbling down, but they'll still line up for a taste!", said the vendor.
Eggman let out a laugh, "Looks splendid indeed, we'll take two if you please", he said as he pulled out some money. The vendor took the money and then handed the ice cream to Eggman and Gwen.
"Ha ha, you said it! Enjoy it, kiddo. Satisfaction guaranteed! If you don't love it, you get your money back!", said the vendor.
"Oh, I looooove it!", said Gwen as she took a bite of her ice cream, "Mmmm-mm! Wow, this ice cream is so great!"
Eggman laughed as he ate his own ice cream, "Yes, it's quite exquisite! Nothing like a cold treat to cool you off on a hot day, isn't there?", he said.
"So, where are going next?", asked Orbot.
Belle looked at the town map she held in her hands, "Ooh! Look at this, they've recently opened up an aquarium. They have a live dolphin show at four o'clock, so if we hurry we'll make it in time", she said.
"Oh sweet! I wanna see some sea critters!", said Cubot as Metal Sonic beeped excitedly.
"Well we better get going if we wanna make it in time to see the show", said Eggman.
They all began walking into town to head to the aquarium, Eggman and Gwen had finished their ice cream and tossed their trash into some nearby waste bins before continuing on their walk.
Gwen skipped to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk, she slowly turned around and looked up at Eggman. He was about to ask her if something was wrong when he saw the wide and happy smile on her face.
It filled his heart with joy, "Come here and give me a hug, you little rascal!", the doctor shouted with a chortle, bending down to meet the young hedgehog and opening his arms wide, gesturing for Gwen to land in his embrace.
Which the hoglet did with glee, jumping into her father's arms and hugging him tightly, Eggman jokingly grunted. "I had missed you so much, my baby girl", the doctor whispered into her ear and kissed the side of her head.
The cute nickname was enough to melt Gwen's heart away as she nuzzled herself into Eggman's neck, "I missed you too, Papa. I'm so happy we can be together forever now", she whispered.
"Hey! Father, little Sis! Hurry up or we're gonna miss the aquarium show!", Belle called out.
Eggman laughed as he set Gwen down, took her by the hand and hurried along with her to catch up with his other children.
If someone had told Eggman that two years ago he'd not only give up his evil ways but become a family man, he would've laughed in their face before sending his robots to attack them. But now that it had happened, he couldn't have been happier.
Some people were still fearful of him but he learned to accept that, he stopped being a mad scientist and turned to using his mechanical knowledge in the medical field.
His new Roboticizer had been completed and patented, and now it was being used by a hospital to give amputees replacement robotic limbs. And if the trial period went well, he would start making more and selling them to other hospitals around the world.
The money made from that, along with government benefits, went into taking care of his family as well as being put into a fund for Gwen's future college tuition. He was determined to make sure he gave her the best life any child could ask for, and nothing would get in his way.
He even managed to reconcile with Sonic and his friends, and they were no longer enemies. It would be a long time before they could be considered friends, but at the very least they were on friendly terms now.
And he couldn't believe just how much better his life was now that he was no longer evil. It was exactly like when he was Mr. Tinker, it felt good to not be feared and despised and to have the love of a family that cares deeply about him.
For the first time in his life, Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik was the happiest man in the world. And he hoped his life would continue to be this way. No matter what came next, he knew he wouldn't be alone.
He'd have Orbot and Cubot and Metal Sonic and Belle by his side.
And most importantly, he'd have his precious baby girl Gwendolyn by his side. The sweet little hedgehog who finally gave his life meaning, and in the end, he was given the one thing he had wanted all his life.
A loving family.
[The End]
