A/N:
I've been working on a little ficlet thing on Tumblr about when Eclipse met Callie. I'm actually having quite a bit of fun with it, so head on over to my blog and check it out if you're a space gremlin fan!
Sunlight shone through the bedroom window, bringing with it the sound of birdsong. Callie rolled away from the light, and pulled the covers over her head. She'd forgotten to close her curtains last night.
Her nightshirt twisted uncomfortably around her belly, and she absently gave it a tug to straighten it. The cloth wouldn't move. It felt like it was caught on something.
Brow furrowing, and squinting against the bright light, she rolled slightly, bumping into something behind her. It shifted at her touch, and she froze, suddenly wide awake. It was too big to be her cats. What on Earth was-
Oh that's right. In her sleep-fuzzy fog, she'd completely forgotten about her new house guest.
Callie reached her hand around her side to try and figure out what her nightshirt was caught on, and discovered Silver had gathered two handfuls of her shirt during the night. He clutched them tightly in his fists, as if he were afraid she would leave him otherwise.
The stories of his homeworld came back to her, and her heart twisted. What terrible things this little boy had lived through.
The hedgehog twitched in his sleep, a small whimper squeezing out of his throat. His breathing quickened. The pull on her nightshirt tightened as he curled tighter into himself.
A nightmare. Pretty bad by the sound of it.
Callie tried to roll over, to twist around so she could face the boy, but his grip on her shirt essentially pinned her in place. So she called his name, softly at first, but with more urgency the longer his nightmare continued, and the more frequent his whimpers became.
He didn't seem to hear her. Too caught up in whatever horrors his mind had created.
~X~X~X~
Silver was home.
But it wasn't right. The fires were still burning, and more people roamed the ruined streets. Someone held his hand and pulled him along, his feet moving as fast as he could make them to try and keep up.
"C'mon, sweetie," a voice called, and he gasped. He hadn't heard it in a long time, but knew it just the same. It was soft and gentle and made his heart feel full and warm.
His mama.
He looked up and saw her, leading him through the ruined buildings. Every now and then she would turn and look back, her eyes a darker shade of his, her fur a little lighter. Even when the air was choked with smoke and ash, she seemed brighter. Warmer. He loved her so much.
"This way, honey," she said, cutting to their right. The broken and shattered buildings around them cast everything into dark shadow, and Silver's heart clenched.
He knew this area. This was where . . .
Panic gripped him, and he dug his heels into the rough ground beneath them, pulling them to a stop. His mama turned, an expression of shock on her face.
"Silver? Honey, what are you-"
"We can't go there, Mama," he whimpered, pulling her back the way they came. His voice was higher, shakier. A child's. Half a lifetime ago. "We have to go back, please, don't go in there Mama-"
Sounds from behind. Shouts and running feet. The gang they had stolen food from—not even a lot, just a few bites—were almost on top of them. His mama dropped to one knee and took his muzzle in her hand.
"Silver, we have to keep moving," she said, her voice stern. "If they catch us, they'll hurt us. We have to go."
Without another word she stood and tightened her grip on his hand. She gave a yank and then his feet were moving again, and they approached the one spot in the whole destroyed city he'd never returned to, and always took the very long way around to avoid.
He was dreaming, he knew he was dreaming, he had this dream over and over and over again and every time he tried to change the ending but it never worked. Every time he'd beg and plead and get angry and run away to try and keep her from going down that street.
And every time she went down it anyway.
Like now, when she pulled him around the corner of one of the buildings that had had its top blown off, but still stood more or less intact. The street itself looked clear, but as they moved further down, movement in the shadows made her grind to a stop. A large badger emerged from the left, followed by a fox and opossum. To their right came a bear, chipmunk, and turtle.
These weren't from the gang following them, but had caused enough of a delay to allow their original pursuers to catch up. Now they were surrounded with no way out.
What followed was firmly burned into his memory. No matter what he tried, he was powerless to stop its replay. To change its outcome.
The badger's gang approached, closing ranks to prevent escape from the front. The other gang, led by a large boar, closed in behind, boxing the two hedgehogs in. His mama pulled him behind her, moving them in a circle to watch all the threats.
"The doorway," she said, her voice low enough only Silver could hear. "When I say, run for it and hide."
He flicked his eyes to the buildings surrounding them, and found the one she meant. An open door, leading to a mostly intact building.
"Mama, I'm scared," he whined, and she gave his hand another squeeze.
"You're braver than you think, sweetie," she said, risking a glance down at him. Her eyes were shiny. "I love you so much, Silver. When I say, run and hide and never let them catch you."
In Callie's bed, Silver whimpered.
The younger Dream Silver just nodded, unaware of what would happen next.
His mama looked up, her brow furrowing at the gangs closing in. She maneuvered them both closer to the open doorway, keeping herself between her son and the danger around them.
"Go!" she cried, and launched herself forward to attack the closest gang member, the fox. "RUN!"
He ran. Into the building, and up the crumbling stairs. Only stopping when he heard his mama cry out in pain.
"Mama!"
Silver reversed direction and shot back out into the street, and found his mama bloodied, hanging from the large fist of the boar. She struggled against his grip, feet kicking helplessly in the air.
"NO!"
A heat built inside him then, stronger and hotter than any he'd felt before. The tingle of his power, that usually crawled up his spine in a slow build, slammed upwards, igniting his hands in a flare of light so bright the gangs had to shield their eyes.
"LET HER GO!"
The boar holding his mother sneered at him, and gave her throat another squeeze before turning and throwing her against the building on the opposite side of the street. She hit hard, tumbling to the ground below, limp.
Silver's heart skipped.
"NO!"
It was less a cry and more a bellow, and a shockwave of power pulsed out of him, radiating out in all directions. The gangs were thrown back, the air knocked from their lungs in the impact. Concrete shattered where the wave hit, and the already crumbling buildings lurched as their supports gave out. Large slabs and chunks of concrete fell, and one by one, so did the gang members.
Ignoring the chaos around him, Silver's eyes never left his mother. He moved toward her, the aura of power surrounding him reaching for anything nearby to hurl away. Rock, metal, or flesh. It didn't matter. Everything his power touched was violently tossed aside.
His mama stirred, and his breath caught in his throat. She was alive, and if he could get to her, he could save her. He knew it.
Unfortunately, the buildings surrounding them had suffered too much damage. Every structure along the street collapsed, including the one his mother rested against.
As he watched, frozen, a giant chunk of concrete broke free right above his mother. It fell, and she was gone.
Silver fell to his knees. His throat bobbed, but no words would come out. He sat stunned for a few seconds, before throwing his head back and screaming toward the sky. Emotions churned inside him—anger, fear, guilt. Sadness. Grief. He pushed all those feelings into one primal shriek, forcing it all out until his lungs were empty. Then he gulped in another breath and did it again.
The power already surrounding him flared, sending another, much stronger shockwave out, reaching far past this block. The remnants of the buildings closest to him all but exploded in the wake, raining dust and rubble all around him. Half the city endured additional damage, and more people found themselves on the underside of a falling chunk of concrete.
As the dust around him cleared, Silver found himself in a perfect little circle of rubble-free asphalt. The power that was responsible for causing so much destruction, for taking so many lives, had saved him. It formed a protective shell above him, keeping him safe from the aftermath of his own dangerous abilities.
He hated this power. He hated himself for not being stronger. Braver.
He couldn't save her. She was gone because of him.
And he'd never forgive himself for it.
~X~X~X~
Callie managed to wrangle her shirt out of Silver's fists and sat up to face him. He twitched and whimpered in his sleep, his face twisted in pain. Soft cyan light leaked from his clenched hands.
She reached for him, before hesitating.
How does one go about waking a telekinetic hedgehog from a nightmare without risking getting thrown across the room?
The boy uttered a louder cry just then, tears slipping from his tightly closed eyes.
Screw it.
"Silver," she called, gently gripping his hands. "Wake up. C'mon kiddo. It's just a dream. You're safe."
Instead of waking, he curled tighter, a high-pitched whine escaping his throat.
"Silver," she said, louder. "Wake up."
No response for a few seconds, then the boy shot upright, eyes wide open. He screamed, holding his hands out before him and sending a pulse of power out. It slammed into Callie, who uttered a surprised cry before being thrown off the bed. She landed in a crumpled heap on the floor.
"Ow."
~X~X~X~
As the last remnants of sleep faded from his mind, Silver gave a gasp. He crawled to the edge of the bed, and found Callie rubbing the back of her head with a small grunt.
Fear gripped Silver's heart. He'd hurt her and now she'd be furious. She'd yell at him, tell him to leave. He'd messed everything up! "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm so sorry I didn't mean to please don't be mad!"
Callie grunted, rolling onto her hands and knees. "S'okay kiddo." She grimaced when she sat more upright. "I'm alright. Just a little bruised."
He watched as she regained her footing, and felt his forehead fan bristle. "I hate this power." He sat back and pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up before resting crossed arms on his bent knees. "It does nothing but hurt people."
"Hey," she said, tucking a leg beneath her as she slid back onto the bed. "It was an accident. Sounded like you were having a really bad dream."
His brow furrowed, and he lowered his forehead to rest on his arms. "The worst."
"Wanna talk about it?" she asked, rubbing his back. "Sometimes it helps."
As much as he loved the feel of her hand on his back, he flinched. Talking about it wouldn't help. It wouldn't change the past. His mama was still gone. And it was still his fault.
And besides, if Callie found out he had essentially been the cause of his mother's death, she'd no doubt be rightfully horrified and would want him to leave. That thought honestly scared him more than the dream.
He couldn't do anything about the dream, it was a guilt-ridden memory he couldn't stop, but he would do his best to do whatever it took to stay here as long as he could. To be well-behaved and polite and helpful, and not anger or annoy her.
He didn't want to talk about his world. About things he'd experienced, or done. He shook his head.
"Okay," she said, her voice soft and near his ear. "You don't have to talk about it. But I'm here if you change your mind. Okay?" He nodded. "Okay. Ready for some breakfast?" He lifted his head to peek at her from the side, and gave a little nod. "Why don't you head downstairs, and I'll be down as soon as I get dressed. Sound good?" Another nod. "Good deal. Go on. I'll be down in a few minutes."
His nightmare fading, Silver hopped out of bed, and hurried downstairs. He needed to pee, anyway.
~X~X~X~
Wade cruised through town, tossing a wave to anyone who happened to look in his direction. He usually got a wave back, which made him smile. Green Hills was a great town, and he loved living here.
It'd been pretty quiet so far this weekend—well, aside from the alien hedgehog thing—and he felt he was doing a pretty darn good job as acting sheriff. Tom would be proud.
He sipped his coffee as he sat at a red light. A little grimace passed over his face—it wasn't as good as the stuff from the Mean Bean. But considering that place had been a front for Robotnik, and G.U.N had emptied it of every piece of electronic, it was unlikely to ever reopen. He'd heard a Starbucks may move in there eventually. But that rumor had been going around for months and still nothing.
Looks like he was stuck with station coffee for a while longer.
The light changed, and he moved through the intersection.
Wade yawned, running a hand over his stubble. He hadn't slept well last night. The moment he walked through the door his mother was there, asking where he'd been and why was he so late. He'd told her Carl had called in another Bigfoot sighting, and he'd had to go and calm him. She'd gotten that disapproving look on her face and tutted, muttering something about "wasting time with such ridiculous fantasies" as she walked back into the kitchen to tend to her whistling teapot.
He hadn't responded, and simply moved upstairs to shower.
Lying wasn't something Wade did often—he wasn't overly good at it—but sometimes it was easier when it was a half truth. He had seen Carl earlier in the day, and it was Bigfoot related. So it wasn't a full-on lie. Just a . . . stretching of the timeline.
He loved his mom. He really did. But sometimes she was a bit . . . over-protective.
Smothering, you mean, a voice whispered in the back of his mind. He frowned.
No. She loved him, and he got home late. Of course she was going to be worried.
You're a grown man, not a teenager sneaking in after curfew.
Moms still worried about their grown children. That wasn't so strange.
Then why'd you lie?
The frown deepened. Because his mother wouldn't have understood if he'd told her, "Well, ya see Mom, another of those aliens you don't like all that much arrived, and I spent a good portion of the day at the librarian's house helping her deal with it. Oh, and we lied to the sheriff about it, too. Then I was at her house this evening, watching a cartoon and making sure she's okay."
That would have opened a can of worms he really didn't have the desire or energy to deal with at almost 10pm.
So he'd wandered upstairs, showered, and crawled into bed. He flicked through his phone for a bit, until finally turning out the lights near midnight. Then he laid there, staring at the ceiling.
Too many thoughts rolled around his mind. Silver's arrival and history, lying to Tom, his feelings of inadequacy and place in the town, his mom, Callie and her hair pulling . . .
Actually, his thoughts moved back to Callie a lot. Not just the hair pulling thing, but the way she treated him. Like he was a real person. Like he was capable. She technically didn't have to call in Silver's arrival. She could have either called Tom herself, or waited until they came back to disclose the new hedgehog in town. Really, there was nothing Wade could have done, and he supposed anyone else would have simply called Tom anyway. It would make sense, considering he had three kids like this already, and would know how to handle another one.
But she had called the station, specifically asking Wade to swing by. Why do that? They'd barely passed three words in passing, so they weren't exactly friends. Something weird happened and she wanted to report it. She could have just reported it over the phone. So why ask for him?
A thought had hit him then, and his breath caught in his throat.
If Tom were in town, she would have no doubt called him. Not only because he had first hand experience with kids like this, but because Tom was the sheriff. She wanted to report it to someone in authority.
Since Tom was out of town, and she didn't want to disturb him, she called for Wade. She didn't see Wade as second best, or only good for the non-important stuff, she saw him as the authority figure in charge of the town in Tom's absence.
Wade was acting sheriff, and she treated him as such.
Sure, she'd snapped at him a few times, but she'd apologized not long after. He could see why the Wachowski boys liked her so much, and Silver really seemed comfortable around her. She just had this aura that exuded confidence and kindness.
Well. Most of the time.
There were moments where he thought her mask slipped, and he got a peek of the woman beneath. That Callie wasn't as confident, or positive. She seemed to have quite a bit of anxiety, even though it was well hidden. And did she say something about raising a kid already? She seemed pretty adamant she wasn't keeping Silver. Was she trying to convince Wade, or herself?
Huffing a sigh, he had rolled over and forced himself to stop thinking. It didn't completely work, and he'd fallen into an uneasy rest, a night filled with frequent wakings. Even though he wasn't due at work until 8am, he finally gave up on sleep and rolled out of bed at five.
Now he finished his coffee in the hopes it would shake off the fatigue that fell over him. It was close to 10am, and he'd already circled the town three times. At this rate he'd fall sleep of sheer boredom by noon.
Callie came to mind again, and a small smile curled his lips. Maybe he should swing by real quick. Just to check in.
Wade flicked his turn signal, and swung the cruiser around.
~X~X~X~
Callie stood in her kitchen, staring at the bowl of pancake batter.
It was a lot of batter.
A lot.
She didn't normally make pancakes, mostly because she could never judge how much batter to start with. There was always either too little or too much.
On the few occasions she'd made them for the Wachowski boys it wasn't a problem. Those three could eat their weight in pancakes if she let them. (And then some, in Knuckles' case.) But, considering she had a malnourished little alien under her care at the moment, she figured he might like a better breakfast than her usual cereal.
Mistakes were made.
She'd only managed to eat three before throwing in the towel. The older she got, the less she could tolerate super sweet foods. Ice cream being the only exception.
Silver, for his part, demolished five of the things before slowing down. Syrup coated his muzzle in a sticky mess, and she gave thanks she convinced him to take the hoodie off before tucking into the stack on his plate. He currently ran a finger through the leftover syrup, and licked it clean.
Kid was gonna need another shower at this rate.
A light tap on her kitchen door drew her attention, and she turned as Wade let himself in.
"Knock knock," he called, a small smile on his lips. "Morning!"
Callie gave him a smile in return. Maybe the batter wouldn't go to waste, after all.
~X~X~X~
"Wade! How are you this fine Sunday morning? Want some pancakes? Please say you want some pancakes."
Wade chuckled, moving toward Silver. "I guess I could have a few." He slid onto the bar stool next to the boy. "Hey, little guy."
"Hi, Wade!"
"I wouldn't touch him if I were you," Callie said, pouring some batter into the pan. "Silverware is still a bit of a learning curve. I think he got more syrup on him than in him."
"Aw, he'll get it. How was your night?"
Silver licked his lips, sucking the syrup from the fur there. "Kinda scary at first, but it was better when Callie took me upstairs to snuggle!"
Wade cast a sideways glance at her. "Oh?"
She watched the pancakes in the pan, her brow furrowed. There was that look again. The one he'd seen last night during the movie. "Yep. Had us a little sleepover."
Silver leaned closer to him, hand next to his mouth. "She snores."
A loud gasp erupted from the stove. "I do not!"
The hedgehog giggled, nodding. "Do so. It woke me up. I poked you in the side and you rolled over. Then you were quiet again."
"I've never been so offended," Callie said, turning back to flip the pancakes. "Horribly offended. Such an offense has never been."
"I'm sure it wasn't that bad," Wade said, dropping a wink to Silver. The boy giggled again. "Maybe he was just dreaming."
"Harrumph," Callie huffed, but a small smile curled one side of her mouth. She cast a side-eye to the two at the counter, pointing with the spatula. "Tales of my so-called snoring don't leave this kitchen. Under penalty of . . . well, I can't think of anything right now, but pretend I said something terrible!"
Wade and Silver both laughed, and the deputy held up three fingers. "Scout's honor. You can trust me with this highly confidential information."
"Me too." Silver held his hand up in a similar fashion.
"Yeah, yeah," she said, scooping the pancakes onto a plate. She slid it before Wade, and moved the syrup closer to him. "Here you go. There's more if you want it. Still a bunch of batter left."
Wade smiled as she handed him a fork. "Thanks. You didn't have to, you know."
She shrugged. "Consider this a formal apology for all the times I cranked at you yesterday. Sorry."
It was his turn to shrug as he poured some syrup on his pancakes. "Eh, don't worry about it."
"No, it wasn't right. You were only trying to help and I was being a real bit-" She glanced at Silver, who was watching them as he continued to lick the syrup from his plate. "Uh, big jerk. You didn't deserve that."
His cheeks burned as a blush worked its way up his neck. He honestly hadn't really given her snark from yesterday all that much thought. Certainly wasn't offended or hurt by it. It was something he was used to, really. A lot of people usually had a bit of an annoyed or frustrated tone in their voice when they talked to him.
Because he was Wade Whipple. Town joke.
"Uh, Wade?" Callie called, breaking into his thoughts. "Do you want some pancakes with your syrup?"
Wade blinked, gasping in a breath when he noticed he'd smothered his pancakes in syrup as he'd been lost in thought. The blush running up his neck hit his ears.
"Aw, jeez, I'm sorry."
He put the syrup bottle down, and Silver reached for it. Callie snatched it away.
"No more for you, sticky boy," she said, and moved the bottle to the other counter. Then she turned back to Wade. "You don't have to eat that. I can make you some fresh pancakes."
He shook his head. "No, I'll eat it." He brought a forkful of syrup soaked pancake to his mouth, and nearly gagged on the sweetness. "Mmm, yummy."
She pulled a face. "You're a brave man, Deputy Whipple."
Wade choked down another bite. "Hits the spot."
"Hey, if you're gonna keel over from a sugar overdose, could you do me a favor and go somewhere else to do so?" she asked, a smile curling her lips. "I don't want to deal with an investigation on why the acting sheriff was found sticky and dead in my kitchen."
He choked out a laugh, pushing the plate away. "Okay. For your sake, I'll quit while I'm ahead."
"Ah, smart man, too," she said, pulling the plate to the side. After thinking for a second, she pulled Silver's plate away, as well. "That's enough for you, kiddo. Go get washed up and you can put your hoodie back on."
"Aww," the boy whined, but jumped down. "That was really good."
"I know. But you've had more than enough. Move your tail, little mister."
Silver padded toward the bathroom, and Wade was struck with how comfortable the two felt together. As if they hadn't just met less than 24 hour ago. Had Callie changed her mind about keeping the boy? He turned to her as the bathroom door closed.
"So . . . things seem to be going well."
She crossed her arms, and leaned on the counter. Eyes cast down, she pulled her lips tight. "Mmhmm."
That thoughtful look was on her face again. He mirrored her posture. "You're still not gonna keep him?"
The librarian shook her head.
"Have you, you know . . . told him that?"
She flicked her eyes up to meet his, before looking away.
"You have to tell him."
"I know."
"I mean, you're kinda giving mixed signals. You say you're not keeping him but then you're snuggling with him at night, and-"
"I know, Wade," she said, pushing herself away from the counter. They kept their voices hushed so Silver wouldn't hear. "I don't want to lie to him or anything, I mean I never actually told him he would be staying here permanently, but I want him to trust me enough to feel comfortable and safe. His world was so horrible. I just don't want him to be scared anymore."
"Okay, I get that," Wade said, nodding. "But . . . don't you think he'll feel . . . I dunno, tricked? When you send him to someone else? Like, 'sorry kid, I know you trusted me and felt safe with me, but too bad, this other place is your home now'?"
Callie froze, eyes wide. "I . . . hadn't thought about it like that." She flicked her braid to the front and squeezed it. "He wouldn't see it that way, would he?"
Wade shrugged, eyes going to the hand on her braid. She held it so tightly the knuckles were white. "He might."
She hissed a curse, and gave her braid a quick tug. "It hasn't even been a full day! He couldn't be that attached, could he? I mean, I didn't do anything particularly special. I did what just about any other person would have done with a scared, lost little boy. Right?"
Wade gave another shrug, just as she gave another yank on her hair. It was harder this time, and he furrowed his brow.
"I'm not special," she said again. Another strong tug. "He deserves better. I'll just fail him. I'm not . . . I can't do this. Not again."
Callie gave a long pull on her braid, and Wade stood to intervene when Silver came back into the kitchen. In the blink of an eye, the librarian tossed her hair back over her shoulder and flashed the boy a smile.
"There he is," she said, and her voice held a tiny shake as the only evidence of her emotional state just a few seconds before. She cleared her throat, her voice stronger now. "Get all that sticky syrup off?"
Silver nodded, wiping his hands on his chest fluff. "Yeah. Took some scrubbing!"
"I'll bet."
An awkward silence settled over the kitchen, and Wade glanced between woman and hedgehog. Callie chewed her bottom lip, casting her eyes to the side. Silver furrowed his brow, and curled in on himself slightly.
"What's going on?"
The librarian flicked her eyes up, looking first to Silver, then to Wade. He saw a plea for help in her expression.
"Uh, Silver," Wade said, moving to kneel before the boy and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Nothing's wrong. But . . ." He glanced back at Callie. She gave just the barest nod, and he turned back to the hedgehog. "I think Callie might want to have a talk with you."
The boy curled tighter, left hand moving to his muzzle. "D-did I do something wrong?"
"No," Callie said, moving to hunker down next to Wade. "No, sweetie. You haven't done anything wrong."
Silver relaxed slightly, but flicked his eyes back and forth between the adults. "So . . . what do you want to talk to me about?"
Wade and Callie exchanged a glance.
~X~X~X~
Callie cleared her throat. How exactly could she tell a refugee from a burnt, destroyed world that even though he felt safe here and trusted her, he couldn't stay? That he had to go somewhere else? That, despite everything she'd done for him this past day, she was not interested in taking him in?
God, even thinking all that made her feel like scum.
But she'd decided. He wasn't staying.
(Right?)
She couldn't take care of him.
(Right?)
For . . . reasons.
Right.
Silver looked up at her, his large amber eyes shiny and full of fear.
Reasons that now seemed pretty damn flimsy and selfish. He trusted her. How could she think of betraying that trust, just because of her own fears and insecurities?
She opened her mouth, just as an engine pulled up out front. Brow furrowing, she stood and moved to where she could see out the front windows.
A familiar blue pickup sat at the end of her walk.
The Wachowskis had arrived.
Wade sucked in a gasp behind her.
"What are they doing here?" he hissed, pushing a hand through his hair. "They're not supposed to be back until tonight!"
"I don't know," Callie said, moving back toward the boy in her kitchen. "Silver, stay here."
He curled in on himself again, his forehead fan bristling. "Why? Are they bad? Are we in trouble?"
"No sweetie, they're not bad," she said, smoothing his forehead spikes. "But, uh . . . just let me talk to them before I introduce you, okay? Stay inside. I'll let you know when to come out, okay?" He bit his lip, but nodded. "Okay." She turned to Wade. "C'mon."
"Whoa, why do I have to come?"
"Because your police cruiser is parked right outside," she said, grabbing his hand and moving toward the door. "It would be weird if you didn't come out."
"Oh."
"Come on." She gave him a yank, and the two hurried to the front door.
~X~X~X~
Wade stepped onto Callie's front porch, a smile plastered to his face. The librarian released his hand, and moved to the top of the steps.
"The Wachowski family returns!" she said, perching her hands on hips. "Couldn't stay away, I gather?"
Tom laughed, closing his door. "Nah, we had a little mishap this morning and had to cut the trip short."
Maddie, Sonic, and Tails climbed out of the truck, while Knuckles hopped out of the bed. The little fox moved to Maddie and gave her hand a tug, uttering a soft grunt. His legs bent toward each other, and he wiggled in place in the universal sign of really needing to pee. She gave her son a quick head stroke before turning toward the house.
"Cal, we wouldn't have stopped, but Tails really has to use the bathroom. He said he couldn't wait until we got home. Do you mind?"
Wade stiffened, casting a quick side-eye to the redhead. She clenched her jaw, before a smile appeared.
"'Course not," she said, waving the youngest Wachowski forward. "C'mon, Floof. Go take care of business."
"Thanks, Callie!" the boy cried, hurrying up the steps and into the house.
~X~X~X~
Silver watched as Callie and Wade stepped outside, and he moved quietly to one of the large front windows. Peeking out the corner, his eyes went wide.
Two people climbed out of a vehicle, which wasn't all that shocking, as they seemed to be the species that lived on this world. But as he watched, three other beings climbed out. His heart hammered in his chest.
They were like him. One was a hedgehog, like he was, but the others were a fox and a . . . he wasn't entirely sure. Callie called out to them, her voice bright and upbeat, and the man responded. The woman spoke next, and Callie answered, before smallest of the three—the fox, with . . . two tails?-hurried toward the house.
Questions flooded his mind. There were others like him on this planet? Why? Were they looking for him? Had the doctor sent them? Was Callie going to let them take him?
The fox was heading for the door now, and Silver gasped. He ran for the couch and crawled behind it, squeezing his hands over his mouth to hide his fearful whimpers as the knob turned.
~X~X~X~
Callie watched Tails walk into the house, and exchanged a quick glance with Wade before turning back to the rest of the Wachowski family.
"So," she said, trying not to think of what may be happening inside. "You said there was a mishap?"
"Yeah," Sonic said, crossing his arms and shooting the stink-eye at his older brother. "A certain echidna couldn't stop being a dork for one weekend."
"Sonic." A warning from Maddie.
"What? It's true."
Callie raised an eyebrow. "I'm almost afraid to ask what . . . happened . . . Ugh. What is that smell?"
The wind had changed, bringing with it an odor most unpleasant. Knuckles cast his eyes aside.
"A skunk wandered into the tent this morning, and Knuckles thought it would be a splendid idea to go in after it." Sonic's stink-eye was back.
"Oh no."
"Oh yes," Maddie said, rolling her eyes. "He got a face full of stink. We had to throw the tent and everything inside it away, and he had to ride in the truck bed the whole way home. Luckily we weren't on the highway."
Callie shook her head. "Oh, Knux. Not your best move, my dude."
The boy nodded, uttering a sigh. "I have regrets."
"I'll bet."
"So," Tom said, crossing his arms and giving the two people on the porch furrowed brow. "Wade. Always nice to see you, buddy, but I can't help but wonder what you're doing here."
Wade stiffened beside her, and Callie felt a ting of annoyance. Was that tone really necessary?
"Can't the acting sheriff take a break for some fresh pancakes?" she asked, and couldn't quite keep the annoyance out of her voice. Wade turned to look at her in her peripheral vision.
"Oh, pancakes?" Sonic asked, his own annoyance at his brother forgotten at the prospect of food. "I don't suppose you have any left? I'm starving!"
"Uh . . ." Callie said, casting a quick glance at Wade. "S-sure. But there's something I need to tell you."
Tom and Maddie exchanged a glance, moving closer to the porch.
Callie swallowed. Here we go.
~X~X~X~
Tails finished in the bathroom, drying his hands on the towel. He breathed a sigh of relief—he'd had to go for at least an hour. All those bumps in the back roads they'd taken didn't do him any favors.
He moved out into the hallway, when the smell of pancakes floated to him. Smiling, he peeked into the kitchen, and found the remains of breakfast. The smile faltered slightly, as he counted three plates.
Three? That was odd.
Movement behind him, and he turned to see the curtains over the windows behind the couch moving. The mystery of the plates momentarily forgotten, he smiled again. That must be one of Callie's cats. He liked the cats—they were so soft and liked it when he pet them.
"Here kitty," he called, walking toward the couch. "Suki? Bloom? C'mon out. It's me."
Tails moved toward the couch, calling the cats' names all the while.
~X~X~X~
Silver froze, his heart pounding in his ears.
The fox was coming toward him, calling the names of Callie's cats.
Silver looked behind him. The couch's other end butted against the wall. He was effectively trapped.
The voice was coming closer.
Panic gripped him, and his hands glowed cyan.
A shadow appeared in the opening of the couch, and then a golden face with a pair of blue eyes was peering in.
The fox gasped, shocked silent, his eyes widening as Silver stared back at him.
"What—"
That was all the fox managed before being hit with a blast of cyan light. It pushed him back, knocking into the side table, and crashing to the floor. He gave a loud cry, and the lamp from the table shattered.
Silver crawled out from behind the couch, his hands at the ready to freeze this would-be attacker.
~X~X~X~
Callie had no sooner opened her mouth to tell the Wachowskis about Silver, when a loud crash came from her living room, followed by a pained cry. She whipped around, her heart in her throat.
"Tails?" she called, and was nearly knocked off her feet when blue and red blurs zipped past her into the house. Another cry, surprised this time, and then angry shouts from the previous blurs.
"Oh no," she muttered, and all four adults ran inside.
~X~X~X~
Wade felt a strong sense of deja vu as he ran into the house, where he found Silver holding the three Wachowski boys suspended in his telekinesis. The gray hedgehog looked absolutely panicked, and kept shooting looks to the deputy and librarian.
Trapped in his cyan power, Tails looked a bit confused, Sonic's eyes were wide, and Knuckles looked angry. All three were talking, hurling questions—and in Knuckles' case, threats—toward the strange new boy.
"Where did you come from?" Tails asked. "Are you here looking for something, or someone?"
"OhmygodohmygodohmygodOHMYGAWD!" Sonic cried, squealing in his excitement. "You're a hedgehog like me! I've never seen another before!"
"What is your mission here?" Knuckles bellowed, muzzle pulled in an angry snarl. "Do you intend harm on my family? On Callie? You must go through me first! State your business, hedgehog!"
Wade blew a breath through his lips, and Callie groaned beside him, rubbing her forehead with a hand.
Tom and Maddie were struck speechless.
The noise of the boys' verbal bombardment reached a fever pitch, until Tom blew a loud whistle to get their attention.
"Everybody hold it!"
The din quieted, and everyone looked to the sheriff.
Then all eyes slowly moved to Callie.
Sensing the attention, the redhead looked up, glancing at each Wachowski in turn. Then she gave them a crooked smile before pulling her shoulders up in a shrug.
"Surprise?"