A/N:

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mama-qwerty

Silence descended over the living room, the only sound being the quick panting of the panicked gray hedgehog.

Callie gave a soft moan. Everything had gone so wrong, so quickly. She hadn't quite worked out how she was going to explain Silver to the Wachowskis to begin with—especially since Tom may have taken it badly when he found out the boy had been here almost the whole time they were gone—but was certain she'd figure it out eventually. She had time before they were due back.

Now it seemed her time had run out. All eyes were still on her, and she felt Wade tense beside her.

Tom all but glared at Callie. He pointed toward Silver. "You wanna tell me just what in the hell-"

Maddie reached over to place a hand on her husband's arm. "I'm sure there's a very good explanation for all this," she said, looking pointedly at Callie. "Right?"

The redhead swallowed. "I . . ." She glanced at Silver, and the three boys held in his power, before looking back to Maddie. "Hold that thought."

Moving closer to the boy, Callie held her hand out toward him. "Silver," she called, her voice soft. "Let them go, kiddo."

The boy gave her a wide-eyed stare. "But they'll hurt me!"

"No they won't."

"I might," Knuckles said with a growl. "Depending on his next move."

"Knuckles," the librarian warned. "Not helping." She turned back to Silver. "C'mon sweetie. Didn't I say I wouldn't let anything happen to you?" The boy bit his lip and nodded. "Then trust me. Let them go. Please."

The gray hedgehog still looked uncertain, and gave another fearful look toward the trapped trio before finally releasing them. Sonic immediately zipped over, mouth going a mile-a-minute and shooting rapid-fire questions at the boy. Tails also moved closer, asking about his power, and how he arrived on Earth. Knuckles moved forward, fists raised and muzzle curled in a snarl.

"Guys," she called, moving closer. "C'mon, give him some space!"

Silver's forehead fan of quills bristled, standing straight up. His eyes darted from one face to another, amber irises thin bands around large black pupils. Chest moving in quick pants, his power flared, surrounding his body in an aura and lifting him away from the other boys. Shooting forward, he slammed into Callie—nearly knocking her over in the process—and latched onto her, trembling in fear.

"Don't let them hurt me don't let them hurt me please don't let them hurt me," he whispered, over and over into her ear.

"He is attacking!" Knuckles shouted, and moved toward Callie. "Release her and face me, hedgehog!"

"No, Knux . . . Knuckles, knock it off!" Callie called, back against the wall and a foot on the echidna's chest to keep his distance. "He's not . . . holy crap you stink!"

"Okay, time out!" Tom called, clapping his hands. "Knuckles, back off. Sonic, Tails, settle down and go sit outside with your brother."

"Aw!" Sonic cried, rolling his head back. "C'mon! The first other hedgehog I've seen, ever, and I have to go outside with Knucklehead the E-stink-na?"

"I think we're all freaking the poor kid out," Maddie said, herding her children toward the backyard. "Your dad and I will have a nice, calm chat with Callie about this, then you guys can meet him. Sound good?"

Sonic gave another annoyed grunt, but allowed his mother to steer him out the kitchen door. Tails and Knuckles followed, and Maddie closed it behind them. The blue hedgehog turned and pressed his face against the glass door, trying to get another look at Silver, before his mom shooed him away.

~X~X~X~

In the trees, the drone refocused its camera on the three new arrivals in the backyard. Their life signs were similar to its target's, but different enough to warrant additional interest. The energy readings emanating from them were also worth recording.

It beeped softly, saving this new information to its data banks.

~X~X~X~

"Okay, we've got probably five minutes, tops, until Sonic demands to come back in," Maddie said, rejoining the others. She crossed her arms, giving Callie a raised eyebrow. "So . . . what's going on?"

Callie gave a little sigh as she gently rocked the boy still attached to her. He wasn't shaking anymore, but still didn't want to let go. She didn't blame him—on a good day the Wachowski family was chaos personified, and for a kid like Silver, that would be a lot to take in all at once. She ran her fingers through his back fluff.

"He showed up yesterday morning, through some portal. Had a rough landing, and spent the better part of the day unconscious. He woke up, I fed him, gave him a shower, then we had supper and spent some time outside. Came in, watched a movie, went to bed."

"Okay, that's a suspiciously vague retelling of things," Tom said, hands on hips. He turned to Wade. "Did you know about this?"

The deputy pulled his shoulders up. "Uh . . . yeah?"

"Wait a minute. Yesterday morning?" Tom pointed at the boy. "Was he the reason you called me?"

Wade bit his lip. "Yeah?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" The man's voice rose in frustration, and Maddie put a hand on his shoulder to calm him. He ignored it. "Seriously, Wade. Some new alien kid shows up and you don't tell me? I mean, really? I trusted you to be in charge, and you keep this a secret? What were you thinking?"

A blush worked its way up Wade's neck, and he curled in on himself under the sheriff's questioning. Callie's brow furrowed, and she moved to put herself between the two men.

"Hang on," she said, forcing Tom to refocus on her. "He wanted to tell you, but I convinced him not to. If you're gonna get pissy with anyone, throw it out at the person responsible. Me, not Wade."

"Why'd you hide it?" the sheriff asked, his brows drawn in anger. "I mean, come on. It's not like I've never seen these kids before. Why not tell me right away?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," the librarian snarked, her anger flaring in response to his. "I didn't realize you were the sole authority on wayward alien children."

He bristled. "You know what I mean."

"Maybe Callie had a good reason to keep it on the down low," Maddie said, moving to position herself between the two. She turned to the redhead. "Please have a good reason."

"Yes," Callie said, flicking her eyes back to Tom. "I had a good reason."

Tom crossed his arms. "Which was?"

Callie ground her teeth. She didn't want to blurt anything out that may hurt Silver's feelings or make him uncomfortable, but she couldn't very well send him out with the other boys quite yet. So what did that leave?

Tom wasn't going to let this go until he got answers, so the quicker she settled things, the better. But she had to get Silver out of here first. He wasn't in any shape to go by himself, and she couldn't leave, so who was the only other person the hedgehog trusted enough to move away from her side?

She glanced at Wade, before refocusing on the boy in her arms.

"Silver," she said, softening her voice and patting the boy's back. He pulled away, the fear still in his eyes and forehead fan standing straight up. She brushed the quills flat. "These are the Wachowskis. Tom and Maddie. They're really nice people, and those boys outside are their kids. I told you about them yesterday, remember?"

Silver's brow furrowed, and he nodded. "The ones you said I'd like. Because we had a lot in common."

She nodded. "Yep. Do you want to go out and meet them?" The boy's eyes went wide, and he looked to protest before Callie shook her head. "Wade will be with you the whole time, so you don't have to be afraid." She looked over at the deputy, giving him a look she hoped he caught. "Right, Wade?"

Wade blinked, before giving Silver a smile and nod. "Yep, don't worry, little guy. I'll be right there."

The hedgehog bit his lip, turning back to Callie. "What about you?"

"I need to talk to Tom and Maddie for a few minutes. We just have a little misunderstanding I need to clear up, no big deal. No one's mad at you, sweetie. I'll be right here, and will come out as soon as we're done."

The boy was quiet for a few seconds. "Promise?" His voice was soft and small.

She nodded. "I promise."

The little hedgehog looked back to Wade again, before nodding. "Okay."

"Okay. Do you want to walk?" He nodded. "Don't be scared. They're good boys. They were just surprised to see you, that's all."

Callie lowered Silver to his feet, and the boy padded over to take Wade's hand. He cast one more look to her, and she gave an encouraging nod before he allowed the deputy to lead him out to the backyard.

~X~X~X~

Ten seconds after his mom shooed them out of the house, Sonic paced back and forth, moving faster and faster the longer it went on. Tails sat on the deck steps, and Knuckles had taken a spot in the yard, downwind. They both watched their brother stamp the grass flat.

"Another hedgehog," he muttered to himself, gesturing as he spoke. "Another hedgehog! Where'd he come from? What's he doing here? And that power? How cool is that!?"

"Perhaps he has come for the Master Emerald," Knuckles called out. His muzzle wrinkled in distrust. "He will not succeed in capturing it."

"He doesn't strike me as a steadfast, hard-as-nails treasure hunter," the hedgehog said, throwing a glance over his shoulder at his older brother. "He actually seems pretty scared of us."

"An act," the echidna huffed. "He is playing Callie's sympathy and kindness to get close to us, and thus, the Master Emerald."

Sonic uttered an annoyed grunt, coming to a stop. "Knux, not everything has to do with the Master Emerald!"

"Actually, while there's no evidence saying that's the reason he's here," Tails said, rubbing his chin with a hand, "Knuckles is right in that we shouldn't rule it out completely. After all, I was able to track Sonic through his original energy blast. Who knows how big the energy readings were when he used the power of all the Chaos Emeralds to take down Robotnik?"

"When I went Super, you mean," Sonic said, planting his hands on his hips.

Tails rolled his eyes. "We're not calling it that."

"We're absolutely calling it that. Super Sonic. It's got a great ring to it and just screams action figure. Say it with me, 'Super Sonic'. You didn't say it with me. Maybe I went too fast, we'll try again. Ready? 'Super Son-' you're still not saying it."

The fox shook his head, nose wrinkled. "It's a stupid name."

"Is not."

"It is quite stupid," Knuckles called from his spot in the yard. He leaned back and braced himself with one arm, a small smile on his lips. "Putting the word 'super' in front of another word does not make that word more special. It just makes it sound stupid. Like the make believe from your comic books."

Sonic spun on his older brother with a gasp. "How dare you, sir."

"Now, if I were to use the Chaos Emeralds," the echidna continued, "I would not need a special name. I would simply be Knuckles, but more powerful."

"God, you are so boring," Sonic said, rolling his head back. "Even when you're all powered-up and flying around and looking cool, you still want to be just plain ol' Knuckles?"

"You know what word I like?" Tails called, hopping to his feet. "Mega. Anything sounds so much more impressive with 'mega' in front." He uttered a sharp gasp. "You could be Mega Knuckles!"

Knuckles uttered a short laugh. "I like that, young fox! Mega Knuckles. It sounds powerful. And matches my impressive skills."

Sonic folded his arms across his chest. "I think it's a stupid name."

"Is not."

"What do you know!" the hedgehog said, throwing his hands in the air. "You wouldn't know cool if it came up and bit you on the-"

The kitchen door opened then, and Wade came out, leading the other hedgehog by the hand. Sonic zipped over, but stopped next to Tails to give the new boy some space. Excitement fluttered in his belly, and he bounced on his toes, his hands curled into tight fists.

"Now, you guys take it easy," Wade said as the boy hid behind his legs. "He's pretty nervous."

Knuckles stood and moved closer to the deck, arms crossed and brow furrowed.

"Guys," the deputy said, gently pulling the boy out. "This is Silver."

Tails gave a little wave, Knuckles huffed through his nose, and Sonic felt he was just about to explode. Another friend like them, but more importantly, like him. His power was different, but could he do other things Sonic could? Spindash? Run fast? Create lightning when he was really angry or upset? Were those hedgehog things or unique to him?

It was hard to keep himself from blurting out question after question. So very hard.

~X~X~X~

When the kitchen door closed behind Wade, Callie uttered a long sigh. Tom stood with his arms crossed, brows drawn and glaring at her. Maddie looked calmer, but she also wore a furrowed brow.

"Why don't you guys have a seat," the librarian said as she moved back into the kitchen. She gave the pancake batter a quick stir before warming the pan again. "I'll explain everything."

The couple exchanged a glance, and Maddie gave her husband a little smile and nod. The furrow in Tom's brow deepened, and he uttered a sharp sigh as they sat at the kitchen island.

"I had two reasons why I didn't want you guys to know about Silver right away," Callie said, dropping some batter into the pan. "Number one, the boys were so excited about this camping trip, I didn't want to ruin it for them."

"They would have understood," Tom said, shaking his head. "A new kid showing up, especially one like them, is important. They would have wanted to see him."

"Yeah, and that's the second reason I didn't tell." She moved the plates from this morning into the sink as the pancakes cooked. "I had no idea why Silver was here. For all I knew, he was an assassin or something, sent to hunt down one of the boys."

For whatever reason, this thought didn't seem to occur to Tom, and his brow relaxed. "That . . . that is a fair point."

Callie flipped the pancakes, before turning to lean against the counter next to the stove. "Look. I'm sorry I wasn't honest, and convinced Wade to keep this a secret, too. Please don't hold it against him—his first instinct was to call you. I guess I kinda bullied him to not say anything. Thinking about it now, I realize we probably could have told you, through text or something, and it wouldn't have blown up like this. It just . . ." She sighed, pulling her shoulders up in a shrug. "It really did make sense to me at the time to keep it quiet. I was just trying to keep your kids safe."

The couple at the island exchanged a glance, and Maddie turned back to the redhead. "Cal, we understand, and really appreciate you looking out for our boys."

"Yeah," Tom said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I may have . . . overreacted before. Sorry."

Callie shrugged. "My reaction didn't exactly help. Sorry I got kinda snippy back."

Tom nodded, uttering a short laugh. "Another alien kid? What are the odds?"

"They seem to get higher every year," she said, turning back to scoop the pancakes onto plates. She poured more batter in before turning back. "Green Hills seems to be a popular place for these kids to show up."

"So it seems."

"So," Maddie said, leaning forward on crossed arms. "What's Silver's story? I assume he's not actually here for the boys?"

The librarian shook her head. "As far as I can tell, his appearance is as big a mystery to him as it is to us."

Tom mimicked his wife's posture. "Is he from the same place as the others?"

"I don't think so. From what he's told me about his world, it was . . . pretty bad. He says there was some sort of war or something before he was born, and the whole place sounds like a post-apocalyptic nightmare. Very little food and water, danger all around, that kinda thing. Kid's scared of just about everything, and thought he had to do something as payment for basic necessities. Kindness was a foreign concept to him."

"Oh that poor little boy," Maddie said, shaking her head.

"Poor little boy with a pretty big power," Tom said, brow furrowed. "What was that? Tele . . . what's it called?"

"Telekinesis," Callie said, tending to the pancakes. "He doesn't seem very practiced with it. Says he doesn't like using it because it's dangerous."

The sheriff nodded. "Yeah, I could see how it might be."

"I was hoping the boys could maybe help him learn how to control it better?"

"And how could they do that?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe Tails can think of something."

"Maybe."

"Do you want me to take a look at him?" Maddie asked, hooking a thumb over her shoulder and through the kitchen door. "I'll have you bring him by the clinic for an official check-up, but I can give him a quick once over while I'm here."

Callie flicked her eyes out the door and found the Wachowski boys, Wade, and Silver all sitting together on the deck. Silver's body language said he wasn't terrified anymore, but he sat closer to Wade than the others. Obviously still wary about the new kids.

"I'm thinking we shouldn't push our luck," she said, pulling the fresh batch of pancakes out of the pan. She poured the last of the batter in. "He's already so skittish, and doesn't quite know what to think about everyone. Let's give it another day or two."

Maddie nodded. "Okay, I can respect that." A small smile curled her lips.

"What?" Callie asked, eyebrow raised. "What's with the face?"

"I'm just thinking how lucky he was to land in the right yard. You're really good with him," she said, and Tom nodded beside her.

"Yeah, he's much more affectionate than any of our boys were in the beginning. Especially not the first day."

Heat burned Callie's cheeks, and she turned to tend to the pancakes. "I was just kind to him, and he's really touch-starved, that's all. If you guys had found him, he'd be the same with you. Don't read too much into it."

"Eh, maybe, maybe not," Tom said, and she could almost hear the shrug. "Whatever the reason, I'm glad he found someone to take care of him so well."

Callie glanced over her shoulder, and found the couple leaning against each other, giving her happy smiles.

"Welcome to the super-powered alien parent club," he said, and Maddie uttered a little laugh beside him.

The librarian managed a thin smile, before turning back to the stove. Really, it was predictable, and understandable, that the Wachowskis thought she'd keep Silver. As Wade also assumed, it just seemed like what you did when one of these alien kids landed in your lap. Kid in trouble? You help it and make it a part of your family. It was the unspoken code, apparently. Tom and Maddie were three for three in that regard.

But she'd been adamant that Silver wasn't staying. From the very beginning, her response to that line of thinking was almost Pavlovian.

'A new kid showed up in your yard?' 'I'm not keeping him.'

'You're really good with him.' 'I'm not keeping him.'

'He really likes you.' 'I'm not keeping him.'

And why wasn't she keeping him? Reasons. She had reasons.

Reasonable reasons. Completely reasonable, understandable, in-no-way-selfish-and-self-centered reasons.

Yep.

But now she chose not to tell Tom and Maddie that she wouldn't be joining this little exclusive group they'd pioneered. Because that would lead into the whole 'why not?' line of questioning, which meant she'd have to explain herself. And every time she explained why she couldn't keep Silver, it sounded less and less like perfectly valid reasons, and more and more like excuses.

Even to herself.

And anyway, the pancakes were ready.

"Okay," she said, piling the last of the pancakes onto a plate. She flicked off the stove and slid the pan to a cool burner, before turning to the couple. "What do you say we feed your kids?"

~X~X~X~

Silver walked through the kitchen door, trailing behind Wade. He held the man's hand, and resisted the urge to yank his back and return to Callie through sheer will. Barely.

He didn't want to be here. These boys were loud and angry and mean and scared him. They reminded him too much of the gangs back on his world. In his experience, when two or more people got together, they treated anyone outside their group mean.

The fox stood on the deck steps, and was joined by the other hedgehog in the blink of an eye. The blue boy bounced on his tip-toes, a wide grin on his face.

"Now, you guys take it easy," Wade said as Silver moved to hide behind his legs. "He's pretty nervous."

That was an understatement. His forehead fan stood straight up, and every alarm was sounding in his head. His power tried to rise, he felt the tingle at the base of his spine, and he took deep breaths to keep it down. If he allowed it out now, he may hurt Wade. He didn't want to do that.

To his right, the red boy stood and moved closer to the deck, arms crossed and brow furrowed. Silver shrank under his heavy gaze.

Keep calm. Wade wasn't scared, and Callie had said these others were 'good boys'. He had no reason to doubt her, she seemed to know them.

But still . . . he hadn't had a lot of pleasant interactions with others like him.

"Guys," the deputy said, gently pulling Silver out from behind him. "This is Silver."

Silver shuffled to the side, shoulders pulled up and hands curled to his chest. He glanced up, and the fox gave a small wave, while the red boy huffed through his nose. The blue hedgehog was almost vibrating, his hands curled into tight fists. Was he angry?

"Silver," Wade said, lowering himself to one knee. "These are the Wachowski boys." He pointed to each in turn. "Tails the Fox, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Knuckles the Echidna."

Echidna? That wasn't a species he was familiar with. But those spikes on his gloves looked dangerous.

"Hi," the fox, Tails, said as he moved slightly closer. Silver took a small step back, and the other boy stopped moving. "Uh, it's nice to meet you."

Silver tried. He really did. He opened his mouth to respond, say 'hi' back or something, but nothing came out. So he closed his mouth, pulling his lips tight. His heart hammered in his chest.

They were staring at him, they were all staring at him. His power started moving again, and he felt his palms tingle as the circles on them began to glow. Curling his hands into tight fists, he shoved them behind his back.

Not now, not now! Stay calm. No one else seems afraid of these boys, you're being stupid. Stop being stupid!

After a few seconds of silence, the blue hedgehog stepped forward. Silver watched him with wide eyes, and the other boy stopped a few feet away.

"Hey," he said, his voice soft. "I'm sorry about earlier. I've just never seen another hedgehog before. Got kinda excited. Sorry." He held his hand out. "I'm Sonic, and I'd really like to be your friend."

Silver looked between the hedgehog's—Sonic's—hand and face for a second, trying to determine if he was being sincere. This could be a trick. But the boy's face seemed honest and relaxed, with no hint of malicious intent. Silver flicked his eyes to Tails, who also wore a little smile.

He wasn't sure if he trusted them quite yet, but he trusted Callie. He trusted Wade. And if they said these boys were okay, then they must be.

The alarms in his head quieted, one-by-one, and he reached out. The tingle had faded, as had the light, and he grasped the other boy's hand. "Okay."

A grin spread on Sonic's face, and Silver couldn't help but return it. "Awesome, really awesome! Silver, you are gonna love Earth. Especially Green Hills. We've got privacy, lots of trees, and an all you can eat buffet that banned Knuckles last month."

Wade blinked, turning to the echidna. "The Chinese place? They banned you?"

The boy shrugged. "They were not prepared for the mighty appetite of an echidna warrior."

"He cleaned them out of crab rangoon, fried rice, and sweet and sour chicken in under fifteen minutes," Tails said. "Then he went on a rant about how misleading the advertisements were."

"It was not a rant," Knuckles grumbled, crossing his arms. "The restaurant stated it was 'all you can eat', which was misleading. Because I could have eaten more. But I was turned away, still hungry."

Sonic leaned forward and placed a hand next to his mouth. "Mom says he's going through a growth spurt," he said, his voice low. "I think he just took it as a challenge. The guy just can't unclench sometimes."

"I can hear you, hedgehog."

"Love you, big brother!" Sonic called in a sing-songy voice. Silver uttered a little laugh at the silly interactions, making the blue hedgehog smile. "There we go. See? We're not so scary, huh?"

Silver shook his head, a small smile on his lips. Wade gave him a shoulder squeeze.

"Good job, little guy," he said, smiling. "How about we all sit down and chat?"

That seemed acceptable to all, and each sat on the deck with their legs crossed. Knuckles moved closer, but remained in the grass.

"So," Sonic said, getting himself comfortable. "Where ya from?"

Silver bit his lip, his mind wandering back to his home world. Had he just been there yesterday morning? It seemed so long ago.

"My world . . ." he said, his voice soft. "Was not as nice as this one. It was broken and dangerous, and I didn't have a lot to eat. It was . . . scary."

Silence as the brothers exchanged glances. Tails leaned forward, curling one of his namesakes into his lap. "Did you have any friends?"

Silver shook his head. "I tried to stay on my own. Joining one of the gangs was . . . sometimes more dangerous."

Tails' ears drooped forward. "So you were all alone?" Silver nodded. "That's so sad."

Silence again, and this time Knuckles broke it. "Have you no tribe? No family?"

Thoughts of his mama came to mind, and Silver closed his eyes tightly. He lowered his head, giving it a quick shake, as if that would remove her image.

"No," he said, his voice soft and small. "Not anymore. Not for a long time."

A hand appeared on his back, and he turned to see Wade smiling down at him. "Hey, it's okay. You're here now. You're safe."

"Yeah," Sonic said, sporting his own little smile. "Don't give your world another thought. Earth has its issues, but overall is pretty great. I've lived here for most of my life, and lemme tell ya, it's got the best stuff. Keanu Reeves, chili dogs, and best of all, yours truly, the guy who stopped a crazy ex-government weirdo from going all super-villain and turning Green Hills into a smoking hole in the ground!"

Silver raised an eyebrow. None of those words made any sense to him. "What?"

"Oh, it was so cool," Sonic gushed, scooting closer. "Lemme paint you a picture-"

His brothers groaned.

"He's gonna tell the story. Again," Tails sighed, resting his forehead in a hand.

"Perhaps this time he'll tell it correctly," Knuckles said, shaking his head. "But I doubt it."

"Hey!" the blue hedgehog said, hands on hips. "I tell it exactly how it went down!"

The fox looked at him flatly. "Uh huh."

"I do!"

"Do what?" Callie said as she, Tom, and Maddie stepped out onto the deck. Each held a plate of pancakes.

"Oh, yes!" Sonic hissed, pumping a fist in the air. "Thanks, Cal!"

"Nuh uh," she said, maneuvering past Wade to head toward the echidna in the yard. "These are for Knux."

"Aw man," the blue hedgehog grumbled, just as Maddie handed him his plate. He took it with a smile, as she gave him a quick stroke along his quills. Tom handed Tails his plate, just as Callie reached Knuckles.

"Thank you, Callie," Knuckles said, his voice low. "The boy so far seems . . . safe. I will continue to monitor the situation, but apologize for my outburst inside."

Callie gave him a smile. "It's okay, my protector." The boy smiled at that. "He's a lot like you guys. A scared little boy who didn't have a home or anyone to look after him."

The echidna hummed. "If that is the case, then he has come to the right planet." He looked up. "To the right person. He will be well cared for under your watchful eye."

The redhead's smile faltered, and she cleared her throat. "Right." She straightened. "Well, I'd sit with you more, but honestly, you really stink."

He smiled, nodding. "Understood."

When she returned to the deck, Wade pushed himself to stand. "Well, I'd better get back to it. Got a town to look after. Better check in with the station and all that."

"Okay," Callie said, giving the man a quick squeeze on his arm. "Thanks for swinging by, Wade. I really appreciate your help this weekend. I'm sorry I kinda forced you keep it a secret. But you've been . . . well, it was nice to have someone to talk to during all this. So thanks for being there."

A smile curled his lips as another blush worked its way up his neck. "Hey, it's no problem, Callie. Glad to do it. You think I could, you know, swing by later? Just to check in with Silver?"

Callie blinked. She wasn't sure why he would want to, everything was pretty much under control now, but ultimately didn't see any harm in it. And Silver really liked him, so it may be good for the kid. "Sure. I think he'd like that."

His grin widened. "Okay. Thanks." He tossed a wave to the Wachowskis and started back toward his police cruiser.

Callie watched him for a second, before moving to sit next to Silver. The boy's body language relaxed the second she sat, and he scooted closer to her, smiling.

~X~X~X~

"Hey, Wade!" a voice called as the deputy reached for the car door handle. "Hold up a sec!"

Wade turned and found Tom jogging toward him. His stomach clenched. Was Tom still mad? Is he about get yelled at for not only keeping something this important from the town's sheriff, but also shirking his duties by spending so much time at Callie's?

Shoulders clenching, Wade braced himself for the reprimand he supposed he deserved. He hadn't been a very good acting sheriff this weekend.

So much for making Tom proud.

"Hey," the sheriff said as he stopped before him. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for snapping at you back there."

Of all the things Wade expected, an apology was nowhere on the list. His shoulders dropped in confusion. "What?"

Tom nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I . . . kinda lost my cool. It was just such a shock finding yet another kid here, and not being told about it right away. But Cal explained everything, and I get it. You guys were just looking out for my boys' safety. So . . . sorry for turning on you like that. Really."

Silence loomed between them for a long moment, before Wade realized he should say something.

"Oh," he stammered, mirroring the sheriff's embarrassed behavior with his own neck rubbing. "Uh, it's okay. I wanted to tell you, but Callie said we could handle it."

Another nod from Tom. "And you did. Nice job, Acting Sheriff."

Everything else fell away as Wade stared at his friend. He couldn't remember ever getting a compliment before, especially for doing something he himself wasn't all that sure about. He'd questioned his decision to keep all this from Tom, worried about his capabilities as a sheriff, and thought everyone saw him as the town joke.

But now, those two little words helped fan the flames of that tiny ember of self-confidence within him. That ember had appeared at Callie's kind words a few minutes ago, and now burned a little bit brighter.

Nice job. Tom thought he did a nice job.

"Thanks, Tom," Wade said, his blush rising to his ears. "I . . . really appreciate that."

The sheriff clapped him on the back. "Hey, not a problem, buddy. But you'd better get going. You're still on the clock, mister."

Wade gave a little laugh as he flicked a two finger salute to his friend. He climbed into the cruiser, radioed in, and pulled away, still smiling.

~X~X~X~

Maddie sat on the deck next to Callie, casting little glimpses at this new boy in their midst. He was smaller than Sonic, and even from her vantage, the vet could see how thin he was. Callie's explanation of his home world, and the lack of access to food came to mind, and she wondered what other issues his time in such harsh conditions might have caused.

She'd definitely need to really give him a thorough examination when Callie brought him to the clinic.

Tom walked back, and sat behind her as their middle son told Silver about their adventure taking down Robotnik. Tails and Knuckles offered some corrections where Sonic had gotten a little too 'embellishing', but overall the blue hog was thrilled to have someone new to tell his exploits to.

"Woooow," Silver said once Sonic had finished. "That's really amazing!"

"Yes, I am," the blue hedgehog said, rubbing his fingernails against his chest. Tails gave him a look, and Sonic ducked his head slightly. "I mean, we are. It was really a team effort. I'd be nowhere without my family."

Silver's smile faded at that, and his eyes seemed far away. Then he turned to look up at Callie, and the smile returned, just turning up the corners of his lips. The redhead didn't seem to notice, she had said something to Sonic, but Maddie did. And her heart warmed for the boy. His home world sounded horrible, and his life up to now, full of loneliness and struggle. She was so happy he'd finally found a place where he could be safe and cared for.

Then the wind shifted, and the smell of skunk hit them.

"Ugh," she said, pushing herself to her feet. "Well, I hate to break this up, but we'd better get my boy home and start working on getting him de-skunked."

"Aw, really?" Sonic cried, twisting his head back and forth between her and Silver. "Do I have to come? Can I stay for a while longer? I can just run home, you know."

"I know Blue, but I think we've caused enough craziness for today," Maddie said, gathering Callie's plates back up. "Let's let Cal and Silver have some quiet. You'll see them tomorrow at the library, right?"

Callie's eyes widened, and Maddie realized the librarian may not have thought that far ahead. She could relate. When you're suddenly thrust into the guardian role for a kid, it took a while to settle into that "gotta take care of them every day" mindset.

But she was certain if anyone could adapt, Callie could. She was really good with kids in general, and seemed to have adjusted to Silver pretty quickly. The boy seemed infatuated with her. It was adorable.

"Okay guys, you heard the boss," Tom said, clapping his hands. "C'mon you little furballs. Into the truck."

The boys groaned and threw Silver a quick wave as they trudged back toward their truck. Sonic grumbled the whole way.

Tom turned back to the others. "Silver, you have fun today, bud. Cal, take it easy and lemme know if you need anything. We'll try to keep the boys, or at least one particular one, out of your hair for the rest of the day."

She smiled. "Thanks Tom. I appreciate that."

He gave her a little salute as he followed his kids toward the truck. Maddie handed over the plates, giving Callie's shoulder a little squeeze.

"You're doing great," she said, her voice soft. "But you call me if you need anything, okay? Don't be shy. This parent thing can be a bit intimidating when you're thrown into the deep end. Especially with kids like ours."

An odd look passed Callie's face, but was quickly replaced with a small, tired smile. "Thanks, Mads. I'll keep that in mind. But I'm not really a first-timer. I think I'll manage."

Maddie's brows furrowed. What an odd thing to say.

The two ladies said their goodbyes, and Maddie threw a wave to Silver before she turned to head back to the truck. Callie's words echoed in her head, and Maddie puzzled over them for the rest of the day.

~X~X~X~

Silver watched the blue truck pull away, and Callie uttered a soft sigh above him.

"Well," she said. "Can't say that was how I hoped that would go, but I guess it could have been worse." She looked down at him. "Did that go okay?"

Silver thought for a few seconds, before giving a small nod. Despite how scared he was when they first arrived, he'd felt more comfortable with them later. "They seemed . . . nice."

She hunkered down. "Kind of crazy, huh?"

He smiled, a little giggle escaping his throat. "A little."

"Yeah, you get used to the chaos," she said, sitting back on the deck steps and placing the plates to the side. Silver joined her, sitting beside her. "They're a pretty great family, though."

"Did they really fight a giant robot?"

Callie nodded. "Yep. It was nuts."

"I don't think I could do anything like that."

"Well, I hope you don't ever have to fight anyone," she said, leaning back on her hands. "But, you never know what you're capable of until you find yourself in a situation like that. Whether protecting those you care about, or just yourself."

Silver flinched as if struck. He had been in a situation like that, and had done nothing to save his mama. In fact, she'd died because of him. This horrible power of his. He looked down at the hands fidgeting in his lap. Callie reached over and placed her hands on top of them, making them still.

"What's on your mind, sweetie?" she asked quietly.

His mama. His power. His guilt. His shame.

But he couldn't tell her that. She'd hate him and turn him away. Where would he go then? No one would want him if they knew what he'd done. And he wanted to stay here, with Callie. Like Sonic and his brothers had those other people. He couldn't let anything ruin that.

Callie was still waiting for an answer, so he raised one shoulder in a half-shrug. "Those people . . . they take care of Sonic and the others."

Callie nodded. "Tom and Maddie have taken the boys in as their kids. They all love each other and take care of one another. They're a family."

His head bobbed in a nod. "Family. Even though they're not . . . what species are you?"

"Human."

"Even though they're not human? They're still a family?"

She shrugged. "You don't have to be the same blood, or species, to be a family. You just have to find people who love you and want to take care of you."

Silver lowered his head as he thought. "They seem really happy."

"Sonic was really lonely before he met Tom. And Tails was all alone, as was Knuckles. They all had some pretty rough lives before they came here."

He sat silent for a moment, and when he spoke next, his voice was barely above a whisper. "Just like me."

"Just like you." She ran a hand down his quills, and he leaned against her. "Do you want a family, Silver?"

He didn't respond for a long time. Should he tell her? She'd been so kind to him since he woke up. Would she get angry if he said he wanted to stay?

He lifted his head in a slow nod.

"What would your family look like?" she asked, and her fingers ran through his quills in slow, gentle strokes. "Who would you want to be in it? Some brothers, like Sonic has? Maybe a sister?"

Silence returned as Silver thought. Her fingers continued their journey through his quills.

This, he thought. This is what I want. Forever. Just to be here, with you, safe and happy and full and warm. This world is different and can be scary, but I'm not scared if you're with me. You make me feel safe. Like Mama used to.

"You don't have to answer right away," she said when he hadn't answered in a while. "You think about it for a while. Then you can let me know what family would make you happy, and I'll make sure you find just the right one."

Fear flashed through his mind, and his eyes widened. 'Find the right one'? Did she mean he'd go somewhere else? With other people? Did she think he didn't want to stay here? That he didn't like her?

No! He couldn't let her think that. He had to say something.

Pushing himself up, he looked up at her, his large amber eyes shiny.

"No," he whispered, a flicker of fear dancing across his face. "I don't want another family."

Callie's brows furrowed in confusion. "But, you said you wanted one?" He shook his head. "So you don't want a family?"

"No, I do, but I don't . . . I mean, it's not . . ." He grunted, realizing he wasn't making much sense. His mind raced, the worry and fear swirling and mixing up his thoughts.

"It's okay," she soothed, a kind smile on her lips. "Take a breath and think about the words. Take your time."

Silver pulled his lips tight, and took a few deep breaths. He pushed the fear aside, focusing only on what he wanted to say.

"I don't want a different family," he said, speaking slowly and choosing his words carefully. He bit his lip. "I want you to be my family."

Callie sat still as stone for a minute, staring at him with wide eyes. Just when Silver thought he may have made a mistake, a crooked smile lifted one corner of her mouth.

"Silver, you've only known me for a little over a day," she said, her voice strained. "Are you sure you wouldn't want to see if there's anyone better? There are some very nice families in Green Hills who I think would love to welcome you in."

He shook his head. "You. I want you." A thought hit and his eyes went wide as he pulled away. "You don't want me?"

He'd been so stupid. How could he think she'd want him? She was so kind and he was nothing but trouble and this power was so dangerous and-

"No," Callie said, turning to him to take his hands into hers as he tried to back away. "Silver, listen to me. You're a sweet boy, and deserve all sorts of good things. I'm just . . . not sure you can decide you want me to be your family after just a day."

He tilted his head, brows furrowed. "Sonic said his parents took Tails and Knuckles in right away after the big robot fight. And they didn't even really know them."

"That's different."

"Why?"

"Well, because . . ." She paused, her brows furrowing. After a moment of thought, she continued, her voice soft. "Why do you want me to be your family?"

He smiled. "Because you've been so nice to me. You were kind, and gentle, and shared your food and water with me, and made me feel like you care. You make me feel safe. Even when the others came, and I got scared, I didn't run away because I knew you wouldn't let anything bad happen to me. You promised."

She sat still for a long moment, watching him with a furrowed brow. Silver's belly tightened. He couldn't read her face. Was she mad? Upset? He couldn't tell.

Finally, a small smile pulled at her lips. She reached up to rub a knuckle across his muzzle, before cupping his cheek in a gentle hand. He closed his eyes, leaning into it. "You're right. I did promise to keep you safe."

She stroked his cheek with her thumb, and he turned into her hand, nuzzling his nose into her palm. Then he turned back, looking up at her with shiny eyes.

"Don't make me go back to my world," he said, his voice soft. "I don't want to go back. And I don't want to go to any other family. I want to stay here. Please? I promise I'll be good and do what you say and never use my powers and not eat too much and-"

"Shh," she soothed, moving her thumb to press against his lips. He quieted and she moved it back to stroke his cheek. "Silver, I would never send you back to such a horrible place. Never." She pulled her lips tight, uttering a small sigh. "And you don't have to go to another family if you don't want. I just . . . I thought you might like some brothers, like Sonic. And a mom and dad."

Silver shook his head. "I don't care about that. I want to stay here. With you and Wade."

Callie lifted an eyebrow at that. "Silver, Wade doesn't live here. And we're not together."

"Oh. He's really nice, though."

"Yeah, but-"

"Can I stay?" He gripped her arms a little too tight as panic started to take hold of him. She wasn't answering the question. Did she really not want him, and just didn't want to say? "Please, if you don't want me to stay, just tell me. I'll understand. I'll . . . I'll go. Somewhere else. I'll go to some other family if I have to. If you really don't want me." Tears burned his eyes, and he blinked, sending them trailing down his muzzle. "Just please. Tell me."

Silence settled on the deck for a long moment, and Silver bit his lip, waiting for an answer.

~X~X~X~

Callie's brain screamed at her.

As she sat on the deck steps, watching this little boy cry silent tears, her brain buzzed and swirled with angry, warring thoughts.

Okay Miss I'm Not Keeping Him, it whispered. Tell him. Tell him how you're perfectly fine kicking him to the curb because of your traumatic little backstory. Tell him.

She couldn't. It would break his little heart.

Leading him on isn't any better. Don't tell him he can stay if you don't mean forever.

She knew that.

Then tell him. 'Sorry kid, I've sworn myself to a life of loneliness and isolation because of something that happened nearly 30 years ago. I know I took you in and cared for you and made you trust me, but you really can't stay. Sucks to be you!'

Shut up.

Stop being such a damn coward and just say something, then. The longer this silence goes on, the more he'll think the worst.

Callie took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. She didn't want to lie to Silver, but the truth was . . . complicated. It's not that she didn't like the boy, she was just . . .

Afraid. Just admit it for once. You're afraid.

. . .

Yeah. She was.

Terrified, even.

"Silver," she started, and chewed her cheek as she picked out the right words. "I'm not gonna send you anywhere you don't want to be. You don't have to go anywhere else if you don't want."

The boy furrowed his brow. "Does that mean you want me to stay?"

She pulled her lips tight.

Moment of truth, her mind teased. What will you say?

"If you want to stay," she said, "then you can stay."

His furrow deepened, and he pulled back, away from her. "But . . . do you want me to?"

Kid's seeing through your non-answers. Stop evading his question. You know what he's asking.

She did. Swallowing hard, heart hammering in her chest, and stomach clenching tight, Callie knew what he wanted to know. What he needed to know.

"Silver," she said, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I . . . want you to feel safe. I want you to be happy. If you think . . ." She pulled her lips tight again, before continuing. "I want what's best for you. And if staying with me is what you want . . ."

Callie paused, and Silver bit his lip, his large amber eyes watching intently.

" . . . then it's what I want, too."

His eyes widened, as fresh tears slipped down his muzzle. "Really?"

She nodded, the knot in her stomach still tightening. "Really really."

With a little squeal, the gray hedgehog launched himself forward, wrapping his arms around her neck. He nuzzled against her, endless thanks tumbling from his lips, muffled against her shoulder. A wet spot appeared as his tears wet her shirt.

Feeling numb, Callie reached up and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight as he cried against her. The snarky side of her brain was quiet for once, but now one thought looped through her mind, running over and over and over again.

This is a mistake. This is a big mistake. This is a huge mistake and is going to come back to bite me.

Deep in her mind, the vault cracked open.