Wade finished the last of the paperwork as acting sheriff just as his shift came to an end. With a smile, he tossed the form into his "To Be Filed" bin, and sat back in his chair with a satisfied sigh.

All in all, this weekend hadn't been too bad. Sure there'd been a hiccup or two—specifically in the form of a little gray hedgehog—but he and Callie had handled it. The kid himself seemed pretty sweet, and Wade had actually enjoyed getting to know the town's head librarian a little better. She seemed nice.

And she had trusted him. Turned to him in a time of need, and accepted his help. Not as a last resort, or as a begrudging type of humoring him. He felt as though she truly accepted him for both his job, and who he was. He couldn't remember when anyone had truly respected him as a police officer before.

That reminded him of something else, and a renewed sense of pride came over him as he thought about how Tom had told him he'd done a good job. A good job. He didn't often hear praise—at all, let alone from the guy who was technically his boss—so just those two words sent a smile to his face. It felt good.

But that didn't mean it didn't also feel good to relinquish the title of 'town sheriff' back to Tom tomorrow. Being in charge for a weekend was nice, but it was a lot of stress, and Wade was happy to return to 'number two' when he came back to work on Tuesday. He would enjoy his day off tomorrow by doing something relaxing. Maybe he'd go fishing. If his mother didn't need him to do something for her, that is.

Whistling a tuneless melody, Wade stood and headed toward the station door. He gave Lynda, the night dispatcher, a little nod as he left, and pulled the keys to his personal truck from his pocket. He'd told his mother he'd be home a little later due to 'work stuff'. In reality, there was a librarian and hedgehog he wanted to visit.

~X~X~X~

The closer Wade got to Callie's house, the more he became aware of a loud sound. A car alarm. That was odd. No one had called in to report an attempted car theft or break-in.

A knot appeared in the pit of his stomach, and his chest started to tighten.

There weren't a lot of homes out this way. And the sound seemed to be coming from Mockingbird Lane.

Where Callie lived.

Wade pushed the gas pedal a little harder.

~X~X~X~

Pulling his truck to a shuddering stop in Callie's driveway, Wade barely threw it in park before jumping out. The car alarm was indeed Callie's Subaru, and Wade gaped at its cracked windows.

Then he turned toward the house, and his heart nearly plummeted into his stomach.

Every window was shattered. Heart pounding, he ran to the kitchen door—glass when he'd left this morning but now an open metal frame—and peered inside. A body lay on the floor, unmoving. The long red braid made his breath catch.

"Callie!" Wade called as he stepped inside, glass shards crunching beneath his shoes. He rushed to her side, rolling her slightly to see her face. A small cut oozed blood from right above her left eyebrow, and her glasses where broken but thankfully not shattered. He gave her a shake that was a little harder than he intended thanks to his growing anxiety. "Oh holy crap, Callie!"

She groaned at the movement, and pushed herself into a sitting position with his help.

"Oh, ouch," she muttered, bringing a hand to her forehead. "Kid packs a punch."

Wade's heart nearly stopped. "Silver did this? What happened? Did he attack you?"

She shook her head, grimacing at the movement, before pulling her useless glasses off with a frown. "No, it was my fault . . . I-" She stopped, her eyes going wide. "Where is he?"

"I don't know, he was gone when I got here."

"What are you . . ." She paused, her brow furrowing. "Is that my car going off?"

"Yeah, its windows are all broken, too," he said as he helped her to her feet. Once she was standing he released her, but didn't back away quite yet. Just in case. "Are you sure he didn't attack you?"

She shook her head again as she grabbed her car keys from the basket on the counter. A quick click of a button and the alarm shut off in mid-bleat. "No, Wade, he didn't attack me. He was, I dunno, panicking for some reason and I . . ."

Her thought cut off when she glanced down and found Silver's hoodie discarded on the floor. She moved to it, and picked it up with shaky fingers.

"Damnit." Her voice was soft, and to Wade it sounded like she was frustrated. Annoyed, maybe. He couldn't tell. She looked up at him, worry on her features. "We've gotta find him."

"How? He could be anywhere!"

"Check with the station, maybe someone saw something. Strange lights, I dunno." She moved toward her stairs, glancing at him over her shoulder. "I'm gonna check for the cats and grab my spare glasses."

He nodded and used his shoulder mic to check in as she disappeared upstairs. His anxiety tried to flare, but he took a few deep breaths to keep it down. He may have not technically been on duty anymore, but there was a lost kid out there somewhere. Callie was counting on him to help find Silver. And by gum, he'd do whatever he needed to help.

~X~X~X~

Bloom and Suki were, thankfully, holed up under Callie's bed. She breathed a sigh of relief knowing she wouldn't have to hunt them down too, and made a mental note to bring in a litter box, food, and water later. She grabbed her extra set of glasses and closed the door behind her as she headed back downstairs.

Guilt slammed into her chest, nearly making her lose her breath. Her fault. This was all her fault. Silver trusted her, needed her, and she'd failed him. Scared him. And now he was gone.

The vault in her mind, where all the feelings from her past were stored and hidden away, cracked open a little more. This was feeling way too familiar. And it scared her.

Focus. She needed to focus. Silver was out there, alone, lost on a strange planet, probably scared and upset. (Because of HER, her mind tried to interject, but Callie pushed that thought away. This wasn't the time.) She needed to find him and bring him home.

Wade was just finishing up with the station when she returned to the kitchen, and she gave him a hopeful look. "Anything?"

He nodded. "Lynda said Carl called a little while ago to report a strange blue light in the forest near him. Thinks UFOs are landing or something."

Callie paled. If Silver was near Carl's, and Carl felt threatened . . .

"Call Carl and tell him NOT to shoot!" she said, grabbing Wade's hand and yanking him toward his truck. "We need to get there, NOW."

Wade pulled his phone out, thumbing Carl's contact.

~X~X~X~

Silver huddled at the base of a tree, arms crossed over his bent legs, and tears running down his cheeks. Everything was messed up. Everything was ruined. Because of him. He'd lost control of his power, and caused so much damage. Callie's home was wrecked because of him.

And she was hurt. He'd hurt someone again.

He was so dangerous. He didn't deserve to have a home. A family.

Maybe he should go back to his planet and let the doctor do whatever he wanted. No one else wanted him. Not on his planet. And certainly not on this one. Not anymore. Callie no doubt hated him now. She was probably so angry she would never want to see him again. And when she told everyone else, they wouldn't want him around, either.

The little hedgehog sniffed as he looked around himself. It was dark now, and he had no idea where he was. All he had thought about after his 'outburst' was to get away. Go far away. He'd run through the trees, occasionally using his power to move over big logs and cuts in the earth. When he'd finally stopped, he couldn't remember which way he'd come from. So now he couldn't go back if he wanted.

Which he did. Even after everything, he just wanted to go back, and feel happy and safe again.

But that was impossible now. Callie hated him. She had to. After everything she did for him, this is how he repays her kindness?

Uttering a soft whimper, Silver the Hedgehog lowered his head, and cried softly into his knees.

~X~X~X~

Wade hung up the phone, tucking it into the console between the seats.

"Maddie's at the clinic for an emergency, but Tom and the boys will meet us at Carl's to help us look," he said, shooting a glance at the woman in the passenger seat. "We'll find him. Don't worry."

Callie didn't respond. She was turned toward the window, Silver's hoodie in her lap, her braid in hand. Every few seconds she would give her hair a tug. Wade stayed quiet for a long moment, before speaking in a soft tone.

"Did he . . ." he started, the anxiety in his chest squeezing tight. "Did you tell him he wasn't staying?"

Silence. Then, "Actually . . . I kinda told him he could."

Wade looked over at her, an eyebrow raised and a small hint of a smile on his lips. She glanced over and furrowed her brow at him.

"Oh, don't give me that look. He was giving me the big puppy dog eyes and looking all sad and pathetic. What was I supposed to do? I'm not a monster." She flinched before turning to look back out the window. "At least I didn't think I was."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"This is all my fault." Her voice was soft, and Wade thought she sounded sad. Another tug on her braid. "He was having a panic attack and I freaked him out more." She shook her head. "I snapped at him and he . . . he blew. God, I'm horrible."

"Hey," Wade said, steering around a turn. "It was a mistake. Don't be so hard on yourself. You're not gonna do the right thing all the time."

"Maddie would have. She's a great mother. Always seems to know just what to say or do to help her boys." She sighed. "Maybe we should have told Tom when Silver showed up. Maybe you were right."

Wade looked over. "We can handle this, remember? You said."

Callie was silent for a long moment. "Maybe I was wrong. I messed everything up." She rubbed her temple with a hand. "I thought I was better at this. I can handle Sonic and the others, no problem. But Silver . . ." She shook her head. "Maybe I'm not as good with kids as I thought."

Silence filled the car for a few moments, before Wade spoke again.

"Maybe," he said, his voice soft. "Maybe you're having problems because you're good with Sonic and the others."

She looked at him, her brow furrowed. "What?"

He pulled his lips tight. "I'm just saying, maybe . . . maybe you're treating him like he's Sonic, or Knuckles, or Tails. He isn't. He's different. He came from a really tough world—no food or water, always scared . . . that kind of trauma can really do a number on someone. Especially a kid who doesn't know any different.

"So he's from this world that's so hard and rough, and shows up here, where he's not in danger 24/7, and has food and a safe place to stay. Maybe he starts to feel safe for the first time in his life. Maybe he starts to feel like the kid he couldn't be back on his world."

"You think he's regressed?"

Wade gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Kids sometimes do that when they come from trauma. He may only be a year or two younger than Sonic, but emotionally he could be much younger. And that's coming out because he feels safe with you."

"Felt safe, you mean," she said, nose wrinkling in disgust. "My house is aerated right now because of me. He's gone because I couldn't keep my temper."

"I can tell you from experience that panic attacks don't exactly let you think clearly," he said, turning down Carl's road. "We'll find him, and you can talk to him. He'll listen."

"How can you be so sure?" she asked as they pulled to a stop. "He might hate me now."

Wade uttered a soft laugh as he killed the engine. "Callie, I've seen the way that kid looks at you. I think it's more likely he thinks you hate him right now. That he's messed everything up."

Her brow furrowed, and she shook her head. "But he didn't. It wasn't his fault."

The deputy gave her a little smile. "Then tell him that." Callie stared at him for a long moment, before he tilted his head toward his door. "C'mon. Let's go find your hog."

~X~X~X~

Fifteen minutes later and a number of flashlight beams bobbed along in the forest surrounding Carl's trailer. Tom, Wade, Tails, and Sonic searched for Silver, calling the boy's name as they shuffled through the dark trees.

Callie had stayed behind, and sat on a log, hugging Silver's hoodie to her chest. She refused to search, as she still worried the gray hedgehog held resentment toward her for her behavior. If she went out calling for him, she theorized, he would simply refuse to be found.

Carl stayed by his trailer, the large spotlights affixed to either end pointed into the dark trees. He leaned against his home, a shotgun tucked in the crook of his crossed arms. "Bear around," he'd said when questioned.

The librarian groaned. Great.

"You are injured," Knuckles said, moving to stand beside her. He'd elected to stay behind as protector of her, no matter what anyone said otherwise. The echidna crossed his arms, brow furrowed as his violet eyes hovered over the cut above her eyebrow. "Did the hedgehog attack you?"

She uttered a soft sigh. "No, Knux, he didn't attack me. I scared him and he . . . kinda lost control of his power. It wasn't his fault."

One eyebrow rose higher. "Lost control?"

She nodded. "He was having a panic attack. I screwed up how I handled it. All this is my fault."

The echidna stood where he was for a moment, before uttering a soft hum and moving closer to sit beside her. "The world he came from. It was not like here."

Callie shook her head. "No. It sounded really bad."

"And he had no one to trust. To care for him."

The redhead furrowed her brow, before shaking her head again. "No."

"But he trusted you. Felt safe here."

Callie flinched, lowering her head as she sighed. "Don't rub it in." She ran her thumb over the soft fabric of the hoodie in her lap, cursing her temper, her impatience. That little boy was out there, somewhere, lost, scared, and hurting because she messed up.

Silence settled for a long moment, before Knuckles nodded. When he spoke again, his voice was soft. "It is much like the fox and I. While our personal histories were different, there was a common theme between them. We had no family. No friends. No loved ones who we could trust or turn to in times of hardship. We took care of ourselves, thinking it simply our lot in life."

She raised her head, uttering another sigh as she focused on the flashlight flickers in the trees. "Yeah, Sonic too. Seems to be a running theme with you kids."

"I am not certain how Sonic dealt with it, but there was an adjustment period when the fox and I joined the Wachowski clan. Our pasts had left their marks, and it took time to feel safe. To completely trust we would not simply be turned away at the slightest mistake. There were . . . incidents. Mother and Father were quite patient with us until we fully believed we were accepted."

Callie cast him a side-eye, brow furrowed slightly. "Ya know, I'm already fully aware how badly I screwed up, you really don't need to keep rubbing salt in the wound."

The boy looked up at her, an infinitely patient look on his young face. "My point is not to hurt you or assign blame. I am merely explaining how difficult the transition was for me to no longer be alone. To no longer have to keep watch over my shoulder, or be alert at all times to stay safe. To have a family again, a tribe that cared for me, and my safety and well-being. It took time to accept that."

The redhead's brow smoothed as his point hit home. "You think I didn't give him the time he needed to fully accept he was safe."

Knuckles shrugged. "I don't know what upset him, specifically, but I do know the feeling when you want to lower your guard and feel safe, but cannot. Not yet. His world was hard and dangerous. Perhaps there is something deeper at play that he has yet to tell you of. Perhaps no matter how you would have reacted, he still would have lashed out. We won't know until we find him, and you speak with him."

Callie stared at the boy next to her, his words sinking in and shifting the heavy load that had settled in her mind. Getting a different perspective—one from a boy who lived a similar existence to Silver's—helped her see the mistakes she'd made in dealing with the hedgehog.

Sure, she got along well with the Wachowski boys, mostly because Tom and Maddie did the heavy lifting of dealing with their trauma in the safety of home. She only saw the boys in a more social setting, which typically didn't trigger the issues they dealt with internally. She got along with them because their parents worked so hard behind-the-scenes to help them work through their fears and insecurities.

The fact that she had never considered this made her feel like an idiot.

Wade was right. She was dealing with Silver like she dealt with the Wachowski boys—who had already worked through much of their trauma and abandonment issues. Silver was fresh out of the hell that was his own world, and that trauma was still very raw and real to him. Acting all buddy-buddy with him wasn't addressing his very real worries about being turned away, or his discomfort with his powers.

She wasn't taking his point of view into account. His fears were real to him, and she had not given them the full attention or consideration they deserved. She had not given him the time he needed to fully embrace or understand the fact that he was safe.

And now she felt even worse.

Callie blew out a tired sigh. "You and Wade seem to think he'll be so eager to listen to me. He probably hates me now for how I acted."

A smile stretched the echidna's lips. "He will speak with you."

"And how can you be so sure?"

"Because you speak in a way that makes others want to listen," he said with a shrug. "Your words are truthful, and wise, while still being kind. You say what you mean, a quality I admire. Tell him what is in your heart, and he will respond."

The two shared a long look, and the expression on Knuckles' face showed he completely believed every word he had said. He had total faith in Callie's ability to make things right, to simply speak with Silver and soothe the tension and bad vibes between them.

The echidna had so much faith in her, she started to have some in herself.

A small smile curled her lips, and she shook her head. "You're like a big red Yoda, but without the weird backwards talking," she said, reaching over to offer her fist. "Thanks for the pep-talk, big guy."

Knuckles smiled, bringing his fist up to gently bump against hers. "I am merely returning the favor, my friend. You have helped me more times than I can recall."

"Then I'll be sure to come to you when I need some good advice, or someone to tell me when I'm being a ninny. "

The boy laughed. "I will be well prepared for either. I never pull my punches, after all."

"Har, har, comedy echidna."

Sonic's voice came ringing through the darkness then.

"Found him! We're heading back!"

The smile dropped from Callie's lips as she stood up, watching the trees with her heart pounding.

~X~X~X~

Silver sat behind a large tree, hands pressed to his mouth as he heard his name called by four different voices. He saw lights flicker, bouncing around as the group searched for him. Flashbacks of his world flittered through his mind, the familiar feelings of being hunted curling around his chest.

Why were they looking for him? To punish him for what he'd done? To trap him and let the human doctors run their own experiments on him? The idea of leaving his home planet to escape a mean doctor just to be captured on this one and given to human versions made his stomach clench.

He didn't hear Callie's voice. How badly had he hurt her? Was she alright? Oh, she must hate him now!

Silver wanted to run. To use his power and just go as far away as he could. But he still couldn't really control it very well, and if he used it, they would see the light. Sonic was out there searching, and he was really fast. He'd catch Silver before the gray hedgehog could even think of which direction to go.

As if willed by Silver's thoughts, Sonic zipped past before performing a tight u-turn and coming to a stop right next to the gray hedgehog. "There you are!"

Silver gasped, holding his hands before him as cyan light glowed around them. "Stay back!"

"Whoa!" the blue hedgehog cried, holding his own hands up, palms out, in a gesture of calming. "Easy! It's me!"

"Why are you hunting me?" It was supposed to come out strong and tough, but the tightness in Silver's chest meant it barely squeaked out with a slight quiver. He swallowed back the tears he tasted. He didn't want to cry. Not now.

A look of shock passed over Sonic's face. "Hunting you? No, Silver, we're looking for you because we were worried!"

"Worried?" A pause. "Why?"

Sonic furrowed his brow in slight confusion. "Because you ran off? Why wouldn't we be worried?"

Silver studied the other hedgehog for a moment, before narrowing his eyes and lifting his hands once more. "You're trying to trick me."

"What? No! Dude, why would I want to trick you? C'mon, we're friends, aren't we?" Silver responded by gritting his teeth, the glow around his hands becoming brighter. "Okay, hold on, just time out! Will you at least just tell me why you ran off?"

The gray hedgehog lowered his hands slightly, the angry expression morphing to one of suspicion. "You don't know?"

Sonic shook his head, lowering his own hands ever-so-slightly. "All I know is Wade called Dad and said to meet him at Carl's because you'd run off. That's it."

Silver's heart dropped. Was Wade mad at him too? He'd called in the Wachowskis to help search. Was that bad? He didn't know.

With a sigh and soft whimper, Silver dropped his hands, the glow fading as he slumped down against the tree trunk, hugging his knees to his chest. He was tired of running. Tired of being scared. He'd just wanted somewhere safe to stay, and he'd ruined it.

The tears returned, and this time he let them fall.

"I didn't mean to do it," he whispered, tears trickling down his muzzle. "It was an accident. I didn't . . . I'm sorry."

Sonic lowered his hands completely, a look of sympathy crossing his face. "Hey, hey, it's okay." He moved closer and hunkered down to one knee. "What was an accident?"

Silver sniffed, flicking his large amber eyes up. "I . . . I broke Callie's windows."

"You did? Well, I'm sure it wasn't that bad, Cal can get a couple of windows fixed-"

"Allof them."

The blue hedgehog froze, his eyes going wide. "All of them?" Silver nodded, sniffing again. "Wow. Okay. Hmm."

"I was scared and it just happened," the gray boy whined, his forehead fan bristling. "I couldn't calm down and I could feel my power building and it just, just . . ."

"Just burst out of you," Sonic said, his voice soft and face understanding. "It built up to the point where it had to blow. Because it was just too much. Right?"

Silver blinked, looking up at the blue boy in shock. He nodded. "Yeah. How did you-"

"I took out the power grid of the pacific northwest," Sonic said, hooking a thumb to himself. "I got upset and my power . . . went a little nuts." He gave the other hedgehog a little shrug. "It happens."

Silence for a long moment. Silver wasn't quite sure what a power grid was, or a pacific northwest for that matter. But he got the feeling Sonic had done something big that had caused a lot of trouble. He hugged his knees tighter. "Were your parents mad at you?"

Sonic gave a crooked smile, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. "Well, it's a little complicated, as they didn't really know about me at the time. No one did. And yeah, technically I got in trouble with the government and Robotnik and it was a big mess." Silver stared at him, eyes wide and a look that was part confusion, part fear on his face. Sonic waved his hands quickly. "But nevermind that! This isn't the same thing at all!"

Silver gave a little groan before dropping his head to his knees. He'd ruined everything.

"Look," the blue hedgehog said, his voice soft. "I know you're scared. I know you think you really messed things up, and have no choice but to run. Well, take it from a guy who spent a lot of his life running before finding a home. A family. There comes a time when you just have to stop. Because there are people out there who care about you, if you let them."

Silver wanted to believe him. Wanted to believe that he could still have a home here. With Callie. Despite the trouble he'd caused. Was it actually possible?

"Is Callie okay?" His voice was soft, scared.

Sonic gave him a soft smile. "She's fine. She's the one who called this search party together."

The gray hedgehog lifted his head. "Really? She's . . . she's not mad at me?"

Sonic shook his head. "She's really worried."

Worried? After what Silver had done, she was worried about him? "Really?" His forehead fan slowly relaxed.

"Really," the other hedgehog said, reaching out his hand with a smile. "C'mon. Let's not keep her waiting."

Silver hesitated for a moment, flicking his eyes between the offered hand and Sonic's face. Then, slowly, he reached forward and allowed Sonic to pull him to his feet.

The blue hedgehog smiled, giving him a light punch in the shoulder. "No more running away, okay? Whatever's wrong, you can talk to us. I swear we won't bite." He paused. "Well, Knuckles might. But he'll come around. He's really not so bad once you get to know him."

That drew a little smile out of Silver, and his forehead fan relaxed further. "Okay."

"Great." Sonic turned and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Found him! We're heading back!" He turned back to the gray hedgehog and hooked a thumb toward the lights of Carl's trailer. "C'mon. Let's get out of these woods."

~X~X~X~

Callie stood at the edge of the trees, watching for the two hedgehogs to appear. The rest of the search party had already exited the woods, and Wade and Knuckles flanked the redhead as she waited.

Knuckles reached over to give her hand a gentle squeeze before pulling back and joining Tails and Tom on the sidelines near Carl. Wade moved closer, a hand hovering over her shoulder for a few seconds before settling down to give a little squeeze.

"He'll listen," he said, his voice soft. "Just take a deep breath and talk to him."

Callie glanced over at Wade, a small, tight smile on her lips. She hoped he was right. She hoped Silver didn't hate her for losing her temper with him when he needed her patience the most. That she didn't just destroy every ounce of trust she'd earned from him.

A moment later and Sonic exited the trees, glancing behind him as a slightly smaller gray hedgehog followed. He hugged himself, left hand caressing his muzzle, forehead fan bristled. His eyes were downcast, and he shuffled out into the clearing looking for all the world like he were walking to the firing squad.

The redhead tensed, guilt settling in her stomach like a ball of ice. Silver came to a stop a few feet away from her, and he seemed to shrink before her eyes. Callie clutched his hoodie to herself tightly, shooting Wade a glance as she did so.

He seemed to catch her meaning, and gave another little squeeze to her shoulder before turning toward the Wachowskis. "Hey Tom, thanks for coming out," he said, walking over to them to give the librarian and hedgehog some privacy.

Once the others were adequately distracted, Callie took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Then she went to a knee, coming closer to Silver's level. He still wouldn't look at her. Her heart clenched, chest tight. But she pushed forward.

"Are you hurt?" she asked, her voice soft. A pause, and then the boy shook his head. "Are you sure?" A timid nod. "Good."

Silence fell between them, and Silver continued to stroke his muzzle. Callie's guilt grew to astronomical levels.

"Silver . . . I'm sorry."

The boy's head raised quickly, a look of confusion on his brow. "What?"

"I shouldn't have lost my temper," she said, going down the rest of the way to kneel before him. "I shouldn't have yelled at you when you were already feeling scared and unsafe. I just . . ." She sighed, pulling her shoulders up in a shrug. "I messed up. Scared you more. I'm really sorry, sweetie."

He stood still, staring at her for a long moment, eyes wide. "But . . . I wrecked your house." His eyes flicked to the cut above her brow. "I hurt you. Aren't you mad at me?"

She shook her head. "I thought you were mad at me because I snapped at you."

Silver shook his head sharply. "No! I was . . . I'm . . ." Tears brimmed in his eyes and he blinked, sending them running down his muzzle. "I'm dangerous! My power is scary and hurts people and-"

"It's a part of you and always will be," she finished, scooting forward to sit closer. "You are not dangerous, and your power is not good or bad. You just need to learn how to control it better. And we'll figure out a way to help you do that. I promise."

Silence settled over the two, and Silver took a hesitant step forward. "Are you sure you're not mad at me? Not even a little?"

Callie shook her head. "Not even a little. What happened was not your fault." She raised a shaky hand and reached forward to brush his forehead fan flat. "It was mine. I'm sorry, honey."

Silver lifted his chin, letting her run a hand over his quills as fresh tears trickled down his cheeks. A small smile curled his lips, and he took another step closer. "You're not gonna make me go away?"

"No," she said, shaking her head again. "I'm sorry I scared you, and I promise I will try harder to treat you the way you need. So you feel safe."

The hedgehog bit his lip, eyes shiny and tears on his muzzle. After a few more seconds, the boy launched himself into her arms, wrapping his own around her neck and sobbing into her shoulder. Apology after apology spilled out, soaking into her ears as his tears soaked her shirt.

Callie wrapped her arms around him, lifting him as she stood. She whispered soothing words into his ear, combing her fingers through the fluff of fur on his back. He nodded against her, his chest hiccuping with soft sobs.

"The boys and I are gonna head out," Tom said in a soft voice as they approached her. "I'm glad he's okay."

"Thanks for coming out, all of you," she said, gently swaying as Silver sniffled in her arms. "I really appreciate the help."

Tom waved a dismissive hand. "Ah, don't worry about it. We alien parents gotta stick together, right?"

The redhead's smile stiffened at that, and she gave a curt nod. Don't think about it, don't think about it.

She caught Knuckles' eye then, and the echidna gave her a little nod, making a fist and holding it to his chest. She recognized the intent—You got this. She pushed a weak smile to her lips, and flicked her eyes to Wade, who thankfully caught her meaning.

"How about I get you two home?" he said, moving closer. "Been a long day, huh?"

Callie nodded, and thanked Tom and the boys one last time before turning to head toward Wade's truck.

She was tired, both physically and emotionally, and the beginnings of a headache began pounding at her temple. This night couldn't end fast enough.

~X~X~X~

It was a quiet ride back to Callie's house.

Wade glanced in the rear view mirror and found Silver in the back seat, huddled in his hoodie, and clutching and twisting a long head spike. A slight head turn showed the woman in the passenger seat doing the same with her braid. The anxiety levels in the truck were rising, he could feel them, but ironically, his own wasn't joining them. He felt oddly calm as he pulled the pickup into Callie's driveway.

The headlights flickered off the shattered glass pieces that littered the ground, showing the gaping holes of every broken window. Beside him, Callie drew in a sharp gasp. Wade raised an eyebrow before remembering her immediate dedication to finding Silver hadn't exactly left her much time to examine the condition of her house. She knew the windows had blown, but apparently hadn't really considered the full level of the damage.

And now she saw the result of Silver's loss of control.

"Oh . . ." she all but moaned as he put the truck in park. Another glance and Wade found Silver had ducked down, his hands worrying at his spike even harder. Callie slid out of the vehicle, slowly walking toward her house, her hand tugging and yanking on her long braid.

Something poked at the back of Wade's mind, some kind of warning. But it didn't feel like a warning for him. More like . . . like he should be ready to act in case he needed to.

He unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the truck.

~X~X~X~

Callie looked at her damaged home, a solid lump forming behind her ribs.

Every downstairs window was gone, blown out from Silver's uncontrolled blast. Glass shards littered the ground outside, and she guessed it was just as bad inside. The pieces scattered across the ground reflected the moonlight, giving a sparkling effect.

The upstairs windows were still intact, technically, but they were all cracked. Just as all the windows in her Subaru were.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat.

The hand on her braid squeezed and gave it a yank, jerking her head to the side.

This whole situation was becoming one big disaster. She'd lied to the Wachowskis, scared Silver, her house needed thousands of dollars in repair, the boy had run away and may have gotten himself lost or hurt . . .

All because she thought she knew what she was doing.

Her throat tightened, and she struggled to pull air into her lungs. Her heart pounded within her chest.

She gave her braid another hard yank.

~X~X~X~

Wade watched as Callie slowed to a stop outside her house, and began pulling her braid with hard tugs. He'd noticed her do this before, her version of a calming behavior he reasoned, but the way she yanked on it now concerned him.

She yanked again, harder this time. He furrowed his brow.

"She hates me," a voice said, barely above a whisper.

The deputy turned and saw Silver sitting up in the backseat, his hand firmly grasped onto one of those long head spikes from the back. He also gave a yank.

"Hey," Wade said, lowering himself to lean into the truck window. "She doesn't hate you."

The little hedgehog gave another yank before turning to him. His large amber eyes were wide and shiny. "She does. She said she doesn't but that was before she saw what I did. And now she won't want me around anymore. I'll . . . I'll go back to my world. I . . . I don't know how but I'll find a way so I won't bother her anymore and-"

"Hold on," Wade said, and pulled the door open to fully face the boy. "Let's not overreact. I promise she doesn't want you to go."

Silver shook his head. "Look what I did!" Tears trickled down his muzzle. "I ruined everything!"

Wade was moving before he even realized it. He slid into the backseat, and pulled the little boy to him, in a strong side hug.

"Hey, shhh," he soothed, and the boy leaned into him, hiccuping in silent sobs. "It's gonna be okay. The windows can be fixed. No one got seriously hurt. C'mon, it's not that bad."

Silver shook his head against the man's side. "She's gonna kick me out, she hates me, she-"

"Wow, are you a mind reader, too?" Wade asked. "Or maybe you can see the future!"

The hedgehog quieted, pulling away to look up at him. "Wh-what?"

"Well, you seem to know what she's thinking and what'll happen, you must be able to see into the future!"

Silver sniffed, running a hand under his nose. He shook his head. "Nuh uh."

"Oh. Well, why don't we talk to her before getting too freaked out about it?"

The boy sniffed again, before turning to look out the window at the redhead. "But she-"

"Do you want me to go talk to her? See how she's feeling?"

Silver drew in a shuddery breath before looking back at Wade. He nodded.

"Okay. You stay here. Promise you won't run off again?" The boy nodded again. "I'm gonna go talk to Callie. Sit tight."

Wade slid out of the car and moved toward the redhead, who was yanking her hair almost violently.

~X~X~X~

If she heard him approach, she made no sign. Callie stood in front of her house, giving her braid a hard tug every few seconds.

"Cal?" Wade called, moving slowly. He didn't like how hard she was yanking on her hair. "Can you hear me?"

She turned to him, a movement so quick he jerked in surprise. She said nothing, her breath moving in and out of her chest in short, quick pants, and turned back to look at her house. Another yank.

"Callie?" He moved to stand in front of her. Her eyes were unfocused. "Cal."

Wade had never been on this side of panic attack before, but recognized the signs. Her violent hair tugging, the rapid breathing, the frantic, almost wild look on her face. She was spiraling.

Ironically, seeing her in this state didn't kick his own anxiety into overdrive. His heart sped up, sure, but it felt more like fear that spurred it. Concern for her. Instinctively, he reached up and covered the hand holding her braid with his.

"Callie, focus on my voice," he said, speaking softly and calmly. "C'mon, look at me."

No response for a few seconds, but then her eyes locked with his. He smiled as he pried her fingers open.

"There you go," he said, uncurling her fist to release the braid. He flipped it back over her shoulder and kept her hand in his. "Deep breaths, Cal."

"I don't know what to do," she whispered, and her hand trembled almost as much as her voice. "What do I do? Everything's a mess because of me! I should have just let you call Tom and let them handle this because I just snapped and screwed everything up and now my house is a mess and Silver's freaked out and everything's a disaster because I thought I knew what I was doing but I didn't and now-"

"Deep breaths," Wade said, giving her hand a squeeze. "Ready?" Without giving her a chance to answer, he drew in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "C'mon. You gotta do it too." He took another breath, and after few seconds, Callie joined him. "Good. Let's do two more."

The two shared two more deep breaths, and the shake faded from her hand. The freaked out look on her face relaxed. She closed her eyes and took one more breath, letting it out slowly.

"Better?" he asked, a smile curling his lips as he gave her hand another squeeze.

She nodded, a shy smile curling her lips. "Yeah. Sorry." A pause. "Thanks."

He shrugged. "Hey, just returning the favor." The smile faded as he looked at her more seriously. "You okay? Really?"

She took another deep breath before nodding. "Really really. Just kinda . . ." She let out a shaky sigh. "You know."

Wade gave her an understanding smile. "Yeah, I know." He looked down and noticed he still held her hand in his, and released it with a soft blush. "Silver thinks you're mad at him."

Callie gave another sigh, closing her eyes as she rubbed her temple. She didn't respond.

"Hey," the deputy said, moving closer and placing calming hands on her shoulders. She opened her eyes to peer at him over her glasses. "We can handle this, remember? Just take a breath. We'll figure this out."

He offered her a smile, and relaxed a bit when she smiled back. She nodded.

"Yeah," she said, and seemed to be more herself. "Yeah, we can figure this out."

A soft breeze picked up then, and a ring portal opened to their right.