A/N: Even though it feels good to help my friends and family out, sometimes it's difficult to help myself, which is why I wrote this fic.

Despite the cold temperature outside, Shadow the Hedgehog stood tough as he approached the house on the western part of Azure Lake Zone. This was home to Cream the Rabbit and her mother Vanilla, whom Shadow considered to be like a second family to him. Sometimes, he visited them because he wanted to hang out with Cream, and sometimes, he came here because he had some sort of issue and wanted to talk to Vanilla. Regardless, he kept his usual stone cold calm about him as he walked up to the front door and knocked.

"Who is it?"

"Cream, it's me, Shadow."

Shortly thereafter, Cream opened the door.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Shadow!"

Cream gave Shadow a big hug, as did her pet Chao, Cheese. In the past, he wanted nothing to do with her, but ever since he had undergone an attitude change, and ever since he started going out with Amy Rose, he saw her as a little sister of sorts, and hugging her made him feel happy. Soon, they broke away.

"Good afternoon, Cream. Is Mom home?"

"Of course!"

"Mind if I talk to her?"

"Not at all!" Cream turned to the interior of the house. "Mom, Mr. Shadow's here!"

"I'm coming!"

In the meantime, Shadow entered the house, while Cream closed the door behind him.

"Good afternoon, Shadow!"

Vanilla also graced Shadow with a hug, which he happily returned. Since she was the mother he never had, he valued her hugs above most other people's. Every time she hugged him, he forgot about anything that was troubling him. Soon, she let go.

"So, what brings you here?" asked Vanilla.

"I wanted to talk to you about something." Shadow turned to Cream. "Cream, would you and Cheese please go to your room for a little bit? This is sort of a private matter."
"Of course, Mr. Shadow!"

"Chao!"

Cream and Cheese went to the former's room, while Shadow and Vanilla sat down at the living room couch.

"What's on your mind, Shadow?"

Shadow sighed. "Before I tell you, I just wanted to assure you that life is mostly good for me. Having said that, I've been feeling depressed because I feel like I'm excellent at talking to others about their problems and helping them, but I can't even help myself."

Vanilla's look turned serious. "Oh? Why do you feel that way?"

"It's just…when I'm around my friends and I'm feeling down, it's easy for them to cheer me up, and when I'm doing cleansing activities such as meditation or exercise, that also makes me feel good, but when I have no opportunity to do any of that and depressing thoughts strike, I just don't know how to snap myself out of those."

Vanilla smiled and put a hand on Shadow's shoulder. "I may not know exactly how you feel, but your feelings are valid, and if it'll help you, I have a few ideas about that."

Shadow nodded. "Please, do tell."

"One thing that I've done for myself whenever I have negative feelings or negative self-talk is to challenge those feelings, often by asking myself: 'is this really true, or is my mind playing tricks on me?'"

"That's a good start. How else can I help myself?"

"Well, you can also set boundaries and say 'no' if you feel the need to."

Shadow sighed. "I would, but what if someone really needs me?"

"It's perfectly OK to look after your own well-being if you need to. I know your friends, and they all have plenty of people they can turn to. That's not to say you should always ignore them, of course, but if you're feeling emotionally overwhelmed, you can always have time to yourself."

Shadow nodded. "OK, I get it. You've got some good advice so far. Please, tell me more."

"Do you have a therapist that you see?"

"I did for a while, but I stopped seeing her because I felt like I was cured." Shadow stroked his chin. "However, I suppose I should set up another appointment with her."

"It definitely seems like something that could help you. Every little bit helps. Also, practicing self-awareness is very helpful. If you ever feel overwhelmed, try taking a step back and checking in with yourself."

Shadow crossed his arms. "That one sounds like it's easier said than done, but I'll give it my best shot. It can't be that hard…can it?"

"I understand if it seems difficult, but it's easy once you've had enough practice."

Shadow uncrossed his arms. "OK, I trust you."

"Also…do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Not at all."

"What drove you to help others out with their problems?"

"It was a number of things. Having lost someone very important to me, I feel as though I want to help others not feel sad or angry, not to mention ever since I defeated Black Doom and started dating Amy, I want people to see me as a good person, someone who cares about them and wants them to feel safe and happy.

"Well, those are very noble aspirations! Just remember, though: other people's happiness needn't come at a cost of your own. As I've mentioned before, if you're feeling overwhelmed, it's OK to take a step back."

Shadow nodded. "Right. And Mom…"

"Yes?"

"May I please have another hug?"

"Certainly!"

Vanilla gave Shadow another hug, which he gladly returned. Sitting on the couch, and having her to lean on both figuratively and literally, he felt super-cozy, like nothing in this world could hurt him. Knowing that she cared enough about his feelings to do this for him meant so much to him, and he would never forget her kindness. Even if she couldn't replace Rouge, Amy or especially Maria, she was his adopted mom, and she held a special place in his heart. Plus, she was soft, warm and cuddly like no other woman was, and she had a certain scent about her that he couldn't describe, but it made him feel happy.

Even if Shadow couldn't replace Cream, Vanilla enjoyed hugging him regardless. Having heard much about him from Amy and her other friends, she wasn't sure exactly what to think of him, but when she saw how well he treated Cream and how politely he behaved towards her, she was happy to have him as an adopted son. Plus, ever since her husband Chocolate went missing, she'd lamented not having a son, so the Ultimate Life Form perfectly fit the bill. Plus, he'd been helpful towards her in other ways, so she appreciated his presence very much.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Shadow."

Vanilla gave Shadow a quick kiss on the forehead before letting go of him.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Shadow?"

"Mind if I stay over and watch a movie with you and Cream? I'll gladly watch whatever you put on."

Vanilla smiled. "Not at all! I'd love to watch a movie with you!" Vanilla turned in the general direction of Cream's room: "Cream, you can come out now!"

"Coming, Mommy!"

Cream exited her room and got ready to watch a movie with Shadow and Vanilla. As for Shadow himself, he took satisfaction in the fact that life was just getting that much better.

Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.