I'm very sorry for the delays. I'm for sure finishing this story soon. Now that various health issues has been resolved for me, I can get into gear. The next chapter is already written, just being edited a bunch. I plan to have the next one up within a couple of weeks at the latest.

Intersex people are people born with any of several sex characteristics, including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies".

Trigger Warning: Intersex discrimination that also may overlap with transphobia and misogyny.

"In many respects, you look male at first. But your body betrays you. Males do not possess... certain characteristics. I require discipline, strength, and above all, purity in my personal students. All of them must be true men, and nothing less will do. My policy on this matter is non-negotiable."

"You are neither one nor the other. You are wrong, a contradiction that should not exist. Even nature follows its rules—male, female, strong, weak. But you? You fit nowhere. No amount of training will ever change that."

Vector shook himself out of his thoughts, not wanting to return any further to that horrible event that filled him with rage to this day.

Every time Vector thought back to that ninja master, he fantasized about decking the guy. Hard.

Vector leaned forward, his gaze focused and intense. He waited for the inner fire that built in his chest to cool down, not wanting anger to leak into the conversation. After a pause that seemed to stretch on, he finally spoke, his voice more measured than before. "Well, Silver, you see, it's a bit of a touchy subject. Espio did get into that martial arts school, just like I mentioned earlier. He trained hard, kept gettin' better. But..." Vector sighed deeply. "That ninja master in charge... he... he later rejected him. For good."

Silver's eyes widened in surprise. "Huh!? Why?"

Vector's voice grew heavy with sadness and frustration. "It was 'cause of somethin' entirely out of Espio's control. That's all I'm gonna say. Sorry, Silver. That's real personal with Espio. Even he doesn't like talkin' 'bout it with me much. So anything further is a veto question."

Silver didn't want to make things worse by prying too much, despite being curious about what had caused Espio's rejection. Silver caught the flash of anger in Vector's eyes and quickly realized it would be a bad idea to press further.

"I understand," Silver said. "Sorry for asking about something so... terrible."

"No, it's fair that you're wonderin' in case he was gonna leave for somewhere else later. I just don't feel it's somethin' that's my place to say. All I can say is that things didn't work out with that ninja master guy. And let's leave it at that. Honestly, I'd rather you not bring up that school thing with Espio if you can. Please."

Silver simply nodded, allowing the conversation to move forward.

Vector continued, "Espio did train at that school for a while even after... certain things came to light. He had to beg Matrix and Millie to let him keep takin' classes. They wanted to support him, but they were also worried about him being exposed to a place run by such a jackass. Pardon my language."

Silver said, "So... even after what happened, Espio still wanted to stay? That's... really strong of him."

Vector scoffed, but there was something like pride in his voice. "Yeah, well, that's Espio for ya. Even when the world tells him he don't belong, he digs in harder. It likely helped that Sensei Prick wasn't the only teacher there, so Matrix and Mille allowed it. At least for then, but…" His voice trailed off, his fists clenching at his sides.

Silver picked up on the shift in Vector's tone, his stomach twisting slightly. "But?"

Vector's jaw tightened before he finally spoke again.

"Well, Espio wound up havin' to leave that school on bad terms later for... other reasons I'll mention later," he said, his voice laced with frustration. "Which is another reason it's a sore subject."

Silver exhaled, his mind still turning over everything Vector had just said. Espio had worked so hard, fought so much, and still, in the end, he was forced to leave.

Silver shook his head. "That's not fair."

Vector scoffed. "Yeah, well, fair don't always mean much." He ran a hand over his snout, staring off for a moment before sighing.

Silver leaned in, practically begging that Vector would tell him he was just joking.. "So, Espio kept pushing forward, even after all of that… but he still had to leave in the end?"

Vector gave a slow nod, his jaw tight. "Yeah. He didn't wanna give up. But…" He hesitated for a moment, his fingers drumming against the table before he finally spoke. "The decision wasn't really his to make anymore."

Silver's frowned worsened. "What do you mean?"

Vector sighed. "See… it wasn't just about that damn ninja master rejecting him. Things were already rough for Espio, but then Matrix got tangled up in something ugly."

Silver's brows furrowed. "Matrix? What does he have to do with it?"

Vector shook his head, his expression darkening. "More than I knew at the time. Espio had to leave that school because of the fallout from Matrix's last big case as a police detective. And let's just say, things went downhill fast."

Silver felt his stomach tighten. "Wait—what kind of case are we talking about?"

Vector's face turned grim. He straightened his posture, his fingers tapping against the desk before he finally answered.

"The kind that got people real angry. The kind that made some of his own coworkers turn against him. The kind that nearly got him killed."

Silver's breath caught in his throat. "Matrix… was someone trying to—"

Vector didn't let him finish. "Yeah. Someone tried to murder him."

Silver sucked in a breath and covered his mouth with his hand.

It took him a moment to recover, but when he did, he lifted his gaze to Vector, sympathy etched into his features. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "Why would someone…?"

Vector rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh yeah, I guess I skipped over a bunch'cha details. Before Matrix opened the Chaotix agency…"

Vector's face grew solemn. "Remember when I said Matrix used to work as a detective in this one city? I never got the full details, but Matrix and Millie had to flee about a year ago. I don't know exactly who Matrix pissed off, but some of his own coworkers turned on him after a case went sideways. From what little I found out, there was more corruption high up, including in the police force, than he ever realized. He didn't go lookin' for it—I think he just stumbled into a mess while working on a big case."

Vector shook his head. "Talk about bad luck, right? Or good luck to catch that corruption, depending on who you ask. Either way, it landed him in hot water. Matrix even got fired over it."

Silver hesitated. "But…" He struggled to find the words. "How were they… I mean, is that even legal? How could—"

Vector shrugged. "Even I don't know how it happened. Matrix never told me, no matter how much I asked. Even Millie changes the subject whenever I bring it up. Most of what I know is pieced together from what Ma and Pops told me, and the little I was able to squeeze out of Matrix and Millie. Considering how suddenly it all went down, I'm guessing something big and fast happened. All I've got are theories instead of answers. I was away at college when most of it happened. Sorry, but even I don't have the answers here."

Vector exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck again. "Still… Matrix wasn't the only one who paid the price. It wasn't a picnic for the rest of Matrix's family either. Even though they didn't stay in that city long, Millie kept getting pulled over for 'random' checks, even though she follows the law more than anyone I know. One time, Charmy was even in the car seat in the back when it happened. Shot her anxiety through the roof."

"Espio stayed home most of the time, but he got hit in a different way."

Vector's expression darkened. "They never told me much about this part, but I overheard Matrix and Millie talking about Espio getting harassed at his martial arts school while we were visiting my folks—I was on a school break, I think. From what I picked up, some students were bullying Espio because of that corruption case. I think he was even getting nasty phone calls and messages. Matrix had to take his phone and shut down the little social media Espio had. Not that Espio used social media much, but I bet he saw some ugly things before Matrix took care of it."

Vector sighed. "Espio must've tried hiding it from them at first, but Bro and Millie found out eventually. Charmy mentioned that some of those brats even started a fight with Espio right in front of the house once. He and Matrix scared them off."

Vector's glare worsened. "I don't even get why those students cared. Maybe one of the popular kids had a family member involved in it? Who knows?"

He exhaled sharply, his frustration evident. "Anyway, I guess my bro and his family either got sick of it all or were genuinely scared, so they ditched that city. Did some motel hopping for a couple of months, makin' it harder for anyone to track them. Then, they finally settled down in Seaside City, far away from all that mess."

Vector leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "They had some savings and started the Chaotix Detective Agency here. Wanted a fresh start. Millie took care of the accounting while Matrix did the real detective work. She also worked a regular accounting job on the side, but she handled financial services for clients at the agency during certain parts of the week."

Vector's voice softened slightly. "They built something good here. But it didn't erase what they went through.

Silver nodded slowly, unsure what to say. His gaze drifted toward the floor, his thoughts circling all of what Vector had just shared. He hadn't realized how deep the damage ran—not just to Matrix, but to Millie, to Charmy… to Espio. It wasn't just the case or the corruption. It was everything that came after. The fallout had shattered whatever peace they had, forcing them into survival mode.

A silence fell between them. It wasn't uncomfortable—just quiet. Reflective.

Then, Silver piped up with his own question he had been holding. "So…about Matrix being gone…." Silver struggled to find the courage and the right words to finish.

Vector let out a tired breath, nodding. "Yeah, you guessed right about him being in a coma. Like Charmy seemed to mention you, he's not dead and thank Chaos he aint a vegetable. But he got hurt bad. Hasn't woken up since."

Silver blinked. "For how long?"

Vector paused to mentally calculate. "Probably about... six months ago."

Silver's stomach turned. That meant it happened about a couple of months before he first met Espio.

"Yeah," Vector said, as if reading his thoughts. "That tracks. A lot was happenin' back then. Too much. Just a month after that, Eggman tricked us with that fake case. Then a few weeks later, rent was comin' up again. I barely convinced the landlord to let us turn in that last month late. I think he only let me off 'cause he heard rumors we helped Sonic defeat Metal Sonic. Barely scraped by after takin' some odd jobs. Thanks to Eggman! I knew we couldn't push our luck with rent like that again. Yeah, sounds like it happened around that time." Vector seemed to be talking to himself more than Silver during hte last sentence. Vector shook his head then was looking at Silver again. "Wait, got sidetracked. Where'd we leave off at?"

"About Matrix getting hurt and being in a coma," Silver replied.

"Oh, right!" Vector perked up, eager to get back on track. "So he's like that because someone tried to murder him."

Silver hesitated, then asked softly, "Did anyone ever figure out who tried to kill him?"

Vector's face saddened, his fingers drumming a slow rhythm on the table. "Not exactly. We got suspects, sure. But proof? That's a whole other mess. Matrix made a lot of enemies in that city and who knew who else. Coulda been one of the corrupt cops. Coulda been someone higher up. Hell, coulda been a hit arranged by someone we don't even know about yet."

Vector leaned forward slightly, voice low. "Later on, while Matrix was workin' a case for an important client, some... bastard tried to kill him with a truck while he was walkin' through a town one day. Matrix dodged the truck itself, but it hit somethin' that made it explode. From what I've heard, I'm guessin' he couldn't get out of the blast range in time. It was all so nuts that everyone panicked, fleein' from the fire. Probably why whoever did it wasn't caught right away."

Silver sat back, stunned. "That's awful..."

"Yeah." Vector scratched the side of his head. "It was a lot. Still is to some extent, I guess."

Silver's breath caught in his throat. "So no one saw who did it?"

Vector sighed. "They never got the culprit, probably 'cause the truck was remote-controlled. Espio really wanted to look for the culprit in case they were nearby, but he was too busy draggin' Matrix outta all that fire. Poor kid. When I saw Espio later—"

"Wait!" Silver interrupted, his eyes widening. "Espio was there when it happened?"

Vector nodded solemnly. "Yeah, he was with Matrix during that case. Millie was home with Charmy and the twins. I was at college takin' finals, so I wasn't there when it happened. Poor Millie found out before me. She called me, cryin' her eyes out that evenin'. I managed to rush over and..."

Vector trailed off for a moment, his expression shifting. He exhaled, rubbing his face before leaning forward. "I got to the hospital. Matrix was..."

Vector hesitated before shaking his head. "Bad. Real bad. I'd never seen Matrix look so... broken before. Bandaged up, hooked to all kinds of machines. He wasn't just hurt—he looked like he was barely hangin' on." He scoffed bitterly. "Guy's the toughest bastard I know, and there he was, knocked out cold with tubes and wires everywhere. Millie was tryin' to keep it together, but I could tell she was barely holdin' on."

Silver swallowed, his chest tightening. "What did the doctors say?"

Vector sighed, running a hand down his face. "They weren't sure if he was gonna wake up at first. Said it was a miracle he even survived. Internal injuries, burns, fractures—you name it. If Espio hadn't pulled him out when he did..." He exhaled sharply. "Matrix would be dead."

Silver was silent for a long moment, taking it all in. He thought about Espio, about the weight that must have been on his shoulders that day. The words lingered, heavy in Silver's mind like cement weights. It wasn't just a story anymore. It was a truth, Espio's truth, sharp and real, that made everything feel colder and harder to swallow.

Vector continued, "It was so awful, waitin' for hours for news, only to be told they weren't sure if he would make it. Then..." A tear Vector hadn't noticed streamed down his cheek, forcing him to wipe it away. "Considerin' what happened, I know he coulda gotten hurt worse, but what we saw still hurt. I'm so glad Charmy wasn't brought in to see him like that. Even Espio ran out of the room upset when he first got to see him"

Vector took a shaky breath. "Sometimes I wish I comforted Millie like my folks did—she really needed it. I coulda even talked to Espio instead. The only reason I didn't have to worry about Charmy was because he was bein' watched by other family without bein' told what happened. But I was just so shocked and overwhelmed with it all myself. I didn't know what to say to make it better. Didn't even follow up much before Millie... had to take time to take care of some things I rather not get into."

Silver worried if Vector blamed himself for Millie's suicide attempt. The thought made his stomach turn, sadness and nausea twisting inside him. He couldn't imagine holding that kind of emotional weight. Silver really wanted to help, but he had limited options that didn't involve revealing what he accidentally found out.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Vector," Silver said. "It sounds awful for everyone, including you. It's not fair to put that kinda pressure on yourself. If anyone is at fault, it's the guy that tried to kill Matrix."

Vector said, "I know, but I still wish I handled it better. We had to wait a bit to find out, but, thankfully, Matrix got 'stable' as the docs put it. Ever since then, we've mostly been waitin' for him to wake up. Ma works in the same hospital they're keepin' him in as a nurse. The city hospital he's at is a bit far, but it's closer to our folks. Makes it easier for Ma to check on him and for Millie to visit him while she stays with our folks. We still visit him when we can, although Espio... rarely stays in the room long. I can tell it eats him up inside."

Vector's sad gaze fell on his desk. "Between you and me, I think Espio still blames himself for what happened. I remember him goin' on about how he shoulda protected Matrix better. I tried to assure him the best I could, but you know how Espio is. He don't let things go easy."

Silver frowned, his fingers twitching slightly. "I…that's…I can't imagine what that must have felt like. It's not his fault either"

Vector glanced back up and nodded. "Yeah,I I know, but the kid was wrecked. Wouldn't talk much about it, just kept busy. I think it's part of why he cares so much about the agency and makin' sure Matrix and Millie's younger kids are looked after. He wants to make up for not havin' their dad around. Doesn't want the agency to go under while Matrix is gone."

Silver's heart ached. "That's... a lot to carry. For anyone."

And yet, somehow, Espio had carried it all while keeping his expression calm, while fighting, while pretending everything was fine. How much more was he hiding beneath the surface?

Vector continued, "Yeah, and sometimes he gets real cranky when bills come up 'cause of it." He gave a tired chuckle, but there was no humor in it. "I won't let that happen without a fight, but Espio... he takes it personal. Won't admit it, but he does. Like it's all on him."

Vector sighed. "Before all this, I used to help out at the agency when I had the time. College kept me busy, but I tried to pitch in where I could. Thought I had a handle on things, but... turns out, Matrix and Millie were runnin' a whole lot behind the scenes that I never dealt with. When Matrix got hurt, I had to learn fast. Real fast. Especially when Millie also wasn't here to help. I even had to drop out of college to take over, at least for now. I tell myself I'll go back eventually, but honestly? Right now, I can't afford to think about that. The agency needs me, Espio needs me, and our whole operation would fall apart if I walked away. It has been a damn steep learnin' curve."

Vector leaned back slightly, shaking his head, but a faint smile returned. "I'm steerin' the ship until the captain and his second-in-command return. Until that time comes, I have to make sure the agency stays afloat. It's why I've been away doin' agency work so much lately, even without Espio and Charmy at times. I know I've been away a lot lately, but it's for everyone's sake. Includin' Espio's. Once the agency does well enough, he can finally relax a bit and not worry so much. He can act like a kid his age should instead of carryin' all this weight. Maybe I'm hopin' for too much, but it would be nice if he didn't even feel guilty anymore."

Silver hesitated for a moment, then asked, "So... where has Charmy been through all of this? Has he been with you the whole time?"

Vector let out a deep sigh. "Nah, not at first. After Matrix got hurt, Charmy mostly stayed with our folks. They love him to bits, always have. They took him in without a second thought, made sure he was taken care of. But as time went on, he started askin' about comin' over. Wanted to be 'a real detective' and help out, y'know? Eventually, he started spendin' more time with me at the agency."

Silver picked up on something in Vector's tone. "But…"

Vector's expression darkened slightly, but he forced a neutral shrug. "But Espio didn't reallly stay with my folks. It's... complicated. Let's just say my relationship with them ain't what it used to be." His voice carried an edge, but he didn't elaborate. "Charmy's situation was different."

Silver frowned but decided not to push. The weight in Vector's voice said enough—there was more to it than he was letting on.

"Does Espio ever talk about it?" Silver asked carefully.

Vector scoffed. "Not really. He ain't the type to sit around spillin' his feelings. But I can see it in the way he acts. Even now, he keeps himself busy—sometimes too busy. I catch him overworkin' himself more often than not. It's like he's scared of slowin' down, afraid that if he stops for even a second, everything'll fall apart."

Silver nodded, thinking back to how focused Espio always seemed. "That explains a lot."

Vector sighed, crossing his arms. "Yeah. I try to give him space, but I ain't gonna let him run himself into the ground either. We all got enough on our plates. Just gotta make sure we don't break tryin' to hold everything together. As long as the Chaotix keep lookin' out for each other, I'm sure it'll all work out."

Just then, Silver's phone buzzed. He glanced down and saw a new message from Espio.

Espio:
 We're heading out soon to get something to eat. Millie, the twins, and Charmy want you to come along. You in?

Silver's lips twitched into a small smile. It wasn't much, but it was nice to be included. Without thinking, he tapped out a quick reply: Sure. Sounds good.

Then he looked back at Vector. "Espio just texted. They're going out for food and want me to come along. Did he text you too?"

Vector blinked, then checked his own phone. Sure enough, a message had come in from Espio a minute earlier.

Espio:
 We're grabbing food. Want to come with us?

Vector chuckled, shaking his head. "Kid's learnin' to extend invites. That's new."

Silver smiled. "So... you in?"

Vector glanced at the clock on his desk and let out a low grunt. "Ugh. Forgot I've still got paperwork and a couple client calls to make. And Charmy left a mess in the office fridge I've been puttin' off cleanin' for two days now." He rubbed the back of his head. "I better stay behind this time. You go ahead."

Silver nodded, understanding. "Alright. I'll tell them you're stuck with fridge duty."

Vector smirked, pushing himself up from his seat. "Hey, someone's gotta keep this place runnin'. C'mon, I'll walk you out."

The two stepped out of the office, the warm evening air settling around them. As Silver made his way toward the sidewalk, he paused near the door, his gaze falling on a small potted plant sitting by the entrance.

A cluster of tiny blue flowers bloomed inside, their petals delicate but vibrant, fluttering slightly in the breeze. Without thinking, he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture.

Vector chuckled. "You and that camera. That flower there? That's one of Espio's gardening projects. Forget-me-nots, if I remember right. He's been into gardening for a long time, but Millie mentored him and helped him get better at it."

"Forget-me-nots?" Silver echoed quietly, looking down at the image on his phone.

"Yeah," Vector nodded. "Millie and Espio used to garden together all the time when things weren't so hectic. Nice to see him passing that interest along."

Silver glanced up. "I didn't know that."

"You oughta show Millie some of your photos when you see her. She's real into scrapbooking. Might like addin' some of your pics to one of her books."

Silver made a mental note of that. "That's a good idea."

Vector patted his shoulder. "Go on, kid. Don't keep 'em waitin'. And tell Millie she better not let Charmy con her into eatin' dessert before the meal."

Silver chuckled. "I'll do my best." With one last nod, he turned and started levitating himself down the street toward the hotel.

As Silver walked away, the image of that tiny flower lingered in his mind. Forget-me-nots, quiet, subtle, and easily overlooked. Just like Espio. And just like him, they held more meaning than most people realized.

As soon as Silver was out of sight, Vector let his trademark grin, which felt a bit heavy, drop. His shoulders sagged, and he rubbed a hand over his face, exhaling deeply. The weight of everything lingered, pressing down on him now that he was alone. No more keeping up appearances, no more steadying himself for someone else's sake. Just a brief, quiet moment to let himself feel the exhaustion creeping in before he had to push forward again.

Vector knew that Silver's honest character and his care for the Chaotix, especially Espio, weren't the only reasons Vector had unloaded everything. There was another reason—one that he hadn't admitted, not even to himself at first.

He had caught on to Silver losing his memories a while ago. Like Espio, he wondered just how much would eventually change. How much of what they talked about today would stick? He honestly wouldn't be surprised if Silver forgot their conversation later. And in a way, that possibility made it easier for Vector to let go. As selfish as it felt, it was nice to finally let out some of the tension he had been holding for so long.

There weren't many people he could be that open with. Not even Vanilla, who he had secretly been dating for months. Not even Espio knew about them yet. He and Vanilla agreed to keep things low-profile until they were sure. With kids in the picture, they had to be careful because their families needed time to adjust if things ever got serious.

And then there was the other problem, the one no one liked to talk about.

A Mobian dating outside their animal group—mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, and invertebrates (such as spiders, butterflies, snails, scorpions, etc.)—was still frowned upon by many. It wasn't quite as bad as it used to be, but it wasn't exactly easy, either. Mammal-reptile pairings like his and Vanilla's? Those raised even more eyebrows. It wasn't lost on him how nervous Espio got the rare times he hinted about his feelings for Silver. Espio had never outright said it, but Vector could tell—part of him was scared of how Silver would react, and part of him worried about how others would see them. Maybe things were different in Silver's future, but here and now? It was still an issue.

Maybe once things settled down at the agency, Vector and Vanilla could stop hiding their relationship from their loved ones. Of course, he'd make sure Espio was the first to know before anyone else.

Good news! This fanfic will be completed soon! Most remaining chapters are already written, including the next one which is nearly ready, and I've finished the ending. At this point, it's mostly down to editing.

I apologize for the long delays between updates. After I'd already published several chapters and written ahead, life threw quite a few challenges my way. The past few years have been hectic with major life changes and health problems that only recently received proper treatment.

There were also some technical setbacks. At one point, I lost two chapters I managed to write during a crazy writing drive I got within a couple of days. My hardware malfunctioned before I could back up my work due to how sudden and soon after I finished it happened. Additionally, once my health improved a few months ago, I realized I wanted to revise portions of the chapters I'd previously drafted.

Thank you for your patience. The next update will be coming soon!