A/N: As much as it gives me satisfaction to be there for KagamiPINKAgreste in her time of need, it's also been emotionally taxing, which is why I wrote this fic.
It was a cold, gray Saturday morning, and once again, Shadow the Hedgehog was paying a visit to Cream the Rabbit and her mom Vanilla. Usually, he visited them because he looked at Cream like his little sister and wanted to hang out with her, but there were times when he was troubled and needed comforting words from Vanilla because he looked up to her like his mother. This was one of those times when he absolutely needed to see Vanilla. He knocked on the front door.
"I'm coming!"
The door opened, and…
"Hello, Shadow!"
"Hi Mom."
Vanilla gave Shadow a big hug, which he gladly returned. While he loved hugging his girlfriend Amy Rose, Vanilla's hugs were special in the way that only a mother's hugs were. It made him feel extra warm and fuzzy. Eventually, she let go.
"Come on in!"
Vanilla led Shadow into the house, and they sat down on the living room couch.
"What's on your mind, Shadow?"
"Well Mom, I…"
"Hello, Mr. Shadow!"
"Chao!"
Cream the Rabbit had exited her room and gave Shadow a hug as well.
"Cream, I'm happy to see you and Cheese, but I'd like to talk to Mom in private, please."
"OK!"
Cream headed back to her room with Cheese, and Shadow sighed.
"Mom, I've been having a rough time lately."
Vanilla frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that. What's troubling you?"
"It's Amy. Ever since her father died, I've been doing my best to comfort her, but it's been hurting me because all I can think about is how Amy must feel the same way I felt when Maria died. Don't get me wrong, I love Amy very much, and I'll never leave her, but my nerves are coming undone because of that and also because of some other stresses I've been facing lately. Also, one of my best friends…well, I thought he was a friend…made an insensitive comment in regards to Amy and I ended up flipping out and pulling a gun on him, and believe me, I've been getting better about my anger issues."
Vanilla put a hand on Shadow's shoulder. "While I can't say I approve of you pulling a gun on your friend, I want to let you know that you're not alone. When I lost my husband, I didn't know what I was going to do with myself, so I poured all my grief into doing my best to raise Cream and put on a happy face in spite of everything. Deep down inside, though, I felt drained and didn't know what to do with myself sometimes. Seeing Vector helped, though, as did meeting your other friends like Sonic and Amy. In any case, I not only want to let you know how proud I am of you for being there for Amy, but I also want to let you know that it's OK to take a break if you need it. I've known Amy for such a long time, and I know she'll understand if you need to take a break. Besides, she'll probably need her own space to grieve, too. Whatever happens, I'll always love you as if you were my own son."
Shadow smiled. "Thanks, Mom."
Shadow broke down crying and gave Vanilla a big hug. Despite being saddened by this, Vanilla smiled and hugged Shadow back.
"There there, everything's going to be OK, Shadow."
Even if talking about her husband – who went MIA in the Great War and was declared dead – opened up old wounds for her, Vanilla was happy to comfort Shadow. Knowing what she knew about his own troubled past as well as his relationship with Amy, she knew he deserved her comfort, and it made her wish that she had her own biological son to serve as Cream's brother. Plus, it made her feel good knowing that she was helping out someone who would otherwise have been cast aside by the world.
While Shadow was happy to have Vanilla accept him as her adopted son regardless, this was one of those times when he felt especially close to her. Even though having to comfort Amy hurt, in a way, it was also very rewarding for him not only to be there for her, but to have this woman be there for him, too. It gave him the hope that not only would Amy be able to heal from her recent loss, but also that their big, happy family would hang tough no matter what. Even after Shadow stopped crying, he continued to hold on to Vanilla.
"Shadow, would you like me to get you a glass of warm milk?"
Shadow nodded weakly. "Y-yes Mom."
Vanilla let go of Shadow. "Please stay right here, sweetie; I'll be back soon."
Vanilla went to the kitchen, poured some milk into a pot and began heating it up. While she was doing so, she felt Shadow hug her from behind.
"Shadow, I thought I told you to stay in the living room."
Shadow smiled. "I'm sorry, Mom; it's just…you feel so good to hug."
Vanilla smiled and chuckled. "Shadow, I thank you for your affection, but please allow me some space."
"Yes, Mom."
Shadow let go of Vanilla, and soon enough, she'd warmed his milk up sufficiently:
"Here you go."
"Thanks, Mom."
"You're welcome!"
Shadow drank his milk, purring as he did so. Vanilla smiled:
"I'm not quite sure why you purr, but I'm glad you're feeling better!"
"Of course."
"Mr. Shadow, is everything OK?" asked Cream.
"Chao?" asked Cheese.
Shadow nodded. "Better now. If you and Mom could just scratch me in front of my ears, that would be even better."
"Of course!"
"I'm glad to do so, Shadow," said Vanilla.
Vanilla and Cream both hugged Shadow and scratched him in front of his ears, causing him to purr. Even if it didn't change the fact that Douglas Rose was gone, it at least made him feel more hopeful.
Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.
