Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sonic was back at home with his family, trying to focus on the movie they were all watching in order to recover back to their normalcy, but for Sonic he just could not stop thinking about the damage that had occurred after the small town of Green Hills was in ruins from Robotnik’s giant robot, fueled by the power of the Master Emerald, had stomped through.

Seeing Tails and Knuckles hurt, not to mention Tom and Maddie.

Tom and Maddie; his parents that loved him so much they sacrificed themselves to protect him when he was at his weakest.

They were willing to die for him; with him.

Sonic had the emerald in his paws. Tom and Maddie holding him tightly.

“How does this work; come on; come on!”

The emerald crumbled in his paws and then it happened: his parents, Tails, and Knuckles, were stomped and shattered into pieces; crumbling exactly like the emerald had in his paws.

He couldn’t save them.

Maddie noticed Sonic gazing off into the distance as his eyes fixed on the TV.

Knuckles was lying on his back with his head rested against Maddie’s lap while Tails sat beside his oldest brother and his Dad, snuggled into Tom’s side while Sonic sat in the corner of the couch next to Tom’s other side.

“Blue, are you okay?” Maddie asked, using one of her pet names for her first adopted son.

Maddie’s question alerted Tom who also gazed down at Sonic.

“Uh…yeah…just tired I guess,” Sonic lied, causing Tom to furrow his brow.

“You sure buddy? You can tell us,” Tom said, in a gentle and concerning tone.

“You have battled a lot, Hedgehog, there is no shame in needing to refuel,” Knuckles added.

“Yeah Sonic, you saved us all from being trampled by Robotnik; you’re a hero,” Tails said as he shifted his tails a little, having always admired Sonic.

Sonic nervously chuckled, it didn’t seem like that, all he did was put his family in danger; he was no hero.

Sonic turned away to hide his tears that were threatening his eyes.

He had to protect them and the only way to do that was to leave.

He didn’t want to, but it was his only choice.

Yes, tonight I must go. Sonic mentally told himself.

Tom placed his hand on Sonic’s shoulder, causing Sonic to flinch slightly as it distracted him from his thoughts.

“Maybe you better get to bed, buddy. You can always finish this movie another time,” Tom suggested.

“Yeah…sure,” Sonic replied nervously, and as he hopped off the couch, he took a glance at his happy family on the couch.

They deserved to be happy and safe and every time they got hurt or put in danger it had been his fault, always his fault.

“Goodnight Blue,” Maddie called.

“Night Sonic. You get that speedy troublesome mind of yours to rest,” Tom added with a warm smile.

Troublesome. That was all Tom thought of him as.

Sonic zipped off to his room and decided to make a quick start on his packing.

“I shall not be too far from eye closure and dream world myself,” Knuckles commented, feeling his body relax.

“I think both of you won’t be far from joining Sonic because you both need a good sleep for your growing child bodies,” Maddie informed.

“I am no child. I am but a warrior!” Knuckles protested.

“We know you are a very fierce warrior Knuckles, but you are still a child,” Tom reminded with a slight chuckle.

“Being a child isn’t a bad thing, Knuckles,” Tails informed, now climbing onto Tom’s lap for a closer cuddle with his Dad.

“Fine, I will admit defeat on this child word,” Knuckles relented.

They finished watching their movie and Maddie and Tom followed Knuckles and Tails up to their room.

They noticed what looked like Sonic fast asleep in his race car bed, but what they didn’t know Sonic was well awake and only pretending; his bag containing his rings and a few mementos from his and Tom’s first road trip, stuffed under his bed.

Maddie tucked Tails in while Tom helped Knuckles with his blankets, each kissing them goodnight before Tom approached Sonic, where he gentled pulled the covers over his son and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek.

Sonic felt the gesture and it just made him want to cry, leap into his Dad’s arms, and feel warm and safe, but that would be wrong.

“No Sonic,” Sonic scolded himself mentally.

Tom and Maddie left the attic and after cleaning up downstairs they headed up to their own room, taking Ozzie up with them, where the dog had his own luxury bed to sleep for the night.

Once Sonic heard Knuckles’ loud snoring and the soft mutterings of Tails who often let out quiet yips and noises as he slept, Sonic quietly crept out of his bed and grabbed his bag from under his bed and being careful not to make any sudden sounds, took one last look at his brothers and zipped out of the skyline window.

Sonic stopped to gaze into the cracks of the blinds in Tom and Maddie’s room, just to see his parents one last time.

All he could see was darkness, but he knew his parents were there.

He was going to miss them terribly, especially his Donut Lord Dad; he had meant so much to him for so many years since he first came to Earth.

Sonic scrubbed away his tears falling down his face.

“I don’t want to go, but I can’t stay,” Sonic mumbled, sadly.

“No Sonic! You have to do this; it’s the right thing to do to protect your family,” Sonic told himself.

Sonic zipped away from the place he had since called home and looked around town one last time, visited his old cave and the special fishing spot that Tom had taken him to.

He walked sullenly back to the forest, away from the fishing spot lake and pulled out one of his rings.

Sonic imagined the place to go and threw his teleportation ring, opening up the portal to his new life.

“Goodbye everyone. Goodbye old life,” Sonic said with such sadness in his tone as he wiped his eyes again.

Sonic stepped into the portal and watched it close around his old hometown.

Sonic glanced around at the new universe filled with mushrooms, dying trees, and loud technological machines surrounding areas of the sky.

“What in the what?” Sonic exclaimed, unbelieving how the mushroom planet was filled with Robots when he’d known it only to have nothing besides breathable air.

Had Robotnik made all these when I’d sent him here after using my electric energy to fight him that night?

Sonic remembered back to his first time he had really interacted with his Dad and Robotnik.

He remembered how his Dad had stuck his neck out to help him stay alive and all the fun they had.

“No Sonic; you can not dwell on the past. You must focus on your new home now,” Sonic mumbled to himself.

He scrunched his nose at the horrible smell and shuffled his way through his drab new home, continuously looking around at the loud machines and feeling a little uneasy.

“First step: find somewhere to sleep,” Sonic mumbled.

Sonic found himself a smelly, squishy and moss-filled mushroom and dropped his bag beside him as he slumped his body down on the ground.

It was not like his safe cozy race car bed he’d had at home, with a warm blanket covering his quilled body.

“Stop it, Sonic. You lived alone in the forest for years; you can do this; it’s no different, just smells bad, has no chilli dogs, no TV, and no family.”

Sonic gazed up at the darkness in the sky.

This new world didn’t have the brightness of sunshine and happiness of the small community that Green Hills had.

Sonic was back to being alone.

“This is your home now Sonic,” Sonic told himself in the quietest whisper as if it would make him more convinced.

Chapter Text

The following morning, Tails and Knuckles woke to the sound of Maddie calling them from downstairs.

Tails gave a little yawn and rubbed his tired eyes, while Knuckles, always bright-eyed no matter how much sleep he got was already out of bed, stretching his muscular arms in the air.

“Good morning, Fox,” Knuckles spoke.

“Morning, Knuckles,” Tails replied.

Knuckles was about to comment about Sonic being his usual lazy self when he noticed Sonic’s bed empty.

“The hedgehog must have gone for an early morning run and to think he did not disturb my slumber; I must not be as super alert as I thought,” Knuckles commented and Tails giggled, hopping out of his own bed and beginning to make it.

Knuckles and Tails made their way downstairs into the kitchen to see the smiling happy faces of their parents.

“Morning boys,” Tom greeted as he sipped his coffee.

“Morning Mum, Morning Dad,” Tails said in his usual cheerful manner.

“Morning sweetie, Big Red,” Maddie replied, using her nicknames for her boys.

“Good morning, Pretzel mother and Lord of the Donuts, Dad,” Knuckles stated, in which Tom and Maddie couldn’t help but smile.

“Where is Sonic? I swear if that boy is still in bed again…” Maddie threatened.

“Sonic wasn’t in bed Mum, Knuckles thinks he might have gone out for a run,” Tails informed as he sat down in his chair at the table that had a built-in booster due to his small height.

Knuckles being bigger did not need the booster on his chair, like his two brothers, which often caused protests between him and Sonic, as Sonic believed he didn’t need the booster chair, but no matter how much he complained, Maddie and Tom did not relent on letting Sonic go without one.

“I wish he would tell Tom or myself when he is going out like that. I guess it’s going to be another cold plate of pancakes for him when he gets home,” Maddie said with a frown as she placed the plate of hot pancakes down in front of Tails and Knuckles.

“It’s hard to keep that boy down,” Tom chuckled.

“Thanks Mum,” Tails said and picked up his cutlery to get started on his pancakes.

“Yes, thank you for the cakes from the pan, they are always very tasteful,” Knuckles added.

Tom finished his cup of coffee and after kissing Maddie and farewelling his two sons, Tom grabbed his keys and made his way to work.

As the day passed, Tails kept himself busy with his gadgets while Knuckles focused on his training routine out in the back garden, with Ozzie making his presence known by constantly trying to lick the echidna’s face while he was doing his push ups.

“Enough of this wetness, hairy Ozzie!” Knuckles said in protest, but the dog just ignored Knuckles until he got bored and moved on to play with a toy in the yard.

Knuckles wiped the saliva off his face and groaned as he stood back up.

Later that evening, while Tails and Knuckles were sitting on the couch watching a movie while waiting for Maddie and Tom to come home, Tails couldn’t help but wonder why Sonic had not returned yet if he’d left so early in the morning before they woke up.

“Knuckles?”

“Yes Fox?”

“Do you think Sonic might be in trouble? I mean he’s never gone out running for this long before,” Tails commented, his anxieties now showing as he swung his legs and flicked his tails.

“The hedgehog is always in trouble, Fox, and you know how he is he gets distracted so easily he does not know about time. Remember the time he did not come back until after dinner because he was trying to be some kind of hero in another country?”

“Yeah, Mum and Dad were so mad with him that night. You are properly right Knuckles, and I shouldn’t worry so much,” Tails replied and hung his head, feeling ashamed.

“It is in your nature to worry, Fox, and it is nothing that needs thinking about,” Knuckles replied, patting Tails on the shoulder in a comforting manner.

Their little brother bonding moment was interrupted when Tom and Maddie arrived back home at the same time.

After greeting their boys, they noticed Sonic wasn’t sitting with them watching a movie like normal.

“Where is Sonic? How come he’s not watching a movie with you boys?” Tom asked.

“The hedgehog still has not returned home,” Knuckled informed.

“What?” Maddie exclaimed.

“He better not have gone out being hero again,” Tom commented in a stern tone, as he placed his jacket down on a nearby chair.

“Maybe we should see if he left a note? Maybe he was contacted by the government?” Maddie said, her voice filled with worry.

Maddie and Tom make their way up to the attic with Knuckles and Tails following.

Upon close inspection Tom found no note, but a few of Sonic’s valuable items missing, including his important ring sachet.

“Tom, what’s wrong?” Maddie asked, noticing Tom blanch and hesitate to move as the man processed his findings.

“His rings and a few items are gone. Sonic’s disappearance was no coincidence; he’s run away,” Tom announced with fear already creeping into his thoughts, wondering why his son would want to run away from home.

“What is this runaway?” Knuckles asked.

“It means Sonic has left home with the intention of not coming back,” Tom replied in a hesitate voice as he was still in shock.

“I’m sorry we didn’t say anything sooner about Sonic missing, maybe we could have stopped him or at least found him before he ran away,” Tails said softly.

Maddie knelt down.

“Tails, sweetie, this isn’t anyone’s fault. We don’t know where Sonic has gone but I promise we are going to find him and bring him back home,” Maddie comforted.

“I will be honoured to help look for the hedgehog and then carry him home using my one million percent muscle,” Knuckles declared, flexing his strong muscles in the air.

Maddie glanced over at Tom who was now on the phone to Wade.

“Thanks Wade. I appreciate you keeping an eye out and covering for me at work. Sonic is my priority right now, and I just have to find where he’s gone,” Tom explained.

Tom hung up his phone and looked back over to his family.

“I could use my gadgets to locate him,” Tails suggested cheerfully.

“That’s a wonderful idea Tails,” Maddie praised and stood back up, approaching Tom as Tails ran off to the garage with Knuckles following behind, ready to bring his brother back home, once Tails had found Sonic on his gadget.

“Why would he just take off like this Maddie? I don’t understand it; he was happy here and I didn’t think that he was having any problems as he usually talks to us,” Tom mused.

Maddie hugged Tom around the waist.

“I’m not sure love, but when we get him back home, we’ll sit him down and have a good long talk and find out.”

Back in the garage, Tails is fiddling with his tracker, while Knuckles looked around at all of Tails’ experiments.

“You have a lot of gadgets here, Fox, far more than I could ever understand,” Knuckles commented.

Tails was concentrating hard, his little tongue hanging out the side of his mouth.

Knuckles observed his smart brother and frowned when he realised something was bothering him.

“What is the problem Fox?” Knuckles asked.

“It doesn’t seem to be picking up any of Sonic’s energy. I don’t understand,” Tails mumbled.

“The only time my gadget doesn’t work is when…”

“What Fox? I cannot fully understand your mind, but I can try,” Knuckles supported.

Tails looked to Knuckles with damp eyes.

“It won’t pick up on energy waves if someone is…is dead or in a completely different universe,” Tails mumbled and flung himself into Knuckles’ embrace sobbing.

“There, there, Fox. How did you manage to locate the hedgehog before you landed on Earth?”

“That…that was different…I…I had been following Sonic for so long and could find a signal in Earth, but if…”

“Boys, how is it coming along?” Tom asked, as he and Maddie entered the garage.

They noticed Tails hugging Knuckles and crying.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong? I told you we will find Sonic,” Maddie soothed.

“The Fox is upset as his gadget is not working to locate the hedgehog and thinking he may be dead,” Knuckles stated, completely unempathetically and causing Tails to sob further.

Tom’s heart skipped a beat when they said Sonic could be dead.

“Let’s try not think like that okay,” Maddie soothed, glancing at Tom with a worried expression as she opened her arms for the youngest.

“Okay, Mum. I’m sorry. I just panicked as my gadgets always work and it’s not picking up Sonic’s where-abouts,” Tails sobbed.

“I’m going to go and drive to his cave to see if I can find out anything,” Tom mentioned and abruptly left.

When Tom arrived back home his face said it all.

“There was no sign of him at his old cave. I even looked around at our usual hang out spots but nothing,” Tom commented.

That night all the Wachowski family went to bed with heavy hearts; there was no sign of Sonic, and Tails continued to tirelessly work on his gadgets trying to locate Sonic’s signal until Maddie had told him it was time for bed.

That night Tails couldn’t sleep, all that ran through his mind was that Sonic was dead, that his gadgets were useless; he was useless, and he felt scared because Sonic had abandoned his family, had abandoned him and that reminded him of his old life.

Tails tossed and turned in his little bed, whimpering loudly until he startled awake, letting out a little gasp, looking into the darkness of the attic, only brightened by his little nightlight by his bed and the stars through the window.

Tails thought about his nightmare and the burden he was carrying over Sonic’s disappearance and he started to cry and cry heavily.

Tails’ sobbing alerted Knuckles and the echidna awoke, letting out a groan as he climbed out of his bed.

“Fox?” he called, rubbing his eyes as he flicked on the light.

“Fox what is wrong?” Knuckles asked, resting his fist on Tail’s shaking shoulder.

“It’s Sonic; I had a nightmare. I know it’s my fault that we can’t find Sonic. I can’t make my gadgets work; I can’t do it. What good am I when I’m the tech guy that can’t even get his stupid tracker working to find Sonic. I’m useless,” Tails sobbed.

“Fox, I do not understand your gadgets, but you are not useless as you say. You are the smartest warrior that I know,” Knuckles comforted.

“You mean that?” Tails asked, glancing over at Knuckles with wet eyes.

“I mean everything I say, Fox. Would it help if you went to see Mum and Dad?” Knuckles said.

Tails nodded sadly. As much as he liked Knuckle’s comfort it was not the same as the warm hugs and comfort from his parents.

“Come, Fox,” Knuckles said and grabbed Tails’ paw.

As the brothers made their way down the attic stairs and towards Tom and Maddie’s room, Tails continued to sob and wrapped his spare arm around Knuckles’ arm tightly.

They creaked the bedroom door open, and Maddie blinked at the light that entered the room and could hear sobbing and immediately opened her eyes and switched on her bedside lamp.

“Knuckles, Tails; what’s going on?” she asked.

Tom alerted awake, having already having his own restless sleep, worrying about his son and if he’d been captured, gone forever, or as Tails had said earlier: dead.

“Boys?” Tom called out, somewhat tiredly.

“The Fox was having thought demons,” Knuckles explained, causing Tom to frown and Maddie to blink.

“Did you mean nightmare?” she asked, and Tails nodded and burst into tears again.

“Come here, sweetie,” Maddie encouraged with open arms.

Tails let go of Knuckles and ran towards his Mum.

“Mummy,” Tails sobbed.

Maddie lifted Tails up and into the bed in between Tom and herself.

“How about you tell us what your nightmare was about sweetie,” Maddie said gently, rubbing Tails’ back.

Tails looked up at Tom and Maddie in turn.

“It was about Sonic and how I couldn’t save him. I was trying over and over with my trackers, but nothing worked, exactly like today and then he was dead, and it was all my fault. I’m useless,” Tails sobbed, repeating what he had told Knuckles.

“Hey, my little fluffball, you are the smartest kid I know, so I don’t want you saying you are useless ever again; is that understood,” Tom scolded lightly.

“Sorry Daddy,” Tails sobbed.

“Was there more to your nightmare, sweetie?” Maddie continued.

Tails nodded.

“I found myself all alone because when you all thought I couldn’t use my gadgets to find Sonic, not only did I feel like Sonic abandoned me, but you all did too and it felt just like my old home where no-one wanted me because there’s something wrong with me,” Tails sniffed as his little body shook.

Maddie and Tom shared a glance, both knowing how hard Tails dealt in his old home with abandonment and being ostracised.

“You are never alone and will never be alone, again, sweetie; we promise you,” Maddie soothed, rubbing Tails gently on the back.

“You are safe here forever, Tails, and no matter what happens or what you could or couldn’t do, you are part of this family, and we all love you,” Tom added, placing his hand gently on Tails’ cheek.

Tails sobbed but felt warm and safe in his parent’s embrace.

“But why did Sonic abandon us if we are a family? What did we do? What did I do?” Tails asked, his little paws twitching in his lap as some tears fell again.

“Sonic’s reason for running off is his; we didn’t, and most importantly you didn’t, do anything; you understand me, Tails?” Maddie comforted.

“Okay,” Tails sniffed.

“The hedgehog did not abandon us, Fox, and if he did, I will personally make it my mission, to teach him the importance of remaining true to the tribe,” Knuckles said determinedly, making the family remember that he was still standing in the room.

“Will we ever find him?” Tails asked.

“We won’t give up until we do and first thing tomorrow, we will start a new tactic in looking for Sonic, but right now you need to get some rest,” Tom informed.

Tails curled his tails around his body.

“I see the Fox is now comforted, I shall head back to slumber,” Knuckles said.

“Knuckles, please stay,” Tails requested.

“Come on big guy, there is plenty of room for you too, to share a bit of comfort,” Tom encouraged.

“I am fine. I do not need comfort, like the Fox. A warrior is tough,” Knuckles stated.

“Please sleep here too, Knuckles,” Tails begged.

Knuckles sighed as he looked at Tails’ sad eyes.

“Very well, just for you, Fox, I will stay here.”

Tom smiled and moved the blanket back so Knuckles could jump in, leading the bed to wobbly as he done so.

Tails feeling content now, snuggled into Tom, while Maddie gently petted Knuckles, which was a gesture that the echidna did not wish to admit he enjoyed from the mother of the family.

Not long into sleep, Maddie heard Knuckles murmur.

“Just you wait until I find you hedgehog…Don’t…Leave…Family.”

Maddie peered over at Tom still struggling to sleep.

“Looks like Tails and us aren’t the only ones worried,” she whispered, stroking Knuckles’ fur.

“Shh, big red,” Maddie cooed.

Knuckles stirred.

“Mummy,” he murmured, causing Maddie to smile; it was not often that Knuckles let his guard down and called Tom and Maddie anything other than Mum or Dad or mother and father, but his closeness towards Maddie was always apparent.

Meanwhile, Sonic tossed and turned; he couldn’t sleep.

The ground was uncomfortable, and the noise of the robotic drones did not help in the least.

Attempting to get comfortable again as he rolled into his tight ball, Sonic gave up only after a few minutes and rolled back out flat on his back.

“Why didn’t I even bring blankets!” Sonic scolded himself.

Sonic sat with his knees to his chest, listening to the noises around him and flinching at the sudden loud bangs in between.

A vision of home popped into his head.

Tom cooking waffles, while joking around with his corny Dad jokes.

The way he always ate his favourite donut with cream, chocolate icing, and sprinkles, after a hard day of work and how…how he held Sonic tightly in his warm embrace whenever he was scared, lonely or just wanted some love.

Pretzel lady, his Mum; kind, caring, always having time for Sonic when he needed and the way she tried to teach him Yoga, but it ended up in disaster when Sonic couldn’t hold the twists and fell over in a heap, knocking his head on the floor.

Afterwards, his Mum had kissed his head softly to make things better.

Sonic sniffled and hugged his knees tighter as his thoughts flashed to the last time they were all having a family day out at the baseball field and Knuckles had smashed their baseball into the next suburb, thus ending the game.

Then they enjoyed an afternoon eating ice-cream from the best ice-cream parlour in town.

Sonic licked his lips; he was never going to taste the sweetness of ice-cream again.

Tails…innocent sweet, little, Tails, who was so loving and who loved to hug, always coming in fast.

Sonic sniffled again and reached up to wipe his eyes that were suddenly making his muzzle very wet, and he realised he was heavily crying with all his heart.

Sonic was hungry, lonely, and scared.

He patted his bag of rings and contemplated going back home, but then he stopped his thoughts.

“Remember why you’re doing this; you only bring them danger. Be strong Sonic; be strong,” Sonic whimpered as he rocked himself back and forth.

Chapter Text

The following morning, Tom and Maddie woke up, feeling exhausted from a lack of sleep and leaving their two sons sleeping peacefully in their bed, they made their way downstairs to the kitchen where they made themselves an extra strong cup of coffee and some breakfast.

“Are we ready for today?” Tom asked, as he scratched Ozzie behind the ears.

“Where do you plan to go first?” Maddie asked.

“Well, I only have a few rings that Sonic gave me in case of emergency, but I was thinking maybe checking around San Franciso at some of the places he and I went to on our road trip,” Tom explained.

Maddie squeezed her husband’s shoulder.

“I better go and wake Tails and Knuckles.”

“And I’ll take Ozzie over to Wade’s,” Tom added.

The two adults went their separate ways and when Tom returned, Tails and Knuckles were standing next to Maddie, at the ready for their search.

The first place they headed was the largest rubber ball factory.

Tails and Knuckles looked around at all the displays.

“Wow, people actually make things like this?” Tails muttered.

“These so-called rubber balls do not make sense. Why would anyone need such a meaningless item; it would be no good in battle,” Knuckles said.

“Did you and Sonic actually waste time in this place?” Maddie asked.

“I didn’t, but Sonic did. I remember he zipped out of the car before I even knew it and had returned seconds later, with a pile of souvenirs,” Tom replied, “One of them was that paddle with a small rubber ball attached – the one he has in his room.”

Tom thought back to the time he and Sonic were in the car before Robotnik attached them.

Sonic had looked at him with big, excited eyes, nagging him when they would get there to San Francisco, while repeatedly flicking his paddle and ball.

“That really got on my nerves that day. All he kept doing was continuously playing with the paddle and ball,” Tom commented, sadly; thinking how Sonic’s annoyances seemed trivial now.

Upon not finding Sonic in the factory, the family left and made their next stop the Piston Pit Bar.

Sonic had a lot of fun there that night, despite Tom’s warning not to leave the car, but in typical fashion the kid had not listened, and despite things ending up in a massive brawl, the night had strengthened Tom and Sonic’s relationship, with Tom not only joking with the little hedgehog, but teaching him about bucket lists and teaching him he could feel safe around Tom, especially when the man had tucked Sonic in at the hotel.

Maddie frowned as she looked towards the rowdy pub.

“I don’t like the look of this place; it looks scary,” Tails stuttered, swishing his tails nervously.

Knuckles patted Tails’ shoulder.

“I will protect you Fox. This noise making place does not stand a chance with my one million percent muscle!” Knuckles said proudly.

Tom glanced at his wife and kids.

“You boys are to stay with Maddie and are not to follow me in,” Tom warned, in a parental tone.

“Take my alarm gadget, Daddy. It’s designed to protect you in case anyone comes after you,” Tails said, offering up his little gadget.

“Thank you, Tails,” Tom replied and placed the gadget in his pocket.

Tom cautiously entered the Pub and was met with familiar stares.

“You again?” the barmaid questioned in a rough voice, “You and that weird kid destroyed my Pub last time!”

“I know; I’m sorry. I don’t want any trouble…”

“Then leave!” yelled one of the regular residents in the Pub.

“I’m just here looking for my son; the weird kid,” Tom muttered.

“He ain’t here, so get out before we throw you out!”

Tom raised his hands in surrender.

“Okay, sorry; thanks anyway.”

Tom left the Pub and walked back to his awaiting family.

Maddie saw the look on Tom’s face and new her husband had not been successful.

“Was the hedgehog not in the noise making, light up place?” Knuckles asked.

“No,” Tom simply replied.

They searched a few more places before making their way back home before it became too dark.

They continued the ‘Sonic search party’ for several days, and it had now reached day four with Sonic missing and Tom had started to lose hope as he and Maddie sat up in their bed.

Maddie watched her husband flicking around the last ring that they had and staring at it intensely as if it would magically tell him where Sonic was.

She knew how much Tom was hurting, the worry on his face told everything.

He and Sonic had a special bond that even she failed to understand, and Sonic’s disappearance was breaking her husband’s heart.

“I didn’t want to say anything in front of the boys, but I can’t stop thinking, what if we can’t find him. What if we never see him again?”

Tom’s voice was full of distress as he glanced away from his spot towards the ring to look at his wife.

Maddie squeezed Tom’s hand.

“What kind of a father am I if I can’t even take care of my own son! I failed him, Maddie; I failed our special little boy! He’s out there somewhere all alone again, if he is still out there and not…He’s just a kid! I’m meant to protect him!” Tom exclaimed; pain clear in his eyes as he blinked away his tears.

Maddie heard the desperate crack in her husband’s voice and cuddled into her husband as her own tears fell, she had never seen her husband so distraught.

She hated that Tom was blaming himself and wearing a heavy heart.

“I know it’s hard, love; I’m scared for Sonic too and just want him back home, but we can’t give up and you are a great father. The love you have for our boys is immense and Sonic’s disappearing is nothing on how you raise them; if anything, if you are to blame, then so am I. I should have seen if Sonic wasn’t right; it’s my job,” Maddie said through her tears.

Tom placed the ring down on the bedside cupboard and wrapped both his arms around Maddie.

“Maybe had I been firmer with him, none of this would have happened. Instead, I’ve been letting him get away with too many things just because he always gave me those pleading eyes and begged me not confiscate his comic books or ground him when he misbehaved. Maybe had I given him more rules, he would have felt safer, and he wouldn’t think to lie, or to run away. Maybe, had I acted more of a Dad than a buddy…” Tom mused.

“Don’t beat yourself up, you are a great Dad, Tom; never doubt that and we can only learn from our mistakes. When we do find Sonic and bring him home, we can have a serious conversation with him about having made such a terrifying and wrongful choice,” Maddie assured, allowing her tears to still slip from her eyes as her and Tom held each other.

That night, Tom continued to think back on things that Sonic had once told him, and a place came to mind that Sonic had mentioned briefly once: a planet full of mushrooms and just breathable air.

“Why hadn’t I thought of this before?” Tom muttered as he sat up abruptly in bed as the sun shone through the blinds of the bedroom.

“Tom? What’s wrong?” Maddie asked.

“I may have one more place that Sonic may be,” Tom informed.

Maddie by now also sat up in bed.

“Where?”

“It’s a place surrounded by mushrooms and if it’s a different universe, maybe that’s why Tail’s tracker didn’t pick anything up,” Tom informed with a glimmer of hope.

The Wachowski’s stood in the living room, Tom with the last ring of Sonic’s in his hand, hesitating.

“Tom?” Maddie called.

Tom had been so sure that morning that this would be the right move, but suddenly he had a fear wash over him.

This was the last ring and if he wasted it investigating a hunch then the hope for finding Sonic would be over.

“I realised this is my last chance. What if I make a mistake? Every place I thought Sonic could be he hasn’t been there,” Tom stated.

“Trust your heart, Tom. You know Sonic better than any of us,” Maddie comforted.

“We are behind any decision you make,” Knuckles added.

“We know we’ve done our best,” Tails whispered.

Tom sighed and tossed the final ring away from him and into the air, picturing the place Sonic had once told him about.

The portal opened into a new universe, it was filled with rubble, drab-looking mushrooms and robotic drones and machines; it was a very dark, gloomy world and if Sonic was here, it was a very, very dangerous looking place for a kid to be, even a super-powered kid.

Tom glanced back at his wife and kids.

“I’m going in alone. If I don’t make it back, I want you all to know how much I love you and want you to always look out for each other,” Tom informed, his voice shaking with every word at the prospect of having to say goodbye to more people he loved.

“What are you saying, you won’t make it back, Daddy?” Tails said in panic as he gazed up at his Dad, feeling scared, while thoughts of abandonment crept into his mind.

“This world looks far too dangerous, and I won’t risk endangering any of you,” Tom said firmly.

“Father of our tribe, you cannot fight this alone and especially not without my warrior skill and muscle!” Knuckles protested.

“No way, big guy,” Tom answered, as he shook his head, feeling a sense of pride having Knuckles referring to him as father of the tribe.

“I can try and help with my gadgets,” Tails added.

“No Tails.”

“Tom, you are not going in alone. I won’t let you,” Maddie said with determination; her arms crossed firmly over her chest in a stance that often meant that the woman was not going to back down.

“We are a family aren’t we, and we stick together no matter what?” Tails whispered.

“Tribe Team Wachowski!” Knuckles announced.

“Okay, okay; well, we better go before we lose our chance,” Tom relented, though thankful that he did have his family by his side.

Sonic, if he was here, was all alone and the thought terrified Tom.

The four entered the portal which closed soon behind them; there was no turning back.

Chapter Text

They remained close together, all biting back their own fear as they wandered through the drab mushrooms of various sizes and moss along the ground.

Finally, Tails felt a little continual beep on his tracker and immediately pulled it out of his backpack.

“He’s here; Sonic’s here!” he exclaimed, feeling proud his tracker invention was still working.

“Then we must not stop until we find him! Where does it say he is on your little gadget, Fox?” Knuckles stated.

“Yes, is he close by?” Maddie asked, her heart feeling desperate to get her son back.

“I can’t tell entirely but it looks like the signal is coming from that direction,” Tails said, pointing in the distance.

Tom felt the warmness in his heart. He had trusted his gut, and now Sonic was nearby somewhere; he just had to find him.

“Good job, Tails,” Tom praised, and started venturing towards where Tails pointed, eager to find his son, calling out his name at the same time, while Maddie, Knuckles and Tails joined in.

Sonic was huddled against his mushroom stump, having now regretted ever leaving his home, he was now starving, having barely eaten in four days as the planet had barely any edible food, and he was more scared than ever.

“I hate mushrooms,” Sonic grumbled, and gave a slight sniffle, as the horrid smell of his new home consumed him.

Sonic’s little body shivered with the coolness in the air.

He then heard faint voices.

“That sounds like Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady, but it can’t be. You’re imagining things Sonic. It’s just your imagination,” he tried to convince himself.

Then there were voices of Tails and Knuckles and Tom and Maddie again and they sounded closer.

Feeling threatened, Sonic tensed up and began to glow.

In the distance, Tom noticed a familiar blue light and his heart skipped.

“Sonic!” he shouted, with all the determination and strength he could muster, and started running towards the blue light, with Maddie, Knuckles, and Tails following close behind.

They stopped when they came face to face with their little blue devil, crouched tightly with his knees to his chest.

The first thing Maddie noticed was Sonic’s matted dark fur, evident of a hedgehog that had not had a bath in several days.

“Sonic!” Tom called, but Sonic was too scared to listen but peeked up and saw the image of his Dad and Mum; they were real.

“Hey buddy, calm down; you are safe,” Tom comforted, to which Sonic eased his electric glow.

“Sonic!”

“Hedgehog!”

“Sonic!”

Came the calls from Maddie, Knuckles, and Tails.

Sonic didn’t hesitate and rushed towards his family, stumbling a little on his shaky legs.

Maddie was at the ready to hug Sonic first, kneeling to embrace him, while Tom was now in a state of overwhelm and shock at finally finding his son, his fear and anger intensifying that he couldn’t even speak.

“Sonic, thank goodness we found you; are you alright?” Maddie questioned, letting her veterinary side take over as she took a quick glance over her son after showering him with kisses.

“Yes. Just really hungry and tired. I missed you guys so much!” Sonic beamed, staring over at his Dad.

“Sonic, why did you run away?” Maddie asked in her stern maternal voice as she held his arms tight.

“I couldn’t bear to keep putting you all in danger,” Sonic explained sadly, with his head hung.

“Baby, you never put us in danger; if anything, you running away from home has put us in more danger trying to find you,” Maddie lightly scolded, causing Sonic to withdraw with feelings of regret.

“How…how did you find me?” Sonic asked.

“After looking high and low for you in every place imaginable, it was your Dad’s heart that told us to look in this place,” Maddie explained.

Sonic glanced up at Tom, who still had not said a word but the expression on the man’s face was one of exhaustion, relief, and anger.

Maddie released Sonic from the hold and Tails was quick to hug his brother tight.

“I thought you abandoned us or were dead,” Tails whimpered, with tears in his eyes.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel like that. You are my best friend, Tails, as well as my little brother,” Sonic confessed.

“Make room for me to greet the hedgehog,” Knuckles announced, despite his initial annoyance over Sonic abandoning the tribe, he decided it was better to be bigger minded and forgive his alien brother.

Tails let go and before Sonic had a chance, Knuckles punched him firmly in the arm, causing the blue hedgehog to stumble.

“OW! Knuckles!” Sonic complained in a high-pitched screech, as his gloved paw went immediately to rub his punched arm.

“Don’t you ever give an echidna warrior a scare like that and dishonour our family tribe again!” Knuckles scolded, “A member who leaves his tribe to fight alone is cowardly and you running away from family is cowardly, hedgehog!”

“Okay, Knuckles; I get it, but you didn’t have to punch me,” Sonic complained, still rubbing his arm; his brother could certainly land a punch, and he didn’t even use his full strength.

“That was merely love of a brother,” Knuckles stated and pulled Sonic into a muscular hug.

Pulling away, there was still one person that Sonic craved to see the most: his Donut Lord, Dad.

Sonic glanced up at Tom.

Maddie gave Tom’s chest a back hand to startle the man out of his shock and he glanced down at Sonic.

Sonic didn’t hesitate further and ran towards Tom, leaping into his arms, where he clung on for dear life, breathing in the familiar scent of his Dad’s deodorant and body odour.

Sonic felt content, finally being in the arms of his favourite person in the world.

“Daddy,” Sonic whispered, as his tears began to fall from his eyes.

He didn’t care if anyone else heard him in that moment or thought he was a baby for being childish, he just wanted his Daddy.

After a few moments, Tom pulled Sonic away from him and gave him a hard frown.

“You are in so much trouble, little boy!” Tom warned in a stern, no nonsense tone.

Sonic looked at Tom’s hard eyes and his ears and quills flattened against his body, and he gulped nervously, as he withdrew, having never seen Tom this angry and firm before.

Tails shuffled nervously, also never having seen their Dad like this.

“Yes, but we’ll discuss and deal with everything once we get home. Right now, we need to get out of this place,” Maddie said, remaining calm, in a means to calm her distressed husband.

Tom put Sonic down.

“Grab your things, Sonic,” Tom ordered.

Suddenly a loud noise from the robotic machines startled the family and it was then that Sonic realised the reason he had run away and that he couldn’t put his family in danger, and now everything was so much worse because they had come for him, and he’d led them straight into more danger.

He was so stupid.

Stupid Sonic, Sonic mentally scolded himself.

“Sonic, what’s wrong,” Maddie asked.

“You shouldn’t have come. I can’t go home. All I do is put everyone in danger,” Sonic muttered, repeating his previous statement as he turned away from his family.

“Are you kidding me?” Tom’s demanding yell, cut through Sonic’s irrational thoughts.

“You are coming home with us, Sonic, and there is no buts about it!” Tom ordered sternly.

Maddie put up her hand to calm her husband again and knelt back down to Sonic’s level.

“Baby, why do you keep saying you are putting us in danger?” she questioned firmly.

“Every time I’m around, Robotnik would come after you all just to get to me and when …when he took the Master Emerald and you all almost…” Sonic explained but stopped.

“Hedgehog, the Master Emerald is safe and will never be wielded by that robot monster again,” Knuckles informed.

“I know, but I can’t stop thinking about it and I don’t want you all to get hurt because of me. I even led you here to danger just to find me,” Sonic explained, letting some tears fall again.

“What happened with Robotnik wasn’t your fault,” Tails added, trying to comfort his brother.

“How can you say that?” Sonic accused and rubbed his paw over his eyes.

“Sonic Wachowski, you listen to me: what happened that day with Robotnik was not your fault. All of us decided to stand behind you and fight; that was our choice and your father and I sacrificing ourselves to protect you, it’s what parents do, and we would do it again in a heartbeat. We love you Sonic and it’s not your job to protect us. As for leading us here, it is no more dangerous than you risking your life by running away to a place like this!” Maddie lectured, while remaining in her stern motherly tone.

“And we’re a team!” Tails added.

“A family tribe sticks together!” Knuckles added, raising his fist in the air for emphasis.

“Please come back, Sonic; I missed you,” Tails said sadly.

Sonic looked at his family and felt a warmth inside him before he felt Maddie grab both his paws and jerk him slightly to make him look at her.

“As your Dad said, you are coming home with us, young man, and I don’t want any fuss from you; is that clear?” Maddie scolded, her eyes fixed firmly on Sonic’s.

Sonic gulped; now his Mum was super angry.

“I said is that clear?” Maddie repeated, raising her voice slightly.

“Yes,” Sonic whimpered in the quietest voice, feeling ever so small right about now.

“Now you grab your things like your Dad told you!” Maddie ordered, and released Sonic’s paws.

Sonic didn’t hesitate to grab his items before standing back besides his family.

Tom immediately grabbed hold of Sonic’s paw, holding tight for he was worried if he let go, he would lose his son again and he wasn’t willing to let that happen.

“Give me one of your rings,” Tom ordered.

Sonic reached into his satchel and handed his father one of his rings as he remained with his head hung and ears flattened.

Tom visioned the Wachowski home and tossed the ring.

The parents and three boys walked through the portal back to the safe haven of their home.

Sonic glanced around his home, he had missed this place so much: the comfy couch, the yummy aroma of past cooked food from the kitchen, Ozzie’s kisses, and even the uncarpeted attic stairs.

Sonic’s thoughts were interrupted by the voice of his father.

“Sonic, I want you to go up to your room while your Mum and I have a talk and decide how we are going to punish you,” Tom ordered.

Sonic knew he wouldn’t have avoided a punishment from his parents, but he didn’t have to like it.

He hanged his head and shuffled his way up to the attic, passing Tails and Knuckles who watched him attentively.

“Tails, Knuckles, why don’t you two go and watch some TV,” Maddie suggested, wanting her other boys out of ear shot so she and Tom could talk privately about Sonic.

Sonic looked around his room and zipped over to his race car bed and flopped down on it, instantly feeling the softness.

It didn’t take his mind long to wonder what Tom and Maddie would be thinking, regarding his punishment.

Last time he had misbehaved, Maddie had grounded him for a week, with no comics, TV or running, and that was agony for the little blue hedgehog.

“I’m probably going to be grounded until next century; Mum and Dad were so mad,” Sonic mused, letting his usual exaggerative thoughts win.

Meanwhile, Tom and Maddie were talking in the kitchen.

“What Sonic did was really serious and I don’t want to ever feel like that again, let alone have him think running away is acceptable,” Tom said.

“I totally agree, love; Sonic needs to learn that doing what he did is not on. So, are you thinking a longer grounding than usual, with more loss of privileges?” Maddie suggested.

“Definitely a long grounding, but I feel he needs something more. I mean he really scared us, left us heartbroken, even traumatised Tails into thinking he was useless and abandoned, and most importantly put himself in grave danger,” Tom replied in a serious tone.

“Tom, what are you suggesting?” Maddie questioned.

“I’m talking about that he needs to be given a firm spanking. He needs to understand that his serious actions have very serious consequences,” Tom explained and shook his head.

“It’s not something that I’m pleased to have to even suggest, but he’s given us no other option. I mean, I know, had I ever run away from home like Sonic did, my parents would have spanked me, and you have to agree so would yours,” Tom explained.

Maddie sighed.

“I guess you’re right. Sonic does need a serious consequence, and I support your decision,” Maddie replied, wrapping her arms around Tom’s waist.

“I feel that had we maybe instilled a firmer discipline earlier, Sonic would never have even considered running away and putting himself in so much danger,” Tom commented.

“What’s important now is how we deal with things moving forward and if you think that using a firmer discipline method for more serious behaviour, or repeated misbehaviour, I’m behind you one hundred percent, love.”

Maddie hugged Tom comfortingly before continuing.

“Now in regard to punishing Sonic, do you want me to be the bad guy? I mean you don’t want to break your bond with him, especially seeing as this is probably the first time he’s ever been spanked,” Maddie said, making an offer to her husband.

Tom shook his head.

“I appreciate the offer, Maddie, but I think that’s why I have to be the one to do it. He needs to understand that although he means the world to me, he can’t go treating me and his entire family like he did because of his reckless behaviour,” Tom informed.

“You’re doing the right thing and remember you’re doing it because you love him,” Maddie comforted, seeing that this was a hard task for Tom to bare.

Maddie kissed Tom and they pulled away from their hug as Tom stepped away and made his way up to the attic to deal with his irresponsible, naughty son.

Chapter Text

When Tom reached the attic, Sonic was sitting on his bed, swinging his legs super-fast, concentrating on seeing how quickly he could kick them, without moving his whole body, and having increased his speed at every minute that had gone by as he waited.

“Sonic,” Tom called, distracting the hedgehog from his task.

“We need to talk,” Tom said, and approached Sonic, where he sat down on the bed, next to his son.

Sonic hung his head and slowed down his swinging legs to a minimum and focused on his gloved paws in his lap.

“I want you to understand what you did was very, very serious. You put yourself in so much danger with running away and not just that, running away to another universe. You scared us something awful and you lied to us by telling us you were fine when you clearly were not and you know that lying is never tolerated in this family,” Tom scolded firmly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was scared of hurting you all, so I thought it would be best if I wasn’t here,” Sonic apologised in a low mumble.

“Sonic, running away is never the answer…”

“I just wanted to protect everyone,” Sonic interrupted again in a low mumble; almost as if he were trying to justify his actions, as he briefly glanced up at his Dad.

“Sonic, do not, interrupt me, when I am talking to you,” Tom scolded with an eyebrow raise, while still remaining calm.

Sonic flattened his ears and fidgeted his paws in his lap, always hating when he was scolded.

“It is not your job to protect us, just like your mother told you moments ago. You are just a kid, Sonic, and I know you don’t always like being told that, but it’s true; you’re a kid who needs a lot of guidance, protection, love, and care, and that’s up to me and Maddie to provide that for you; all three of you,” Tom informed.

Tom looked at his son beside him and although knew Sonic had a short attention span, knew his son was listening.

“Sonic, you are not just my friend anymore, you are my son, and you scare me when you go putting yourself in danger, even the times when you’ve fought Robotnik, I worry for your safety,” Tom said gently, causing Sonic to glance up again and Tom could see Sonic’s green eyes beginning to crystallise with tears.

“I’m really sorry Dad, I never meant to make you all scared and worried,” Sonic whispered.

“I know you are sorry, Sonic, but sorry is just not going to cut it this time. I know you never intentionally mean to hurt anyone with your actions, for you are a kind-hearted and fun little boy, but that doesn’t stop the worry, fear, and hurt, that happens when you do risky choices. I want you to make me a promise right now, that if you ever feel like you are a burden, or if you feel scared, or even if you think you have ideas that would in some way impact yourself or this family, you are to come and talk to your Mum or me; is that understood?” Tom stated.

Sonic glanced back up at Tom.

“I promise Dad,” he said, his voice cracking slightly, as he was trying his hardest not to cry.

“Good!” Tom replied and pulled Sonic into his side, giving him a side-hug, to which Sonic reciprocated, hugging Tom around the waist.

After a few moments, Tom let out a heavy sigh and pulled Sonic away from him, looking down sternly at his blue hedgehog son.

“Now we’ve had a talk, it’s time to discuss your punishment,” Tom informed, using his stern Dad voice again, leading Sonic to shift slightly on the bed.

“Your Mum and I have talked and decided for the seriousness of your actions: putting yourself in grave danger, worrying us something fierce, and hurting Tails and Knuckles, you will be given a list of very serious punishments.”

Sonic twisted his head to look up at Tom, in uncertainty.

“Firstly, you will grounded for one month, so you will not be allowed out of the house to run around or even play games outside and during that time you will have your comics confiscated,” Tom began.

“Awe Dad, a month; that’s not fair,” Sonic complained, and Tom raised his brow.

“No Sonic, what you did was not fair,” Tom scolded.

Tom saw Sonic drop his shoulders in a sulk as Sonic immediately thought what would he do for a whole month with no playing, running, or comics to read, then Tom continued.

“For the first two weeks only, you will also get no TV, however that will not include our Friday night family movie night, as we believe that you need to remain feeling like part of this family and movie night is what we do as a family,” Tom explained.

“The next thing, and this will be until we feel like you can be trusted; I will be confiscating your rings.”

Sonic stared wide-eyed up at his Dad in shock, as Tom’s promised punishment of confiscating his rings hit the blue hedgehog hard and he couldn’t help but argue.

“No…No Dad; not my rings!” Sonic protested, reeling with panic.

Tom only shook his head and remained firm.

“That is the rules of your punishment, Sonic…” Tom said, calmly but firmly, before he was rudely interrupted with Sonic’s protests.

“But…but you can’t…you can’t take my rings! They are mine! You can’t take them, Dad!” Sonic argued and stood up from the bed, ready to challenge his Dad over the matter further.

“Sonic, enough arguing! I am confiscating your rings and that is final; now sit back down, we have not yet finished discussing your punishment!” Tom ordered, now raising his voice.

“But, Dad…no…my rings they…I won’t let…” Sonic begged but is hastily interrupted.

Tom grabbed Sonic’s paws and pulled him firmly to sit back down on the bed next to him in a no-nonsense manner.

“Sonic, listen to me: I know your rings are very important and meaningful to you and that they were a special gift from Longclaw.”

Sonic blinked back his tears as he remembered his guardian.

“But I am not confiscating them with the intention of never giving them back, nor am I trying to take that special memory away from you. I know they are yours, but I want you to understand you cannot use them as a way to run away from home, and that is why I am taking them off you, to give you a consequence for misusing them, and obviously if the circumstances call for it, you will be allowed to use them, but only under your Mum’s or my supervision until you are allowed to have them back,” Tom explained in a gentle tone.

Sonic hung his head and sniffled.

“Now there is one more final part of your punishment, and this is the most serious consequence for your actions, and I hope that it will teach you a very valuable lesson that putting yourself in danger, lying, hurting your family, or not relying on your family, and running away will not be tolerated. Sonic, you are going to be getting a spanking,” Tom informed sternly.

Sonic gazed up at Tom, not having any idea what a spanking meant.

“Wha…what’s that? Is that something where you are going to send me away to some place, like to be tested on or something, or kick me out of your home?” Sonic asked with a hint of worry.

Tom almost wanted to chuckle at Sonic’s idea but knew he had to remain firm and explain.

“No Sonic, you will not be sent anywhere or be kicked out, let alone tested on; this is your home, with Maddie, Knuckles, Tails, and me; forever. A spanking means I will be putting you face down over my lap and applying my hand repeatedly and very firmly onto your bottom, until I feel you have learned your lesson to never do anything like you did again,” Tom explained, and Sonic fidgeted on the bed.

“Will….is it…will it hurt?” Sonic finally managed to choke out as he looked up at Tom with scared eyes.

“Yes, in order to make it an effective punishment, it has to hurt, and you will feel a bit of a sting on your bottom, but it will only be temporary, and afterwards all will be forgiven,” Tom informed, and watched Sonic process the information as he gulped and nervously weaved his fingers in and out of his paws.

Tom placed a gentle hand on Sonic’s shoulder.

“It’s okay to feel scared. I am too at having to punish you so severely, but I was more scared of losing you forever and I want you to know that even though you are about to receive a spanking for the first time, I am doing this because I love you very much,” Tom said.

“I love you, Dad,” Sonic whispered, as he glanced up at Tom, only this time a few tears slipped down his muzzle.

Tom let out a sigh and put his hands under Sonic’s arms, where he then lifted him gently and placed him face down over his lap.

Sonic trembled as he was laid over Tom’s lap, his stomach turning over inside of him.

Tom willed himself to continue as he tightened his arm around Sonic’s waist and knew if he didn’t convert back to stern mode he would crumble at having to punish his special son this way, but he couldn’t risk losing him because of his reckless decisions.

Tom held Sonic tight around the waist, partially for comfort and partially for restraint then raised his hand and within seconds landed it back down with a hard spank.

“Ouch!” Sonic yelped in surprise, and immediately started to cry, causing Tom to hesitate, but then he thought back on why he had to do this and continued, landing a second and third spank with the same intensity, which also caused Sonic to yelp loudly.

Tom continued into a slower rhythm of medium firmness spanks, and after a short while, as the punishment continued, Sonic started to squirm; fidgeting his arms a little and twitching his legs, as the sting in his bottom increased.

“OW! Daddy…OW!” Sonic yelped, through his sobs.

Tom fought back his own tears, hearing his son’s pleas and cries, for it hurt his heart having to be so hard on his son, when he wanted to just hold Sonic in a tight hug and comfort him, but he knew Sonic would not learn his lesson that way.

“Stop,” Sonic pleaded pitifully, but it mostly came out as a choked mumble.

“Sonic, I am not stopping until you have learnt that running away and endangering yourself, as well as hurting and disregarding your family is not on!” Tom stated firmly and continued with the spanking.

“Hurts,” Sonic quietly whimpered, choking on a heavy sob as he trembled.

Tom landed a few more firm spanks then briefly stopped, giving gentle and consistent comforting pats to Sonic’s waist, as the hedgehog gripped Tom’s pant leg for comfort as he wriggled on his Dad’s lap.

“We are almost finished, but I want to make sure you fully understand this cannot happen ever again. What you did was serious, Sonic, and I want you to remember this lesson well,” Tom said, with a little more calmness to his firm tone.

“I do, Daddy, I do! No more! Please!”

Sonic panicked, and started squirming harder over his Dad’s lap, not wanting the spanking to continue.

Despite Sonic’s panicked squirming, Tom kept a good grip on his son, so he would not fall off his lap.

“Sonic, calm down. I told you we are almost done; I know it hurts, just hang in there, buddy,” Tom said, firmly but comfortingly, to which Sonic let out a wail.

Tom then sighed heavily and tightened his hold on Sonic’s waist again and raised his hand.

“Don’t…You…Ever...Ever…Run…Away…Again…Sonic…Wachowski…Is…That…Clear!” Tom warned, punctuating each word with a harder spank than the rest of the punishment then following with three more spanks of the same intensity for emphasis, before stopping.

“OW! OW!” Sonic wailed the entire time the harder spanks landed; his little legs kicking rapidly towards the end.

“Won’t. Promise!” he yelled out, as soon as Tom had ended the punishment.

Tom gave Sonic’s back a quick pat, noticing the redness of his son’s bottom and knew he had been effectively punished.

Tom then lifted Sonic off his lap, to let him know it was all over; positioning Sonic to stand between his legs.

Tom glanced at the crying and trembling blue hedgehog and immediately engulfed him into his arms tightly.

“Shh, it’s all over now; Daddy’s got you,” Tom soothed, as Sonic nuzzled his face into Tom’s chest, gripping his shirt like a lifeline and continued sobbing hard.

Tom finally let a few of his own tears fall as he rested his head on top of Sonic’s, while still maintaining his composure to be strong because Sonic needed him to be strong and not vulnerable right now.

He was so grateful that the hard task of spanking Sonic was over, and he could now finally hold and comfort his son for as long as necessary.

“I’m so sor...ry.... Da…Daddy…I never men…meant to hurt any...anyone,” Sonic cried, letting his hiccupping and shaky breath take hold of his words making them jumbled.

“I know you didn’t, Sonic, but what’s done is done. The most important thing now is that you are home safe where you belong and where a lot of people love you,” Tom reassured.

“I am really sorry,” Sonic mumbled into Tom’s shirt.

“It’s alright now Sonic; everything is forgiven, and you no longer need to be sorry about anything. I know you’ve learned from your serious consequence, haven’t you?” Tom said softly, causing Sonic to nod into Tom’s chest and hiccup at the same time.

“Calm down, buddy, and take slow deep breaths,” Tom soothed, rubbing Sonic’s spine gently and kissing the top of Sonic’s head a few times, attempting to calm his son’s trembling body and constant tears.

Sonic felt safe and warm in Tom’s embrace, something he had missed so much being away from home, despite just being severely punished by him.

Chapter Text

After a few more minutes, Tom could see Sonic’s body settle into soft sobs and the trembling and hiccupping slowing fading.

Tom pulled Sonic away from him and looked into his red-rimmed green eyes.

“Okay?” Tom asked gently.

Sonic sniffed and rubbed his furred arm across his wet eyes and black nose, and it was then that Sonic focused his attention back to his very sore backside.

Sonic nervously shifted between Tom’s legs.

“Dad…Can I…” Sonic asked, slowly moving his now non-restricted paws back towards his bottom but hesitated as he looked pleadingly up at his father.

Tom smiled, knowing exactly what his son wanted.

“Yes, Sonic, you can rub,” Tom allowed.

Sonic immediately put his paws to his stinging bottom and rubbed madly, whimpering as the burning continual sting did not subside with any amount of rubbing; in fact, Sonic swore it was only igniting the painful ache.

“Dad, you lied!” Sonic exclaimed, slowing down his rubbing speed and pouting at Tom.

“What?” Tom accused in a state of surprise, raising his brow sternly and wondering how his son would even speak to him that way straight after a punishment.

“You lied,” Sonic repeated.

“You said it was only going to sting a little, but my butts on fire, and rubbing isn’t doing anything!” Sonic whined dramatically.

Tom smirked and rolled his eyes, amazed at how quick Sonic could bounce back to his normal dramatic, mischievous self.

“I feel like I’ve sat on one of our campfires! Dad, why did you have to do that, like, really, really, hard?” Sonic moaned, in an exaggerative tone.

“Sonic…”

“I’m never going to sit again,” Sonic continued to whine.

Tom sighed.

“Sonic, I get that it hurts, but I did not spank you any harder than what was necessary. Stop being dramatic. Getting a well-deserved spanking is not the end of the world,” Tom explained.

“Dramata what?…I’m not being dramatic, Dad! Besides it’s easy for you, your butt’s not sore, or feels like your fur has been burned off! Did you even leave me any fur back there, Dad?” Sonic complained and furiously rubbed his bottom again.

“Really Sonic? Left you with fur? Where do you come up with these wild ideas, bud? Of course you’ve still got fur, my hand isn’t made of hot iron you know, and you say you’re not being dramatic?”

Tom rolled his eyes and chuckled, giving Sonic’s abdomen a playful tickle to cheer up his melodramatic son.

“Oh no! I better watch out; make sure I’m not burning your fur,” Tom chuckled.

“Not funny, Dad,” Sonic grumbled and gave a frown.

“I thought it was,” Tom smirked then turned to seriousness again.

“Look Sonic, at worst your bottom will continue to be sore and sting for the rest of the night…”

“Rest of the night? But that’s eternity, Dad,” Sonic moaned with a long whine, as he interrupted.

This was going to be agony for the restless blue hedgehog; the rest of the night was like eternity, although it was nothing short of maybe four hours before his usual bedtime.

“Sonic, stop it!” Tom ordered in a slight warning, becoming frustrated by his son’s whining over his much-needed discipline.

Sonic flattened his ears and hung his head, sensing his father’s frustration.

“It is not eternity, and by the morning it will all just be a good reminder in your memory that you need to behave,” Tom warned, though lightening the mood, as he bopped Sonic on his muzzle with affection, causing Sonic to wrinkle his nose.

“Now I think it’s time we head on back downstairs,” Tom said, as he stood up from the bed, taking Sonic’s paw in his hand as he started to walk.

Tom felt Sonic’s resistance and pulled a little, causing Sonic to jump in place at being dragged.

“Dad, wait!” Sonic called.

Tom turned to look down at his son.

“What is it, Sonic?” Tom asked, giving Sonic his full attention.

Sonic hung his head, feeling a little embarrassed and paused for a moment before rambling, almost in a one-word sentence.

“Could we maybe just stay here a little longer and cuddle; only if you want to, that is,” Sonic blurted out quickly and meekly; a little worried his Dad would say no.

Tom being used to Sonic’s fast rambling was able to understand his son for the most part and smiled.

“Are you going to stop with the theatrics?” Tom enquired in a playful tone, as he gave an eyebrow raise.

Sonic nodded furiously, as Tom smiled.

“Okay, come here,” Tom ordered, sitting back down on Sonic’s bed and lifting Sonic under his arms and positioning him carefully on his lap, so not to exasperate Sonic’s tender backside; Sonic’s little tail hanging in the air off Tom’s lap, giving a small happy wiggle.

Tom wrapped his arms around Sonic lovingly and in a way to make sure his son would not fall off his lap.

The softness of Tom’s lap and his warm embrace, made Sonic feel content, almost forgetting everything that had just happened.

Sonic smiled and rested his head against Tom’s chest as he gripped Tom’s shirt in his paws and slowly dangled his legs in between Tom’s.

“Daddy? Would you really not have cuddled me if I didn’t stop?” Sonic mumbled, playing with the fabric of Tom’s shirt and sliding it through his little fingers.

“Stop what? Complaining you mean?” Tom asked, and Sonic nodded quietly against Tom’s chest.

Tom squeezed Sonic tight.

“Oh, Sonic, I was just teasing you. I would never deny you a cuddle, no matter what, and I will always provide you with a cuddle whenever you need one, and even in times when you feel too tough to have one,” Tom informed.

Sonic looked up at his Dad and blinked.

“I really missed you, Dad. I mean I really missed Mum, Tails, and Knuckles too, but you…” Sonic confessed, trailing off a little.

Tom smiled and rubbed a hand soothingly up and down Sonic’s arm.

“I really missed you too, my special little boy. You, and your mischievous antics,” Tom chuckled.

Sonic hung his head again.

“I love you so much, Daddy. It hurt me to leave here. It was lonely, just like when I used to live in my cave before you and Mum took me in, and I was so, so, scared,” Sonic mumbled, moving his legs a little, feeling agitated by the memory.

“You are never alone anymore, Sonic, and you need to understand that. You are part of the Wachowski family and most importantly my son, and you better believe it, that I love you to the moon and back,” Tom replied, and kissed Sonic’s head a couple of times, causing Sonic to murmur as he felt the warmness in his heart from Tom’s touch.

“As for feeling scared, I have no doubt in my mind that experience would have been frightening for you, but in future I want you to come and talk to your Mum, or me if you have concerns, or aren’t feeling right, because as your parents we are here for you and would never judge you or be mad at you for coming to us. However, if you don’t talk to us about things and act on impulse, I will be very disappointed and upset with you,” Tom said softly gently lifting Sonic’s chin to look his son in the eye.

“I promise to come to you or Mum, Daddy. I hate making you disappointed,” Sonic whispered, causing Tom to sigh and hold Sonic tighter.

Tom caught Sonic sniffing his shirt a few times but said nothing, sensing Sonic was taking in his scent again.

They remained snuggled in silence for close to ten minutes, with Sonic being lulled by Tom’s steady breathing, until they heard sounds of discussions coming from downstairs.

“Easy Knuckles, we do not want holes in the dining table.”

That voice was from Maddie.

Then they heard Knuckles’ voice.

“I am merely anchoring these napkins that the Fox has placed on the table.”

“Mum, can I help stir the casserole?”

“No Tails, I don’t want you near the hot stove. Here: you can place the cups of milk on the table.”

The smell of food wafted in the air.

Tom could feel his stomach rumbling, for he had not eaten any breakfast, let alone been hungry at all since his worry over Sonic’s disappearance.

For a moment Tom thought his rumbling stomach was making a sound, but then he glanced down at Sonic whose muzzle flushed with embarrassment.

“Sounds like I’m not the only one who’s hungry,” Tom chuckled.

“Sorry. There wasn’t much to eat at the Mushroom planet.”

“Well, now you are home you are going to get wholesome meals that will fill your belly and keep you strong and healthy,” Tom smiled.

“I missed Mum’s yummy cooking.”

“What about mine?” Tom stated, giving Sonic’s abdomen a little tickle.

“Your cooking is good too, Dad; that is when you don’t burn it,” Sonic cheekily replied, giving a smile.

“Oh, it’s like that huh? I might just have to not make your favourite Dad’s special ingredient, chili dogs anymore,” Tom teased, noticing Sonic’s eyes widen in seconds.

“Do…don’t be rash now…I still said your cooking was good!” Sonic blurted out quickly, causing Tom to chuckle.

“I wouldn’t do that, not unless you keep sassing me about my cooking, you naughty little blue devil,” Tom stated, ruffling Sonic’s quills.

Tom then stood up, Sonic still in his arms.

“We better get downstairs now, before be both get no food,” Tom chuckled, and placed Sonic down on the ground after giving him another kiss on the forehead.

Full of excitement for a proper meal, Sonic went to run ahead.

“Hold up, buddy!” Tom called, halting Sonic on the spot.

“I want to say one more serious thing before we go downstairs.”

“I thought we were done with our talk, Dad?” Sonic asked.

“We have, but I just want to let you know what is expected in the future,” Tom explained and watched Sonic slump his shoulder.

“Dad, I’m starving!” Sonic moaned.

“This won’t take long; I promise. I just want you to know that in future your Mum and I will be enforcing more discipline for any misbehaviour, and that might entail a grounding, a time-out, or in serious cases like this one, a spanking,” Tom informed.

Sonic shuddered and gulped, staring up at Tom.

“Don’t you look at me like that Sonic, our decision is final. We will continue to be fair where we can, but we have let you get away with a lot of things, but from now on, we won’t allow your reckless and impulsive behaviour go without punishment,” Tom said, turning stern again.

“But Dad, can’t we just forget about the spanking part? I don’t ever want that to happen again; it was awful!” Sonic whined, looking up at Tom with pleading eyes.

“No! As for it ever happening again, that all depends on you, Sonic,” Tom informed as he smiled at Sonic.

“Your Mum and I only want what’s best for you, and that means wanting you to behave and make good choices, you understand that right?”

“Fine, I understand,” Sonic moaned with a hard pout, feeling unhappy about the decision.

Tom rubbed his shoulder.

“Do you? Because if you chose to continue to put yourself in danger, I won’t hesitate in putting you across my lap for a good spanking, and your Mum is not above spanking you if you misbehave either,” Tom threatened, causing Sonic’s eyes to go wide as he stared up at his Dad.

“I mean it, Sonic. You would prefer to be dealing with an epic battle than having to deal with Maddie, or worse me, if you chose to continue putting yourself in danger,” Tom warned.

“Alright, Dad, I get it,” Sonic groaned, slumping his shoulders.

He was definitely going to attempt to be on his best behaviour, at least for a little while anyway.

“Good boy, and Sonic you are not the first to ever get a spanking in life,” Tom informed, causing Sonic’s ears to perk up with intrigue.

From the experience today, Sonic knew Knuckles and Tails obviously hadn’t, so…

Sonic suddenly realised Tom’s hidden message and gazed up at his Dad, dumbfounded.

“Wait; what?” Sonic exclaimed and Tom chuckled.

“Yes, I was spanked by my parents…”

“You, the Donut Lord got a spanking?” Sonic said in amazement.

“Don’t be so surprised,” Tom laughed, “Your Mum’s parents spanked her growing up too.”

“Really? Even Mum?” Sonic asked, still utterly amazed at how his parents had the same punishment he had just gotten.

“Ah hmm,” Tom agreed with a head nod.

“Oh, you have to tell me!” Sonic urged, as he tugged on Tom’s pant leg eagerly.

“No, I don’t,” Tom flatly replied.

“Come on, Dad, please. What did you do? Did it hurt for you, like it did me? How many times did it happen?” Sonic rambled question after question.

“I’m not getting into this with you today, Sonic,” Tom dismissed.

“How about tomorrow?” Sonic pestered.

“How about I thought you were so eager for dinner?” Tom replied.

“I am, and don’t change the subject, Dad!” Sonic exclaimed.

“Sonic, they are stories for another time,” Tom stated, and grabbed Sonic’s paw again.

“No fair, Dad. I want to know what you did to get into so much trouble!” Sonic complained, squeezing Tom’s hand.

“Yeah, yeah; life isn’t fair. You’ll just have to wait until I tell you, or feel like telling you,” Tom answered and pulled Sonic along; the little hedgehog following at Tom’s pace this time as they descended the attic stairs.

Chapter Text

Just as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Maddie was telling Knuckles and Tails to wash their hands before taking a seat at the table.

The aroma of food was stronger now and filled Sonic’s nostrils the closer that they came towards the dining room.

“Yes! Food to fuel my muscles!” Knuckles announced.

The hard scraping of the dining room chairs is then heard, a characteristic of Knuckles’ strength against the furniture.

“Sit, Fox!” Knuckles instructed as he lifted Tails up with ease and sat him on his chair, before jumping into his own.

So eager for food and forgetting everything that just happened, Sonic slipped his paw from Tom’s grip and raced into the dining room, pulling out a chair and leaping into the air, and without thinking plopped down hard on his chair, reigniting the horrible sting over his bottom.

Tom entered the dining room just as he saw Sonic plop down in his chair, before immediately jumping up with a loud yelp that startled Tails and had Knuckles on alert.

“Ouch!” he cried loudly, tears instantly filling his eyes as he vigorously rubbed his bottom.

Tom sighed, feeling a pang of hurt, knowing he was responsible for Sonic’s soreness.

“Baby, be careful,” Maddie sighed, as she started dishing out the plates of casserole.

Tails and Knuckles now looked at their distraught brother.

“Sonic! Are you okay?” Tails asked in his concerned innocent tone.

Sonic tried to blink away his tears, waiting for the discomfort to subside.

“Um…yeah,” Sonic stuttered, feeling embarrassed.

“You did not sound okay with a yell like that and why are you rubbing your butt, our chairs are not that hard to cause injury to oneself?” Knuckles questioned, causing Sonic’s muzzle to blush.

“Just leave the questions, big red, and eat your dinner,” Maddie instructed, glancing over at Sonic.

“Very well, I shall cease my enquiry for I am hungry for the food!”

Tom rested a hand on Sonic’s shoulder and the hedgehog glanced up at his Dad with glassy eyes.

“Be careful, little boy; you don’t want to make things unnecessarily worse,” Tom comforted, before helping Maddie with the rest of the plates.

Sonic took a moment before sitting back down with an obvious squirm and wiped his arm over his face in a way to secretly hide the tears that had escaped.

“Eat up, baby,” Maddie instructed softly, smiling at Sonic and placing down his plate of food.

“Are you sure you are okay, Sonic?” Tails asked again.

“I’m okay,” Sonic sniffed and picked up his spoon to take a bite from his casserole.

For once in his life wanting to change the attention off himself, Sonic tried to change the subject.

“Hey, Tails and Knuckles, Dad told me he used to get in trouble at our age but won’t tell me any stories. He said he and Mum even got spanked,” Sonic blurted, totally forgetting how he was the only one who knew about this type of punishment.

Tom rolled his eyes and Maddie glared at her husband, as Tom shrugged, mouthing ‘I told him nothing’.

“Father, you have caused the trouble? I do not understand. Are you not someone who does right by the law?” Knuckles asked, confused as he munched on his dinner.

Tom chuckled.

“Yes, I am, but I was a kid like you boys once too and had my share of mischief,” Tom replied.

“I beg to see how your mischief could be anything like that of the hedgehog’s,” Knuckles said.

“Hey! I resent that!” Sonic exclaimed.

“You do like causing trouble, Sonic,” Tails added, taking a spoon of his casserole.

“Fine, I might cause a little trouble,” Sonic muttered.

“And what is this spanked you talk about?” Knuckles asked, now causing Sonic to gulp his casserole down faster as he became nervous.

Also curious to know of another earth custom, Tails pulled out a gadget from his backpack that happened to be hanging on the back of his chair at the table.

Tails suddenly read out the definition on his gadget, mentioning about how it was a form of punishment from a parent or guardian that resulted in the one who had done wrong ending up with a sore butt.

“That sounds like you Hedgehog; did you get this custom?”

“What? No,” Sonic dismissed, suddenly feeling very embarrassed for even mentioning it.

“But, Hedgehog, you were holding your butt like you had been injured; were you not? And you cried in distress just now, not to mention you bringing up this odd custom,” Knuckles persisted.

Sonic ignoring Knuckles only made the echidna more curious for answers.

“Hedgehog, it is wise to answer a query when some asks the questions,” Knuckles urged.

“Urgh, fine, I was only saying because Dad mentioned how it happened to him and Mum, and I wanted to know what they did. Can we just drop this embarrassing conversation?” Sonic gasped, not taking his eyes off his casserole and taking a few quick spoonful’s, only causing him to then choke and splatter on the food.

“Take it easy, Sonic. I do not wish to deal with you choking because you scoff your food,” Maddie said firmly.

Sonic slowed down his eating but refused to look at anyone at the table due to his increasing embarrassment, not to mention, his focus on the stinging discomfort on his bottom, as he sat at the table.

“Something tells me that he did get that custom, Fox,” Knuckles snickered as he whispered to Tails, but loud enough that Sonic still heard.

“Alright; I did, okay, and my butt really hurts! Now can we just drop this conversation?” Sonic confessed, his muzzle blushing as he squirmed on his chair.

“Boys enough discussion over forms of discipline. Let’s focus on eating our dinner as a family; especially seeing as it’s Sonic’s first night back home,” Maddie ordered in a gentle tone, as she smiled at Sonic.

“I second that, and if Sonic wishes to talk about things he will and should not be pushed into confessing; Knuckles,” Tom added, giving an eyebrow raise as he glanced at his sons.

“I am sorry, Father; I meant no harm. My curiosity of an echidna warrior gets the better of me. I hope I have not upset you Hedgehog with my curiosities,” Knuckles stated.

“It’s fine, Knuckles; just embarrassing,” Sonic mumbled.

Maddie then turned to face Tails.

“And Tails, what have you been told about having your gadgets at the dinner table?” Maddie firmly reminded.

Tails hung his head.

“Sorry Mum,” he replied nervously.

“If I see you playing with them again, no matter what the reason, I will take them from you; okay, my little fluff ball?”

Tails nodded at Maddie’s warning.

Once everyone finished dinner; Sonic going for second and third helpings, Tom helped Maddie clear the table.

“Mummy, can we please have ice-cream?” Tails asked, ever so politely.

“Yes, I too would like the iced-cream, and I must have those sprinkles again!” Knuckles added.

Sonic licked his lips, a home cooked meal had been divine but ice-cream, he missed the soft flavour of vanilla mixed with choc-chip pieces.

As Maddie started getting out some bowls for the ice-cream, Sonic hung his head.

“Buddy, what’s up?” Tom asked.

“I guess I can’t have any because I’m grounded,” Sonic muttered, dejectedly.

“Under normal circumstances, grounding means no dessert, but I think we can make an exception this time,” Maddie said with a smile, as she scooped out some ice-cream into the bowls.

“Yes! Then in that case can I have the biggest bowl with not only choc-chips but heaps of chocolate topping and maybe some of those wafer biscuits all crumbled up?” Sonic rambled, in eagerness.

“No, little blue; you get the same as everyone else,” Maddie replied as she smiled.

“No fair,” Sonic pouted.

“How about me; do I get an extra scoop because I’m your loving husband?” Tom asked, as he wrapped his arms around Maddie’s waist and kissed her neck.

“You will get no more than normal, Thomas Wachowski,” Maddie laughed, and stopped scooping momentarily to kiss Tom back.

Tails hid his face, and normally Sonic would be quick with his ‘eww’ of disgust but not tonight, for he even missed the loving gestures of his parents together.

“You must not dishonour the ice-cream with showing the love,” Knuckles stated, causing Tails to giggle.

Maddie and Tom smiled at each other, then each placed the bowls of ice-cream in front of their boys and a bowl each for themselves.

“Where is my sprinkles, Mother?”

“Your sprinkles are here, big red,” Maddie chuckled and handed a container with sprinkles to Knuckles.

“Hey, go easy!” Tom said with a laugh as Knuckles shook the container violently to release a heap of sprinkles.

After they all finished their ice-cream, Tom instructed Sonic to go upstairs, brush his teeth, and wait for Maddie to give him a bath before bedtime.

“But Dad, it’s still early,” Sonic replied, but unable to refrain from giving a yawn.

“I know it might be early, but it seems you need your rest after your big adventure, bud, now go and do as I’ve asked, and Mummy will be up to give you your bath soon,” Tom informed.

Sonic looked at his parents and brothers briefly, then left the table and casually made his way upstairs to the bathroom.

A short while later, Maddie entered, seeing Sonic in the middle of brushing his teeth.

Maddie made short work of running a warm bubble bath for Sonic and she turned to her blue son as he replaced his toothbrush back in the holder.

“All done?”

Sonic nodded furiously and gave a big grin to show off his clean white teeth.

“Good boy, now hop into the tub and let’s get you nice and clean.”

Sonic jumped into the bath, carefully sitting down on the non-slip mat, feeling the warm water soak through his body, and the bubbles fizzle in his fur.

Maddie used a soft cloth to help scrub the dirt from Sonic’s quills, feet, and body, causing Sonic to purr as he lavished the softness of his mother’s touch mixed with the warmness of the water.

“My, you are filthy, little blue,” Maddie said.

Sonic only sighed in response, never wanting this moment to end.

Maddie noticed Sonic’s stillness.

“Are you alright, baby?”

“It’s just…I missed this and don’t just mean the baths, but how you…” Sonic trailed off, but his response made Maddie smile.

“I understand, baby. I’m so glad you are back home safe,” she said, giving Sonic’s quills a gentle affectionate pat.

“I love you Mum,” Sonic mumbled, causing Maddie to smile again.

“I love you too, baby. Now let’s get you out and dried, now you are smelling and looking super clean,” Maddie chuckled, leaning over to kiss Sonic on the forehead.

Sonic jumped out and in his usual style, shook himself free of the dampness, causing his fur to fluff up to three times its size.

“You crack me up, Sonic,” Maddie laughed, helping Sonic to fully dry.

Once Sonic was all dry, he gave another yawn and his eyes started to feel droopy, the bath had definitely relaxed him, and his tiredness was now really showing.

“I think it’s time for you to go to bed. Would you like me, or Dad, to tuck you in?” Maddie asked.

“Um, you, but can I go and say goodnight to Dad, Tails, and Knuckles first?” Sonic asked.

“Of course, baby.”

Sonic zipped out of the bathroom and down the stairs to where Tom, Tails, and Knuckles were sitting in the living room.

Tails and Knuckles were disagreeing over what to watch on TV.

“I am not watching one of your childish movies or the ones about space science,” Knuckles declared.

“But this one has good values,” Tails claimed.

“If you boys can’t agree on something, then I will watch something that I like,” Tom stated.

The sibling banter halted when they noticed Sonic in the entrance of the living room.

“All nice and clean?” Tom asked, smiling at his son.

“Yep!” Sonic cheered.

“I just came down to say goodnight.”

Tails overhearing the conversation approached Sonic first, giving his brother a tight hug.

“Whoa,” Sonic chuckled.

“Sorry; goodnight, Sonic. I’m really glad you are back,” Tails said bashfully.

“I’m glad too, Tails,” Sonic replied.

“Go and get the good sleep, Hedgehog,” Knuckles added, being surprised when Sonic engulfed him in a hug.

“Thanks, Knuckles,” Sonic replied.

“Come here, buddy and give me a good night hug,” Tom requested, leaning down and opening his arms.

Sonic didn’t hesitate and leapt into Tom’s arms.

“Goodnight son,” Tom said, kissing Sonic on the head.

“Goodnight, Daddy.”

Tom let Sonic go.

“You sleep well, okay,” Tom smiled, and Sonic nodded as he mirrored his Dad’s smile.

Sonic then zipped back upstairs to the attic where Maddie was waiting with Sonic’s bed covers already flapped back.

Sonic zipped into his soft and cozy race car bed and allowed Maddie to cover him up.

“Sleep well, baby,” Maddie whispered, kissing Sonic’s muzzle before leaving the room.

A short while later Tails and Knuckles went up to bed with Maddie and Tom following.

“Can we have a story, Mum?” Tails asked as he hopping into his bed and pulled up his covers.

“I do not see why you insist on silly tales, Fox,” Knuckles commented, also hopping into his own bed.

“That’s enough, Knuckles; your brother likes it, but Tails, sweetie not tonight; Sonic is sleeping,” Maddie replied.

“Okay, goodnight, Mum, goodnight, Dad,” Tails whispered.

“Night Tails,” Tom said as he was busy helping Knuckles get covered properly while the echidna kept yanking the quilt too hard that it kept uncovering his feet.

Both Maddie and Tom kissed their son’s goodnight and tired off to their own room.

Part way through the night, Sonic woke and although he had the company of his sleeping brothers, he felt he needed more, so quietly he crept out of his bed and made his way downstair to outside his parents’ bedroom.

Slowly he creaked the door open, and the short faintness of light was enough to alert Tom and Maddie to a presence in the room.

Flicking on her bedside light, Maddie scowled as she noticed Sonic standing in the room.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Maddie whispered, her eyes squinting as she fought sleep.

“Bud, did you have a nightmare?” Tom called.

“No, I just…can I sleep with you guys?” Sonic asked, shifting his feet from foot to foot.

“Of course, Sonic,” Maddie implied, pulling back the blanket to allow her blue son to come in.

Sonic didn’t hesitate and jumped in between his parents, where Tom was quick to wrap his arm around Sonic’s shoulder, pulling his son close.

Maddie pulled the covers back and was about to switch off her light when she heard the heavy pattering of feet and heavy stomping which she only put down to her other sons and seconds later the bedroom door opened again.

“Sonic’s gone again!” Tails panicked.

“No, he’s not, fluffball; he’s right here,” Maddie replied, gesturing towards Sonic snuggled in the middle.

“I just wanted to sleep with Mum and Dad, pal,” Sonic piped up.

Tails felt kind of embarrassed for jumping to conclusions but had been scared that Sonic had run off again.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to panic so bad,” he whispered.

“Do you want to join us?” Tom groaned.

Tails nodded furiously and made his way over to the big bed, his tails swaying as he done a little skip as he walked.

Knuckles came in soon after.

“What is all the noise? I can hardly sleep,” Knuckles exclaimed.

“You might as well join us big guy,” Tom gestured.

“Very well, I will give the love too and have slumber with the tribe,” Knuckles said and jumped onto the bed, causing it to wobble.

“I forgot how big a butt you had, Knuckles. You almost pushed us out of the bed,” Sonic teased in his half-tired state.

“I care not for your jokes, Hedgehog, especially about my structure that is full of one thousand percent….”

“One thousand percent muscle,” Tails and Sonic said at once, having heard Knuckles brag about his muscles frequently.

“Good, you have been listening.”

“Well big muscle guy, come here and snuggle in,” Maddie smiled and pulled Knuckles into her side before finally flicking the bedside light off.

Sonic blinked in the dark at all his family and couldn’t imagine ever leaving them again, because home was where he belonged. He was a Wachowski and had great parents and two awesome brothers.

Sonic shut his eyes, feeling safe and content.