Chapter Text
Epilogue
A week later…
Once the doctor and his staff did everything they could do to help Tails recover, the little fox was finally discharged from the clinic. The last few days were, in a good way, a little eventful as Tails slowly recovered. The little fox had returned to his old chipper, nerdy self by the time he was eventually let out of the medical center. Currently, Tom, Sonic, and Knuckles were back at home making 'modifications' while Maddie and Tails were out and about. Maddie said that she had errands to run before they went home. The young vulpine was asleep in the back seat, his head resting against the side of his booster seat. Maddie took a glance in the rearview mirror at the sleeping fox. Her face grew a little sad as she saw the bandage wrapped around his left arm. Her frown was replaced with a smirk as a moment later, Tails sleepily stretched out his arms upward and yawned. A few seconds later, the fox blinked as he opened his eyes and slightly smiled, rubbing his eyes as he slowly came to.
"Are we home yet?"
Maddie gave the kit a warm smile as Tails yawned yet again. "Just about."
Tails lifted his head up and peeked through the windshield just as Maddie pulled into the driveway that led home. The little fox felt a couple of tears fall down his face as he laughed. After being stuck in the hospital for the last week, the kid had thought that he would never be able to go back ever again. Tears of joy escaped his eyes as Maddie put the vehicle into park and turned it off. As she unbuckled herself, Tails found himself mimicking her. By the time the young fox had finally unbuckled himself from his booster seat, Maddie had already come to his side of the car and opened the door. Tails then practically leaped into her arms and buried his face into her shoulder.
"You okay, sweetheart?" Maddie asked him.
"Yeah, I'm okay," Tails replied, his voice muffled.
Tails then unburied his head from her shoulder as she let down a few seconds later. Maddie then saw that her youngest had been crying, and as if already, tears were still falling down the boy's face.
"Don't mind the waterworks," he told Maddie. "I'm just glad to be back."
"Ah, tears of joy." Maddie said, gently running a hand through the kit's bangs before she bent down and placed a kiss on his forehead. At that moment, Ozzy came running over to the two of them, and after sniffing the fox, started licking his face.
"Ozzy!" Tails yelped happily, trying his hardest not to laugh. But with the retriever's constant licking and with his tail wagging, Tails couldn't help but crack up laughing as Ozzy's tongue kept licking his face. The kit managed to give the dog a few pets and pats on the head. Eventually, Maddie had to gently pull Ozzy away from Tails before they stepped onto the porch. As Tails got ready to open the door for Maddie and himself, he noticed a sticky note on the door. He gently peeled it off the door and began reading it.
"For all intent and purposes, Tails, please walk Ozzy around back.
-Tom."
"I'll get the back door, sweetie," Maddie said. "Tom accidentally damaged the inner door."
Tails snickered joyfully as he whistled for Ozzy to follow him around to the backyard. As she watched both fox and canine disappear around the corner, Maddie sent a text to Tom, telling him that it was time. A few moments later, a blue blur came, picked up Maddie, and zoomed off into the attic…
"The fox is coming."
"Shhh! Quiet Knuckles."
A muffled whisper could be heard from Tom as a certain red colored echidna lowered his head down behind his hiding spot. Seconds later, Sonic and Maddie quickly made their way down the stairs and into the living room, where they hid themselves in their designated spots. The four of them; hedgehog, echidna, and humans, looked at each other, smiling towards each other. As the back door opened and shut, all four occupants quickly made themselves comfortable in their hiding spots. A moment later, Ozzy came rushing into the room, Tails close behind him. As the fox looked around the room, he felt like something was off. Then he took a look at the front door and only shook his head.
"So much for a 'damaged' door, Donut Lord. Now, where did Maddie go? And why aren't the other three home yet?"
Sonic almost laughed but covered his mouth just as Maddie was about to.
Tails then noticed that the dining table had already been set, as if dinner was about to be served at any given moment. Tugging the straps of his backpack, the kit sniffed the air as he began standing on the tips of his toes.
"Uh, Maddie, if there's anything I need to really know about the door, please fill me in."
Then the scent hit his nostrils, the smell of a mint chocolate cake. His favorite. Around that moment, Tails whipped himself around and noticed a party themed banner hanging over the window behind the couch. The fox then saw a card sitting on the coffee table next to him and picked it up. Opening it, two words in yellow colored ink seemed to jump out of the inside of it, alongside four familiar names written in black ink.
Welcome home.
"Surprise!"
And just like that, Tom, Maddie, Sonic, and Knuckles jumped out of their hiding spots as the word escaped from each of their lips.
At first, Tails was astounded by the sudden appearance of his family. Then the fox sniffled as he wiped his nose with the cuff of the glove on his injured arm, happy tears forming in his eyes.
"You guys," Tails choked. "H-how can it be?"
"Bud, this is your home," Tom replied as he came over to the kit, bent low, and hugged the crying fox. Sonic joined the two of them, gently lifting Tails' face up and swiping a tear from his fluffy cheeks.
"From the very first day we met, I knew that after our adventure was complete, I couldn't just let you go back to your homeworld, especially after what you told me in Siberia. And because of that, this is your home now, Tails."
"Plus, fox," Knuckles began. "When I realized that I was to stay, I made a secret vow to myself that I would do everything in my power as an echidna warrior to make you feel at home. With me. With us."
"How can it be?" Tails asked. Knuckles smiled slightly as Sonic spoke again.
"Okay, that 'How can it be.' You got that line from that one Lauren Daigle song, didn't you?"
"Don't know whatcha talkin' about," Tails replied, another tear escaping one eye as he smirked.
"The boys are right, you know Fluffer," Maddie said, clearing her throat.
"From the minute we met, I knew that in some way, shape or form, you were meant to stay."
Tails looked up at her through teary eyes. Then he looked at Tom, Knuckles, and then Sonic.
"But you all didn't have to step out of the way and do this for me," the kid said.
"No we didn't, but we did anyway, little guy," Maddie said.
"But why?" Tails asked, tears in his eyes, and a joyful smile on his face.
"Because, Half-Pint," Tom began. "We love you."
Tails then gave the sheriff another hug, smiling as he did so. He didn't need to even wipe the tears from his face.
"Love you… Dad." The kit whispered softly.
Tails then looked over at Maddie, and a sharp smile formed on his face.
"Love you too, Mom."
"Aw Tails," Maddie said. "Now you're making me cry."
Pretty soon, the whole family surrounded Tails in a group hug, and Ozzy got some of the love also. The older four laughed a little as Tails snickered due to the family dog licking the tears off of his face.
After a bit, the family finally went to the dinner table and began eating their evening meal- Chinese takeout. Dessert came afterward, and with Tails getting the bigger slice of the mint chocolate cake that Tom had actually baked all by himself the day before. After all that was said and done, the family found themselves back in the living room, and with the TV on, they found themselves, ironically enough, watching Jericho. Of course, either Tom, Maddie, Sonic and or Knuckles would have to cover Tails' eyes at certain points throughout the first few episodes of the show.
The young fox didn't seem to mind having this done to him. At intermission, Tails stated that he really liked the character, Robert Hawkins, but also stated that he really loved Jake Green's character arc. And that Jake was his favorite character, as in some ways, the kit could relate to him. However, as the night progressed, Tails, yet too tired from the medication to treat his snake bite, passed out and fell asleep, purring as he was surrounded by those he knew for sure, genuinely loved him, just for who he was...