Chapter Text
Maddie stared blankly up at the plain ceiling of her and Tom's bedroom. She very vaguely acknowledged the silent start of the house's vents blowing air. The droning sound didn't help her dim wish to go back to sleep. She knew full well she would take a long while for her to sleep again. She was too awake to even start.
At 1 a.m. as well, she thought to herself.
She lay there in barely seeable darkness, listening to Tom quietly snoring beside her, and started spacing out.
Until...
She realized there was a sound coming from somewhere else in the house.
Slightly confused, she strained her ears to listen closely to the noises muffled by the walls. She heard Ozzie running quickly downstairs and there was...someone or something else walking with him. She heard Ozzie jump on the couch and the other set of footsteps stopped, supposedly sitting on the couch with him. But who...
Seconds later, she heard the TV turn on with blaring volume. A yelp of surprise and she heard the TV quiet.
Oh.
Oh, she knew who that was.
Sighing, she got out of bed and slowly, so that Tom wouldn't also wake, and made her way towards the bedroom door. Opening it slowly, she crept down the stairs and in the direction of the living room. Even from other rooms, she heard the faint sound of the channels, switching between news channels, sitcoms, and the occasional cartoon. Slowly, she entered the living room and she saw the hog that had invited himself in sitting on the couch in the dark, dressed in an oversized alien T-shirt with a resting Ozzie. He didn't even look at her and seemed to be deciding whether or not this program was worth leaving be. Very quietly, she reached over to the remote lying next to him. As soon as she grabbed it, she flicked it towards the TV and changed the channel, changing it to the news.
Sonic was visibly taken aback and looked to where the remote was, looked up and saw Maddie.
"Ah!", he yelled in shock, alarming Ozzie as well. But then he broke out laughing.
"Don't sneak up on me like that!" he said mid-way giggling. Maddie chortled with the laughing hedgehog. But, still noting in her mind about him breaking the rules on bedtime, stopped a few moments later. Placing the remote on one of the tables in the room, she sat down with him, arms crossed. "Soooo, what are you doing staying up late then?" She said this casually but with a note of smug disapproval. Sonic raised his hand and was about to answer with a wide smile on his face only to drop both and replace it with hesitancy and, to Maddie's confusion, a slightly dejected look on his face.
"Well, I was..." he began, seeming like he was having trouble figuring out what to say, his expression becoming more and more unreadable.
"I...I felt ho-"
Then his eyes widened. "Ooooh, right!" He said, somewhat loudly. "Not supposed to be up at this hour! Heh heh heh..." he laughed and smiled nervously. Maddie looked at him with a concerned look. Sonic's nervous smile hung for a few seconds and then dropped, as he turned his head to look down at the floor.
"Alright, I'll go to bed."
"Are you feeling okay, sweetie?" Maddie asked concernedly, putting a hand on the hedgehog's shoulder. Sonic looked at her and pulled up a small smile again. "Yeah! Totally! I'm greeeeat!"
He could already tell she didn't buy it.
Dropping the fake smile, he sighed "Okay, okay. I was...feeling...a little jittery being away from Green Hills. A little bit...queasy since..."
He stopped there with an uneasy look on his face. Maddie wanted to know more about the last bit since it sounded like the main reason he came here. But...it didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it.
She sighed and said "Well, you're always welcome back in Green Hills." putting a hand on his back and giving him a small pat. Sonic smiled appreciatively.
A slight pause followed, with the news channels monotonous droning still going.
"Could I have a glass of milk before I go to bed?" Sonic asked. Maddie replied, doubtfully, "I dooon't think you can." Sonic gaped at her, clearly affronted. "Milk is poisonous to hedgehogs! Don't blame me!" She replied defensively.
Dropping his angered face at this, he annoyedly said "Okay, water, how bout that? Can you get me that?"
Maddie scoffed "Get it yourself, fastest thing alive."
"Sorry, Pretzel Lady," he smugly replied, scooching his legs underneath Ozzie's front paws, "but I have been claimed by the great Ozzie."
"You have not!" She exclaimed, grabbing him by his large shirt and attempting to drag him out from under the dogs' legs. "AH! NONONONONO!" Sonic laughed as he held on to Ozzie's paws to prevent being pulled away. Ozzie was incredibly befuddled by this and proceeded to get up, causing Sonic to lose his grip. "Haha!" Maddie laughed in triumph, holding Sonic around his sides like a baby. After putting him on the ground upright and straightening up, Sonic, knowing he had lost, looked up at Maddie and puffed his cheeks in annoyance. "Don't give me that face! Go get your water!" Maddie teased. Sonic giggled mischievously, smiled, and in the blink of an eye, zoomed towards the kitchen.
Collapsing back on the couch, Maddie grinned. It had been a long time since she first met the little blue blur. The day her husband came to her sisters' house with a wrecked up truck and an unconscious anthropomorphic hedgehog asking her to nurse it back to health was certainly a life-changing one. She could remember her being completely dumbfounded about the little creature that was laying on the counter. And being concerned as well after seeing the state of his torn up shoes. The kid and Tom seemed to have bonded before getting there to her. They cared a lot for each other. Tom was acted like a father when talking to Sonic and she knew why. Sonic was an endearing little kid, though hyperactive and sometimes a bit arrogant, he always meant well.
Taking him in was a big decision, but she and Tom didn't regret it. The kid was always so upbeat and happy to partake in even the most simple everyday tasks with them. He was excited to be part of a family and a whole community. Recently, he started leaving the house more with Tails and a new friend called Amy, who was also an alien hedgehog. There was also mention of an echidna named Knuckles, whose name alone was strange, who never seemed to accompany them, apparently being too busy to come along. From what she heard about these hangouts, Sonic was showing his friends all the cool things about Earth that he could show them without straying too far out of town. Both of them were fascinated by nature and life in Green Hills, Amy taking a bit more interest in plant life while Tails liked to study and befriend the Earth's animals, though he was making slow progress. It made her happy to see Sonic having so much fun, especially since his long isolation from anyone was a crushing thing for any child to have to go through. Now he was happy and safe and...
As her trance of reminiscing broke, she realized a few things.
One, she should probably get to bed as she had work in the morning.
Two, Sonic was taking an unnecessarily long time to get water. Now listening, he seemed to be turning the faucet on and off very quickly.
Three, the words blue devil had appeared on the TV...
"-of recent sightings of a strange creature that has been claimed to be roaming the streets and buildings of Station Square, Vancouver. The creature appears to be a foot and a half tall, spiky in outlines, and a bright shade of blue according to witnesses. Some say that the description of the creature seen resembled the details of the cryptid named the Blue Devil, which made its first appearance in Green Hills, Montana." Maddie went still and silent. And judging from the lack of sound from the kitchen, Sonic had heard the reporter too.
"As to why it is being sighted here and not in its rural hometown, nobody is quite sure. But the public has been enthused by this new phenomenon."
The report ended. Maddie just sat there and thought to herself. Oh god...
How many times was Sonic seen? Did the government know? Was the military out for him already? And how far did news like this spread?
Trying to calm herself, she switched to a new channel which looked like a discussion channel. "-the recent disasters happening in Station Square, is it plausible to assume that the Blue Devil is a sign of danger or omen of oncoming doom?" What? That didn't make sense. Why would a thing people thought they saw be an omen of doom? And what disasters could have happened to think that?
Sonic still hadn't come out of the kitchen
She switched the channel again. Another news channel, a more somber report in place. "Today, thousands mourn the loss and destruction of Station Square. At approximately 3:30 p.m. yesterday, a flash flood swept through the entire city-"
A glass dropped in the kitchen. "What the-" Sonic zoomed into the room and took the remote out of Maddie's hand.
"L-lets switch to something more fun, huh?" he joked, visibly shaking.
"Honey, did you just..." Maddie trailed off. Clicking the channel button on the remote, the TV switched to another news channel. "Many people have made out of the flooded buildings safely and those injured are being treated but all are shaken by the-"
Sonic switched again and Maddie could hear him breathing shakily
"Sonic, are you-" "Yeah, I'm good!" His voice broke slightly.
Switch.
Another report.
"Hundreds were injured and hospitalized after the immense water ru-"
Switch.
More news.
"Over 900 injured and almost 200 found d-" "N-no." He croaked.
Switch.
"The Blue Devil was sighted in the aftermath-" "Nonononono, stop!" His face felt hot.
Switch.
"-thought I saw water in the form of a monster!" "STOP IT!" He was sparking.
Switch.
"Thousands of property, stores, and homes were de-" "SHUT UP!" He was sending sparks in all directions.
"Sonic!"
Switch, switch, switch. They were all the same thing. The same news. The same disaster.
Sonic shrieked in anguish. He dropped to the floor, rolling up into a ball, trying to block out the sounds of the TV. He had to keep it in this time, he couldn't let it out again, he could not mess up again. He had dropped the remote. Maddie swiftly picked it up and turned off the TV. The screen went black and the sound died.
Sonic was violently sobbing, still rolled up and sparking. Maddie looked down at the poor hedgehog. She didn't understand what was going on, it was all chaos in her head. She crouched down to the hedgehog. He was still shaking greatly
"Sonic?" She said tentatively
No response. He unfurled slightly and she could see his sad, reddened eyes.
"Hey, sweetie. It...it's okay, I'm here," she told him in an attempt to comfort him "I'm here."
Sonic sniffed and squeezed his eyes shut, allowing a few sobs. He fully unfurled and said, voice broken, "I need to step out for a second." "Sonic, honey-" She reached out to him. But he was gone in a flash and she heard the door slam.
Maddie stood up, thoroughly concerned and disturbed. She then heard fast footsteps coming down the stairs. "Maddie? Maddie?!" Tom shouted, "Anyone here?" Maddie rushed out of the living room. She saw Tom as he turned towards her and walked over briskly. "What happened?," He asked with a slightly panicked and serious tone, "I heard screaming." "Calm down," Maddie replied trying to calm him, although frightened as well. "It...it was Sonic. He saw some disaster reports on the news and freaked out for some reason." Tom looked more worried. "I-is he okay? Where is he now?" He asked, uneasy and stuttering. Maddie looked towards the door "He ran off just now, I-I don't know where he went!" She was freaking out, pacing quickly. Sonic could be anywhere, alone, crying, and sad. Just the thought scared her even more.
"OH, phone, PHONE!" She exclaimed, starting to feel in her pockets. Not there. "Do you have your phone?" She asked, slightly frantic. "Aaaah, somewhere!" Tom responded, looking around wildly. He rushed back upstairs while Maddie tried to calm herself, biting her nails. She started turning on lights as though to distract herself. Turning on the kitchen lights, she saw the broken glass she heard Sonic drop. Ozzie then walked up to her. She saw the golden dog looked as worried as her. He must have hidden in another room while Sonic was breaking down. "It's... i-it's okay, Ozzie," She patted the dogs head "Sonic will be back." Maddie shakily consoled, hoping what she said was right.
Tom came back down, already dialing in the number. "Alright, alright. Let's hope he had his phone on him." Tom said breathlessly, pressing call and putting the phone on speaker. They both waited with bated breath.
First ring, nothing.
Second ring, nothing.
Third ring, nothing.
Tom broke the silence, "Come on, Sonic..."
Fourth ring, nothing.
Fifth ring, nothing
Last ring.
He picked up.
"Heeeeey, Donut Lord. What's up?"
Both Tom and Maddie exhaled in relief. "Not much, little buddy. How bout you? Where are you?" Tom responded. "Uh, the Green Hills school baseball field. I'm just, y'know, chilling." Tom chuckled slightly "Good to know, Chilli Dog Duke." Sonic snorted "Is- is that my new nickname now? Chilli Dog Duke? Seriously?" He replied half snarky, half appreciatively. Maddie looked at Tom, eyebrow raised. "What?" Tom replied slightly defensive. "He called me Donut Lord, I can call him something stupid too!" Sonic fell silent on the other end and asked hesitantly "I-is that Maddie? Is she there?" Maddie, immediately worried, quickly said, "Now don't hang up okay? We...we just want to talk to you."
Sonic was quiet for a moment. "So did you already tell Tom about...y'know?"
Tom frowned. "No, only that you freaked out at the news. And also I heard you yelling from upstairs."
"Oh, heh heh. Yeah, I...I..."
Maddie and Tom waited for him to finish. He picked back up with an attempt at a casual tone "So...I'm guessing you want me to come back to the house? And ground me for running off or something?" "What?," Maddie said taken aback "Sonic, I just watched your breakdown in front of the TV and you almost exploded." She paused. "We want to help you..."
Sonic didn't speak.
"I don't know what's going in your head or why you were freaking about those reports, but Tom and I want to help you."
No response.
"We want you to be happy, Sonic," Tom said. "We don't want you to feel upset or anything like that. We just...want to help."
A long silence.
They heard sniffling and small sobs on the other end. "Oh, kiddo," Maddie said sympathetically. "It's alright." "We love you, little guy," Tom consoled. "We love you." The hedgehog continued sobbing, sounding like he was attempting to restrain it.
He didn't.
He started sobbing, louder and louder.
They didn't speak, they just stayed silent, letting the poor boy on the phone cry his heart out.
Suddenly, he hung up. This startled both of them until they heard a rapid knocking on the door, causing Ozzie to start barking. Tom tried to shush the dog while Maddie rushed over to the door and swung it open. Looking downwards, the little hedgehog met her eyes. His face was red, wet with tears, and screwed up with a sad expression. Tom came and looked at the hedgehog as well. Sonic smiled slightly upon seeing both of them in the doorway. Tom and Maddie reflected the smile.
Sonic looked like he might crying again. He spread his arms out, gesturing for a hug. Both of the couple lowered themselves onto their knees and hugged the hedgehog, with him hugging both of them back. His sobs started up again and got louder than ever. He gave off tiny electric sparks, but not much else. "Hey hey hey, it's okay kid," Tom said quietly "it's okay." Sonic's sobs seemed to grow louder with every second passing. Maddie started rubbing Sonic's back between his spikes.
They just stayed there for a few minutes, in the doorway, the little hedgehogs sniffs and sobs getting quieter and quieter, until finally stopping. Tom pulled away slightly to look at Sonic. The kid was still sad, but he seemed to be too tired to cry much more. He met Toms eyes and smiled sadly. He slowly pulled himself back from the hug and said "I should probably get to bed, huh?" Tom and Maddie looked at each other and looked back at their small son. "Yeah, you probably should." Tom said softly. Sonic started torwards the attic's trapdoor
"But," Tom said, raising his voice slightly before Sonic could speed off "can you promise to tell us what's up in the morning?"
Sonic stopped and turned slowly. He was hesitant.
But...
"Yeah...I guess I should tell you."
"Alright. Sounds good." Tom said quietly. Him and Maddie stood up.
They opened up the attic ladder and Sonic sped off to bed without further comment. After cleaning up the broken glass Sonic had dropped, they started trudging off to bed themselves. And as they laid down on their bed, Tom and Maddie both made mental notes to call their workplaces to tell them they'd be late. Something told them there would be a lot of talking in the morning.