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"Sonic- SONIC!!"
Sonic groaned when he heard his name being called, and he snapped to attention nearly immediately. His vision was blurry, his memory was all foggy, his head was killing him, and it was scary. He smelled smoke nearby, too. Ugh- not good. Definitely not good. He was suddenly pulled into someone's arms, and as Sonic's vision came to, he realized that he was being hugged by Knuckles. "Urgh," he mumbled. "K-.. Knuckles?" Sonic groaned as he weakly hugged his older brother back.
"Sonic," Knuckles muttered gruffly against the hedgehog's shoulder. He pulled away for a moment, and Sonic missed his brother's touch already. "You're okay."
Sonic nodded weakly, but he flinched a little when he heard two other voices shrieking, "SONIC!" Before the hedgehog could process who was calling his name, two pairs of arms wrapped around him.
Sonic blinked slowly, and he hesitantly wrapped his arms around the both of them. "..Mom?" Sonic said, voice breaking a little, "Dad?"
"We're here, baby," Maddie whispered. "Sonic, what happened?" Tom asked at the same time.
"I- I can't.. remember." Sonic muttered lamely, honestly just wanting to stay in his parents' arms.
"Where's Tails?" Knuckles asked suddenly, and Sonic was alert instantly. The hedgehog looked behind him, as if expecting to see his little brother- but he was met with a destroyed building.
The building that Sonic and Tails carelessly ran into. If Tails wasn't here with Sonic, then-..
"TAILS!!" Sonic shrieked all of a sudden, getting up and starting to make a run to the building- but Tom held him back. "Tom- stop, stop, I need to-!"
"The building is destroyed, Sonic," Tom said quietly, voice wavering, "It's barely anything but rubble, there isn't any sense to look."
"But I have to!" Sonic cried, "I- I promised him! I- I promised that I'd protect him, I promised that I- I'd keep him safe!! I-.. I promised that I'd make sure nothing happens to him.."
Tom let out a shaky sigh. "I- I know, buddy," he muttered, pulling Sonic close to him, rubbing his back. "But- but we don't know that Tails is- is hurt." he said softly.
"Tom's right," Maddie murmured, "Tails could be alright, baby."
"But- but you don't know that," Sonic sobbed, sniffling as he buried his face into Tom's chest. "Y- you don't know that, and Tails could be-" he cut himself off instantly before beginning to wail.
Knuckles stayed silent as the hedgehog wailed. He kept staring at the collapsed building, as if hoping that somehow, Tails would just appear.
He didn't. Sonic's wails didn't stop, in fact, they got louder with every passing second. Maddie and Tom were both kneeling down to the younger, hugging him and whispering gentle comforts into his ear- but they didn't help.
Tails was gone, and there was nothing Sonic could do, or-
"It's Miles!" Knuckles said suddenly.
The others barely had time to react before Tails came crashing down in front of them. The kit was immediately pulled into Knuckles' arms. "Miles." Knuckles whispered, clearly relieved.
Tails blinked slowly. "K- Knuckles." He mumbled into the other's shoulder, sighing a little with relief.
"Miles!" Maddie cried, standing up. Tom stood up too, and Sonic turned around. Knuckles let go of Tails, and before Tails could even do or say anything, Sonic tackled the young kit in a tight hug. "TAILS!" he bawled, pulling Tails close, "Tails, never do that to me again!" he cried uncontrollably, "Never, ever, ever!!"
Tails yelped in surprise at the sudden hug, but he quickly hugged the older back. "I- I'm sorry!" he squeaked, "I'm sorry." He repeated, a little softer this time.
"You're sorry?" Sonic cried, "It's my fault for not protecting you!" he tightened his grip onto his baby brother, still crying.
"But I'm okay," Tails whispered, patting his brother's back, "I'm alright."
Sonic sniffed. "I- I know," he whispered, burying his face, "I know you're okay."
Tails smiled softly in response before burying his own face.
The others came over shortly after, a soft smile on Maddie's face. "Let's go home now, alright?" She muttered.
Sonic nodded, but he didn't let go of Tails. "Th- that sounds good." He whispered, sniffling. "That sounds good." He repeated shakily.
Maddie woke up that night to the sound of small footsteps and the sound of the door to her and her husband's room. She blinked tiredly when she felt a soft, furry paw touching her hand. "Sonic..?" she muttered sleepily, opening her eyes.
"Sorry for waking you, Mom," Sonic muttered, and even in the darkness, Maddie could tell her son had been crying. "What's the matter, hun...?" she yawned, reaching to turn on the lamp and sitting up.
"I, uh- couldn't sleep," Sonic murmured, fidgeting with his paws. "Could I-..?"
Maddie nodded, scooting over so that Sonic could sit next to her. "Wanna talk about it?" she asked, voice gentle.
Sonic hesitated before leaning against Maddie's shoulder and murmuring, "I almost lost Tails today. I- it was all my fault." His voice wavered, and he sniffed a bit.
Maddie frowned deeply. She pulled Sonic closer to her and pressed a kiss to the top of his forehead. "It wasn't your fault, baby," she whispered, "Miles came out fine, didn't he?"
Sonic sniffled once more. "I know, but- but he almost died, and I-.. I could've lost him again." He choked, burying his face into his mom's chest.
"But you didn't lose him," Maddie reminded her second oldest son, "Your.. your little brother is okay."
"I- I know," Sonic repeated, "But it was still really scary."
"I know, honey," Maddie whispered, "It would be scary for anyone who had a situation like that."
Sonic didn't say anything at this, he just continued sniffling and crying softly, Maddie gently running her fingers through Sonic's quills. Suddenly though, there were some light paw steps down the hall, and as Maddie looked up, she saw her youngest son peeking into the room, his ears drooping.
"Miles?" Maddie blinked, tilting her head to the side, "What are you doing up, baby..?" she asked softly.
"I, um- I woke up, 'n Sonic wasn't there," Tails answered a little nervously, "I was worried, so-.. so I went to check."
Maddie smiled softly at that, and Sonic turned to face his baby brother with a small smile. He wiped the remaining tears from his eyes. "H- hi, Tails," he smiled weakly, "I- I'm okay." He held his arms out for the youngest to crawl into.
Tails smiled back at his brother before obliging, collapsing against Sonic's chest with a relaxed smile, huddling up against the hedgehog and burying his face. Sonic smiled a little, and he held Tails close to him, resting his chin on the other's head with a relaxed smile. He seemed a lot more relaxed now that Tails was in his arms, and Maddie couldn't help but smile. "My babies." she murmured, pulling them closer and kissing their cheeks.
"Mom!" Sonic giggled, "Ew! I'm getting germs!" He joked, and Maddie playfully rolled her eyes. Tails simply grinned before saying, "We just need Knuckles, and then we'll all be together."
And then, as if Knuckles were being summoned, the echidna practically stomped into the room.
That was finally when Tom awoke, snorting a little as he sat up tiredly. "Whuzzat-?"
Maddie snorted a bit as well as she saw her oldest, and she grinned a little. "Knuckles?"
"My brothers disappeared," Knuckles huffed, "I went to look for them."
"We're right here, Knucklehead!" Sonic said, grinning. He was definitely in a much better mood now.
"Why are you the ones getting hugs from Mother?" Knuckles demanded suddenly, frowning and crossing his arms.
"Because we're her babies!" Sonic teased, sticking his tongue out at the oldest. "And you're not!"
"Sonic, sweetie-"
"No fair!" Knuckles interrupted Maddie, "I am Mother's baby too!" He began charging towards them, and Sonic yelped, attempting to scramble out of Maddie's grasp, but he was crushed by Knuckles as he hugged Maddie, huddling against her.
"Ow- get offa me!" Sonic yelped while Tails just laughed.
"Boys, calm down, please-" Maddie sighed as she adjusted herself so that all the boys could rest against her comfortably.
"I just had to be woken up at 2 in the morning for this." Tom grunted, but Maddie's husband sat up as well, yawning a little.
"Hi, Donut Lord," Sonic grinned a little, scrambling from Maddie's grasp so that he could hug the tired man.
"Yeah, yeah, hey, kiddo." Tom yawned, gently scritching from behind the hedgehog's ears- he found out recently that Sonic enjoyed that.
Knuckles took that opportunity to snuggle against Maddie with a small smile. "I am your baby too, right Mother?" He said.
Maddie giggled a bit as she stroked Knuckles' fur. "Yes, Knuckles," she smiled, "You're my baby too."
Knuckles grinned, and he buried his face into the other's chest.
Maddie smiled, and she held her boys close and glanced over to her husband and her first son, who looked much happier.
They'd be safe.