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The house was void of its day-by-day pure commotion of laughter. The residents sleeping in their beds, the moonlight seeping from the windows and along their bodies. Then there was the absence of the typical family chatter in the broad kitchen, or vast living room, of the beloved cottage.
Shadow opened the front door with upmost caution; practiced from stealth missions over the last few decades. He would close the door, successful in nullifying the creaks.
The agent exhaled through his nose, relieved. The day had been arduously prolonged. From days spent in the field, to the nights resting on the nature’s grounds. Then attending the required meetings with the Commander about the events, to the paperwork that had to be signed and written out to higher ups.
But he was home now. The smell of a clean house meeting his nose, the ruffle of the carpet as he took off his shoes to place against the border, and the sights of his family pictures on the wall. The smiling faces of his dear husband and daughter through the years prompting a smile on Shadow’s face.
The memories rushed back to him. Celerity at five, finding a chao garden when she wondered off in a race with her fathers. Her and her dad were sitting together on the grass with cheerful smiles on their faces. Another, Celerity was seven, they were in the cafe at the library, it was after they checked out some books to homeschool her. Then there was her photo from last year, at twelve, wrapped around by Shadow’s arm after they went one midnight to get ice cream on his motorcycle she desperately wished to ride.
She was fourteen now, and it was still not happening.
He trudged as quietly as he could. He faced down the hall at the end where him and his dearest share a bed. Tonight the walk seemed too much, his limbs feeling too heavy. Hopefully Sonic wouldn’t worry as the agent walked around to drop his body onto the couch, bringing a stiff decorative pillow under his head.
He smelt the scents then. The smell of citrus and floral petals. His family. He clutched the pillow closer, nose whiffing to smell the floral more. His daughter has probably been spending her homeschooling break lazing on the couch, taking after her dad. That won’t do, she was supposed to be her papa’s productive clone. His little-me. A smile came on his face anyway.
There was the sound of a door opening down the hall, making Shadow sigh. Shit. He could forget the little-me thought when he smelt floral petals down the hall. He could forgo the thought especially when she took after him in advance olfactory and auditory senses.
Well, she took after him entirely. With his dominant Black Arm genealogy, she inherited all of his advanced aptitudes. She even looked like him, startling him a bit when she was born from his womb.
He looked up to see her glowing red eyes stare down at him at the end of the couch. Her striped quills were in disarray from the minimal sleep she got. A pair of lavender jammies enfolded her small frame. A large blanket draped over her shoulders and pooled at the floor.
No word was spoken yet as Celerity moved forward. She maneuvered her way to take place between the couch and her papa. The couch was barely wide enough to hold the two, so Shadow scootched inwards as he pulled the sizable blanket over their bodies. “You have a bed if I recall correctly,” Shadow whispered, arms wrapped around to pull Celerity close to his chest. Her white muzzle buried in his fur.
Her red eyes stared back at his, the same shade, and the same glower. “And if I recall correctly you have a bed too, I think I slept in it before,”
Shadow sighed. “You have been spending too much time with your father to be talking back to me,”
“You have been spending too much time at work to set a better example for me,”
Shadow couldn’t help but snort at that one. “Oh, is that so?’
“It is so,” She nuzzled his white fur. “I miss you,” was spoken quietly.
“I miss you too my love,” Shadow combed his claws through Celerity’s quills, smoothing down the tangles, then pressed gentle lips on her forehead. “Goodnight, I’ll be right here with you,”
Celerity’s eyes fluttered close, and she tucked her face into his crest. Her arm squeezed around his waist, pulling him closer.
Shadow couldn’t help but internally fawn over his young. That protectiveness he had coming to raise his quills despite the lack of threat…for now.
-0-
There was a clicking sound that perked Shadow’s ear.
He turned over to see Sonic holding up his phone, both hands used to provide the best angle.
“Cute, that’s going to be my new wallpaper this month,” Sonic muttered.
Shadow huffed. It was good to be home.