The Other: Chapter 2

Cosmo sat quietly on the couch in Vanilla's living room next to Amy, her hands folded in her lap as she anxiously kicked her feet back and fourth. Amy sat casually as she thumbed through a magazine, which she had picked up from Vanilla's coffee table out of boredom. Vanilla did similarly, looking through a book which she held in one hand, while sipping on a cup of tea she held in the other. Cream sat on the love-seat adjacent to the couch, giggling as she and Cheese played a game of rock-paper-scissors. It had been almost an hour since the broadcast of Eggman's attack on Mobotropolis had ended and Cosmo seemed to be the only one in the room who was still continuing to worry. Amy briefly glanced up from her magazine to see the worried face of her alien friend, giving a short sigh before looking back down at her magazine.

"Cosmo, you're going to worry yourself to death." Amy said while reading, "They're all fine. This isn't the first time one of them has been hurt like this."

"How can you be sure?" Cosmo asked anxiously, "Didn't you see what happened to him? I've never seen so much blood! He must be hurting terribly! How can you be so calm about this? What if it were Sonic that was hurt instead of Tails?"

"SONIC WAS HURT!?" Amy screeched, almost leaping out of her seat, "WHERE IS MY SONIKKU!? I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF HIM!"

"Amy, Sonic is fine, please calm down," Vanilla said in a mellow tone while taking another sip of her tea, "and you should too Cosmo. Tails will be fine. They're bringing him here and we will care for him until he is well again."

"But what if he's severely hurt?" Cosmo continued to panic, "What if he's lost too much blood? What if he's never able to use that arm again!? He could-"

"You can spend your whole life thinking of 'what ifs', dear, and make yourself sick," Vanilla said in a firm, yet calm voice, "or you can save your worries until you know for certain. Don't worry, Tails will be all right. He has his friends and you to look after him. I don't think he could be in better hands."

"I'm just… afraid." Cosmo said in a quiet voice, "I-I don't want to lose him again."

"When exactly did you lose him?" Amy asked absentmindedly, "I thought he lost you."

Vanilla looked up from her book after hearing Cosmo say this, tilting her head to the side as a thoughtful expression befell her face. She then placed a bookmark snugly in between the pages of the book she was reading, setting it on the end table next to her chair along with her cup of tea. Vanilla looked over at the melancholy seedrian sitting on the couch, who looked back at the elder rabbit with sad eyes.

Vanilla patted her lap gently as she gestured for Cosmo to come to her. "Sit with me dear," she said with a warm smile, "humor an old rabbit."

Cosmo tilted her head to the side, getting up slowly and walking over to where Vanilla sat. She cautiously climbed up into the rabbit's lap, at Vanilla's discretion, sitting just on the edge of her leg where she had indicated. Vanilla smiled down pleasantly at Cosmo as she placed a gentle hand on her back, speaking in a motherly tone.

"It was hard on you, wasn't it," Vanilla asked in a soft voice, "when you were gone? Tails wasn't the only one suffering, was he?"

Cosmo was silent, seeming to grow very distant as she thought heavily on how she should respond to the question. After not saying anything for some time, the young plant girl nodded her head slightly.

"When you die, time stops." Cosmo spoke softly, "A thousand years can pass and it will only seem like a day, and a day can pass and it seem like a thousand years. Tails waited two months for me, but… I waited for him forever… I-does that make any sense?"

"It makes perfect sense dear." Vanilla said understandingly.

"And for a while, I thought I would have to wait until he got old and… before I would be able to see him again." Cosmo continued, "When mother told me I could go back, I couldn't have been more happy, but it still took so very long. I don't want to be separated from him again, Miss Vanilla. I don't want to have to wait to show him I love him any longer. He-he needs that."

"And… you need it too?" Vanilla inquired, which provoked a sigh from Cosmo.

"It doesn't matter what I need," Cosmo said, "just so long as he's happy."

"Sweetheart, your happiness is just as important as Tails' is," Vanilla said, "it's okay that you came back for yourself too. I am perfectly aware that you need to be loved by him. There is no shame in admitting that."

"I didn't want to sound selfish," Cosmo replied modestly, "but… yes, I do."

"I know," Vanilla said with a slight laugh, "we all know, and you should know that you have it. You're not going to lose him, sweetie. Miracles like the one that brought you back are not so easily undone. He has his friends, a powerful protector, and most importantly, he has you. I doubt he could leave all of that behind. Don't think, and don't worry! Everything will be all right, I promise."

Cosmo fell silent again, lowering her head meekly as she stared at the floor. A small frown fell upon her face as she began to process what the wise rabbit had just said to her, which soon became a smile as she looked into Vanilla's warm and caring eyes. Cosmo then leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Vanilla's waist, hugging her affectionately.

"Thank you, Miss Vanilla." Cosmo said sniffling slightly as she felt tears welling up in her eyes, "You have been so helpful to me ever since I came here. I don't think I would have made it this long without you. I love you."

"I love you too, dear," Vanilla said stroking the back of Cosmo's head, "and you know that you don't have to thank me. That's what I'm here for."

Cosmo sat up and smiled again, which Vanilla returned pleasantly. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, causing Cosmo leapt up from Vanilla's lap violently, nearly flipping the chair backwards in the process.

"OOF! Cosmo, be careful!" Vanilla cautioned the once more panicked seedrian.

"THEY'RE HERE!" Cosmo cried, not hearing Vanilla's warning, "Oh, I hope Tails is all right!"

Cosmo grabbed the doorknob and quickly threw the door open, hoping to see that her boyfriend had recovered in the time it had taken to walk to Green Hill Zone. Instead, Cosmo gasped in horror at what she saw. Sonic stood in front of the door, still cradling Tails in his arms as he tried his best to fake a pleasant grin. Tails tried to smile as well, but was less convincing than Sonic due to the pain he was experiencing. Behind Sonic and Tails were Knuckles and Shadow, with the black hedgehog still supporting the echidna on his shoulder. Nether Shadow or Knuckles attempted to fake pleasantries, as both appeared to be quite irritable about the entire situation. Behind them stood Jaran Kai with his arms crossed, looking just as apathetic as always.

"Err-hey, Cos!" Sonic said trying to be humorous about the situation, "Just thought we would drop in and-"

"TAILS!!!" Cosmo shrieked, immediately doting over the two tailed fox, "Are you all right? What happened!?"

"H-hey, Cosmo…" Tails said in a weak voice, obviously feeling drained from loss of blood, "I'll b-be okay. It's not that big of a deal."

"You're a bad liar." Kai remarked dryly, then focused on Cosmo, "He was shot in the shoulder. The bone has been shattered and the bullet is still inside."

Cosmo gave another shriek, gesturing for Sonic to bring Tails inside and lay him on the sofa. Sonic shot a glare at Kai before complying, speaking angrily at the human male.

"Nice job," said the hedgehog contemptuously, "way to put it lightly. Now she's even more worried!"

"Yes, because if we lie to her Tails will get all better." Kai retorted sarcastically.

Sonic walked inside and gently placed Tails on the main sofa next to Amy, who jumped up to give the fox more room. Vanilla gasped upon seeing Tails' wounds, quickly dashing into the back of the house towards the bathroom.

"I'll get the first aid kit!" The rabbit said quickly as she disappeared into the back of the house, only to reappear moments later toting a large white box with a red cross on the front. Shadow scoffed as he carried Knuckles into the house, sitting him in the recliner where Vanilla had previously sat.

"Did you stuff a physician in there, too?" Shadow asked sarcastically.

"Six years of scraped knees and finger boo-boos make one prepared." Vanilla remarked, "Besides, it's not as thought we haven't used this time and again."

"Hah, you'll never have to use any of those mediocre treatments on me." Shadow said in an overly confident voice, "I'm the ultimate life form. I can't be harmed."

"You remember that when your fights with Eggman become more dangerous," Vanilla said in a sour tone, "because I promise you my first aid kit and I won't be there to help you."

"Whatever." Shadow grunted, walking over to the love seat and placing himself next to cream.

As Kai began to enter the house, he managed to hit his head on the top of the doorframe with a hard thud, since the door was designed to accommodate mobians who were on average no taller than four feet, rather than a six-foot-tall human. Kai gave a low grunt as the pain grew more intense, rubbing the sore spot on his head with his fingers. He then noticed that some of the occupants of the room were staring at him awkwardly. He quickly resumed his normal demeanor, speaking in a voice that could barely be identified as humorous.

"No one saw that." Kai said closing the door behind him.

All the while Cosmo had been examining Tails, looking over his wounds with a terrified expression. She took her hand and gently ran it through his bangs, trying to be as comforting as she could while he was in pain. "Oh… sweetie, it looks awful!" Cosmo said softly, "Try not to move too much until we can figure out what to do. We'll make sure you get better, I promise."

"I know," Tails said forcing a smile, "I have you to look out for me, so I know I'll be okay."

"Tails…" Cosmo said as her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink.

"Well, you said you were a field medic," Shadow growled at Kai, "so fix him."

Kai said nothing, walking over to Tails and kneeling beside the couch next to Cosmo. He then looked over his shoulder, speaking to Vanilla. "Vanilla, do you have a pair of tweezers and a scalpel?" Asked the human.

"Miss Vanilla," corrected the elder rabbit, "and I do have tweezers, but no scalpel. Why?"

"The bullet is still inside the wound." Kai replied, "I need to remove it before I can repair the bone."

"Oh dear," Vanilla said, "I don't have a scalpel… but I might have a crafting knife. Will that do?"

"It will suffice." Kai answered her. Vanilla nodded her head, walking into the back of the house again to procure the cutting tool. Cosmo then looked up at Kai with a frightened expression on her face.

"Why do you need a knife?" The seedrian girl asked in a fearful voice, "Can't you just pull it out?"

"If the bullet was hollow point then it will have expanded after entering the body," Kai explained, "which means I would do more damage by just pulling it out. Besides, if the projectile broke apart, and I seriously hope it didn't, there will be shrapnel to deal with, which will require more time and effort."

"Will… will it hurt him?" Cosmo asked with pleading eyes.

"Not as much as it would ordinarily," Kai replied, "I can dull the pain centers of his brain, but it still won't be comfortable. I'm sorry about this Tails."

"It's fine Jaran," Tails replied with an annoyed expression, "I've had worse."

"Yeah, like that time Eggman smacked you into a wall." Knuckles commented tactlessly, "I thought you would never get out of that cast!"

"If you wouldn't mind keeping those comments to yourself," Kai said irritably, "I believe Cosmo has enough to worry about."

"Yeah? What are you going to do about it, Jaran?" Knuckles taunted back.

"You WILL call me by Kai, not Jaran!" Kai spat, "I don't know where you got the idea that you could use my first name!"

"But you let THEM use it!" Knuckles barked in response, "How come I can't?"

"I told you, I like them better." Kai said spitefully, "Now shut up."

Knuckles made no reply, simply crossing his arms as he grumbled to himself. Kai looked over his his shoulder in time to see Vanilla reenter the room again, walking over to where he knelt and handing him the small craft blade. Kai looked over the instrument closely, evaluating wether it would be an acceptable tool to perform the minor operation with. He then looked back at Vanilla, nodding in approval.

"I'll also need a few rags and a bowl of hot water if you can provide them." Kai requested.

"I'll get them from the kitchen." Vanilla replied, walking off again.

Kai then turned to Cosmo, who was focused solely on Tails as she tried to comfort him as best as she could. She turned her head and looked back at Kai, returning his stare with a questioning gaze off her own.

"Cosmo, I'm going to need you to help me." Kai said to her, "Once I remove the projectile his bleeding will increase. I need you to take the cloth I give you and press as hard as you can to staunch the blood flow. Can you do that?"

"Y-yes," Cosmo said, seeming unsure, "but… will it hurt him?"

"It will be painful, yes, but it will keep him from losing any more blood." Kai answered honestly.

"Oh… all right," Cosmo replied hesitantly, "I'll help in any way I can."

"Don't worry, Cosmo," Tails said to her with a half-hearted grin, "I really have been a lot worse. I'll be okay though."

"That doesn't help me at all, Tails!" Cosmo replied in a frustrated tone, "If these are the kinds of things that happen regularly when fighting Eggman then I'm not sure that I want you to fight anymore!"

"Cosmo, please," Tails moaned, "I can't just stop fighting. I have to be able to help my friends! Someone has to fight off Eggman."

"But why does it have to be you!?" Cosmo asked frantically, "Sonic, Shadow, and Knuckles can do it, can't they? I don't like seeing you hurt!"

"Glad you're so worried about us!" Knuckles said sarcastically.

"No, that's not what I mean!" Cosmo defended, "I do worry about you, all of you, but… I-I get scared, Tails. I need you here… and okay."

"I will be though, Cosmo." Tails said trying to quell her fears, "I'll always be okay as long as I have my friends. That's why we're all still alive, because we work as a team!"

"And we make an AWESOME team!" Sonic chimed in, flashing a confident grin at his surrogate brother.

"Here are the rags," Vanilla said, entering the room once again and setting the rags next to Kai, "and here is the water. Is there anything else you'll need?"

"No thank you, ma'am," Kai replied politely, "this will do. I'll get to the others as soon as Tails' situation is remedied."

"All right, I'll see what I can do about Knuckles' leg until then." Vanilla said, walking over to the sitting echidna to aid him with his broken leg.

Kai then turned back to face Tails, glancing between him and Cosmo with a frustrated expression on his face. Finally his gaze settled on Cosmo as he spoke to her in a low voice. "Grab onto his hand." He told her.

Cosmo did not hesitate, placing her hand in Tails' gloved one as he squeezed it gently. Tears began to fill the seedrian's eyes as she prepared to help Kai with this minor surgery. Tails noticed this and pulled his hand away from Cosmo's, bringing it to the side of her face as he wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumb and speaking as comfortingly as he possibly could in his current state.

"Hey," Tails whispered softly, "it'll be okay. I'll live. It's just a bullet, that's all."

"I know," Cosmo said, tears still trickling down her cheeks, "but… I'm just so afraid, Tails. I-I really thought I was going to lose you again today."

"What made you think that?" Tails chuckled, "I've had a lot worse before. This is nothing."

"Yes, but what if it's worse next time?" Cosmo asked, "What if something happens and- and no one can get to you in time? I don't want to think what might happen if I didn't have you any more. I-I need you, Tails."

Tails gave a light sigh, once again taking Cosmo's hand and caressing it as he spoke in a soft voice. "Cosmo, I know you worry sometimes," he began, "but you have to believe me. I promise I'm not going anywhere. At least, not without you anyway."

Even through her tears Cosmo could not help but smile. No matter how terrible the situation might be, Tails was always somehow able to bring a smile onto the petali's pretty face. Even she was not completely sure how he was able to consistently do this. Perhaps it was due to how close they had become recently. Over the course of the month that she had been living with Tails the two young lovers had grown to understand each other in ways that even their closest friends could not seem to fathom. A large part of this came from the daily interactions that took place between the two, but both Cosmo and Tails could not help but think that it was much more than that. Kai had often spoken of a close connection he sensed between the two, but was never very clear on what his meaning was, as if that were unusual for him. Still, both the fox and the flower had noticed that it had become easier to anticipate the other's actions and needs. Was this just love, or was there something more to it? Whatever the case, it remained a great source of comfort and contentment for both parties, even when they were suffering as Tails was now.

A loud canine yelp was suddenly heard throughout the room, as Kai began his attempt to retrieve the lodged projectile in the fox's shoulder. Tails squeezed his eyes shut and barred his fangs as he attempted to endure the pain of the crafting knife cutting into his flesh. Even still, Cosmo could see little tears streaming from the corners of his eyes as his wound once more began to fountain blood. Cosmo, fighting back tears of her own, squeezed his hand as tight as she could. Tails responded by squeezing it himself, so tightly in fact that Cosmo's hand began to hurt her. She beard through it though, knowing that the pain Tails was feeling right now was far greater. Less than a minute later, a light clinking sound was heard as Kai dropped a reddened metal pellet onto the coffee table.

"Done," Kai said simply, "and no shrapnel. Cosmo, press down with the cloth now. I need to wash my hands."

Cosmo did as she was told, taking the dry cloth she had been given and pressing it down on Tails' wound as hard as she could. Tails let out a grunt of pain, but not nearly as loudly as when Kai had removed the bullet. After a few moments the pain began to level out, as Tails laid limply on the couch while Cosmo attended to him.

"I am so sorry." Cosmo whispered softly as she ran her free hand through his bangs, "Is there anything I can do?"

"J-just… you… being here… is a-all I need." Tails said in a weak voice.

"Tails," Cosmo said, now no longer attempting to hold back her tears, "you look so miserable. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to help."

"Cosmo, I wouldn't want you in that kind of danger." Tails said, "I'm just glad you're here for me now."

"But I don't want you in danger, either!" Cosmo said somewhat loudly, catching the attention of the others in the room. She quickly placed her hand on her chest, closing her eyes and taking in deep breaths to try and calm herself. After regaining her composure, she continued to speak in a soft voice. "I can't stand seeing you hurt like this. Can't you just let the others handle it? Won't they be all right on their own?"

"Cosmo… I can't abandon them." Tails said regretfully, "We're all alive today because we work as a team. I owe them my whole life, and… I'm sure I've saved Sonic once or twice… maybe. Please, I promise I'll always be okay, but let me help them. I can't leave my friends."

Cosmo was silent for a moment, looking thoughtfully as she mulled over what Tails had said. While it was undeniable that she desperately wanted to see him safe, she knew that Tails was responsible for helping his friends in their battle against evil. Had it not been for his help, the whole galaxy would be on its knees by her father's hands. She realized that their world needed Tails, and if that were true then she would support him.

A slight smile began to form across the seedrian's lips as she reached toward Tails' head, scratching him behind his ears affectionately. Cosmo could not help but giggle as Tails made satisfied murmurs, leaning into her gentle touch as she scratched his canine sweet spot behind his ears.

"You're such a heroic fox, Tails." Cosmo spoke softly, "I love you."

"I love you too, my beautiful flower." Tails replied as the two leaned forward to kiss. This proved to be a mistake, however, as the weight of Cosmo's body pressing on his damaged shoulder became quite painful for Tails. "AGH!!!"

"OH, I'M SO SORRY!" Cosmo said backing away from Tails, "Are you all right?"

"Y-yeah," Tails said through clenched teeth, "just… hurts."

"That can be remedied." Kai said as he reentered the room, wiping his hands which he had just washed on his cloak, "Removing bullets is hard, fixing broken bones is easy."

"His shoulder blade is shattered." Shadow grunted, "How the hell is that an easy fix?"

"Remember that little trick I did in the hospital when Tails tried to-yes…" Kai's voice began to trail off at these words, but he quickly resumed speaking as though nothing had been said, "You honestly don't think I am incapable of doing that again, do you?"

Kai then lowered his palm over Tails' shoulder as a blue aura began to emanate from it. The aura grew in intensity, becoming an iridescent blue mist that washed over the fox and seemed to flow into the wound like a liquid. After a few moments Kai recoiled his hand and the aura dissipated, as he looked at Tails with a strange sense of vain pride at what he had just done.

---

"There, bone's healed," Kai said, "although you will find the puncture wound is still present. Cosmo, patch him up, please? I'll take care of Knuckles."

Cosmo continued to attend to Tails as Kai made a quick stride to the other side of the room where Knuckles sat. Knuckles began to clamor backwards in the recliner as if he were attempting to run from the human. "Don't you touch me, you crazy goon!" He shouted, "I don't need your help! You'll just make it worse!"

"Do you want to continue on with a broken leg?" Kai asked the echidna impatiently, "Because I'm sure I could find a much better application for my power than a piss-poor fighter."

"Look who's talking, Kai-guy!" Knuckles barked back at Kai, "You didn't even come until we were already hurt! A whole lot of good YOU did!"

"No, I came in after you were hurt." Kai said with a snide grin, "Didn't want to waist any energy on defending you."

"Would both of you please!?" Vanilla said to the two verbal combatants loudly, "Knuckles, Mister Kai is trying to help you, and at the moment, he's the only one who can! I suggest you accept his offer lest you remain a cripple for the rest of the day! And Mister Kai, I have had about enough of you being antagonistic! You can ether cease or leave my house! Do you both understand!?"

"Yes ma'am," Kai responded respectfully, "my apologies."

"We'll see…" Vanilla said, walking into the kitchen with a sour expression on her face.

"Kiss-ass." Knuckles mumbled under his breath.

"Go to hell, you dumb shit." Kai cursed bad naturedly, shocking the remaining occupants of the room, "Now then…"

Kai once again held out his palm, hovering it over the red echidna's leg as another glowing blue aura began to emanate from it. The aura spread to cover the echidna's entire body as he could feel the bone in his leg being repaired. He also noticed that the various bruises and scratches he had received on his body were beginning to fade as well, leaving him completely healthy once again. The aura dissipated and Knuckles stood from his chair to test his leg.

"Er… it's… still sore!" Knuckles lied, "You did something wrong!"

Kai gave a fiendish grin just before landing a kick to the echidna's shin, who fell back into the chair in pain. The human only gave a sadistic chuckle as Knuckles gripped at his leg. "Now it is," Kai remarked snidely, "and I'm not fixing it."

"I hate you." Knuckles growled back.

It was at this time that Vanilla walked back into the room, looking over to see Knuckles sitting in his chair, completely healed. This seemed strange to Vanilla, as while every trace of a scratch or injury had been removed from Knuckles, Tails was still lying on the couch with a bullet hole in his shoulder. Vanilla was irritated that Kai would refrain from fully healing Tails, when he was so clearly capable of doing so. She quickly approached the tall human with the intent of interrogating him about this.

"Pardon me, Mister Kai," Vanilla spoke in a direct tone, "but I must ask you, why didn't you help Tails, too?"

"Pardon?" Kai asked, seeming genuinely shocked, "I seem to recall repairing his shoulder. Is there a problem?"

"Knuckles doesn't have a scratch on him!" Vanilla suddenly snapped, "Yet you leave poor Tails, who is much less durable than Knuckles is, with a bullet wound in his shoulder? Explain yourself, Jaran Kai!"

Kai's expression quickly turned from one of shock into that of a charming smile. A light chuckle escaped from his lips as he pointed over Vanilla's shoulder, which prompted her to turn about and look behind her. Vanilla looked over toward the couch where Tails and Cosmo were, watching as Cosmo rinsed the remaining blood from Tails' shoulder with a dampened cloth. With her free hand Cosmo ran her fingers through Tails' fur, trying to comfort him in any way possible. As she looked on she came to notice that the expressions on both of their faces were not ones of pain, anguish, or fear, but rather warm and caring smiles directed at each other. Kai's meaning suddenly became very clear to her as she faced him again with a sly grin.

"You… are very good, Mister Kai," Vanilla chuckled, "very, very good."

Kai flashed a slight grin at the older rabbit, who chuckled as she walked back towards the kitchen while shaking her head to herself. Kai then turned his attention back to the two children on the couch, who where now lying comfortably next to each other. Tails, who's shoulder was now bandaged, rested his heavy head on a throw pillow while Cosmo laid her head on Tails' chest, running her fingers through his soft fur with a contented sigh. Something about these two was special, Kai thought to himself, although he could not quite place what that something might be. He knew it must be something great, however, to prompt him to break the binds between himself and the omnipotent bureaucrats he had once served just to see them together again. Not a day went by where he did not question the motives behind his past actions, although at no point did he ever regret them. From the moment that Cosmo's mother had come to him and she had begged for his help in saving her daughter, he immediately knew that he had to. At first he had reasoned that it had simply been his desire to do what was right, but he knew very well that he had done terrible things in the past, and probably would again in the future. He would be the first to admit that his moral compass did not point true north. Yet he had taken extraordinary measures, risking his own existence even, just to save these two creatures. After all of the lives he had stood back and watched burn at the heed of those false gods, why had he changed for them? Perhaps he would never know, nor did he need to. What he did know however, was that protecting these two children from harm made him feel something that he had not felt in eons; it felt right. He was not about to give that up, no matter who or what might try to take it from him.

Vanilla once again reentered the living room, this time carrying a tray stocked with cups and an ornamental teapot. The elder rabbit gracefully crossed the room, walking over to the coffee table and placing the tray down on its surface. She then picked up the pot and proceeded to pour a generous amount of tea in each cup, then gently set the pot back down on the table. Vanilla carefully picked up one of the cups and walked over to where Tails and Cosmo lay, holding the cup out for Tails to take. Tails looked up at the rabbit weakly, reaching out with a shaky hand to accept the drink.

"Drink this, it should help calm your nerves a bit." Vanilla said, "Would you like some too, Cosmo?"

"Yes, please." Cosmo replied in a fatigued voice, sitting up next to Tails to drink her tea.

"It might be a good idea for you all to stay here tonight." Vanilla said to the group of battle worn heroes, "I don't want any of you overexerting yourselves trying to get home."

"Thanks, Miss Vanilla," Tails said, slowly sitting up as though he were preparing to go somewhere, "but we really should get home. I have work to do tomorrow."

"Oh no you don't!" Cosmo said to Tails, placing a firm palm on his chest and forcing him to lie back down, "You're not going anywhere tonight! You need to rest, Tails."

"But… Cosmo, I have to-" Tails tried to object, but was silenced when Vanilla interjected.

"You most certainly are not." Vanilla said sternly, "Cosmo is right, you should rest here for tonight. You took the most damage out of everyone I think, Tails."

"But I can make it home!" Tails continued to try and argue, "It's just my shoulder."

"No buts." Cosmo said placing a finger over the fox's lips to silence him, "It's just for tonight. You need to rest."

"A woman is always right, even when she's wrong." Kai remarked passively, "You would do well to lean to just say 'yes', Tails."

Vanilla gave a brief chuckle at this remark, grinning at Tails as she spoke. "It's true." She said simply.

"How come you don't get that, SONIC?" Amy snapped at the blue hedgehog, who threw up his hands in defense.

"Hey! What did I do?"

Tails let out a loud groan, leaning his head back against the throw pillow and draping one arm over the edge of the couch lazily. "Okay, Cosmo, I'll stay." Tails consented, giving a half-hearted smile to his flower-haired girlfriend, who returned it with a satisfied smile.

"Thank you." Cosmo said in a soft voice, "I just want to make sure you're safe for tonight."

"I know I will with you looking after me." Tails said, taking Cosmo's hand and stroking it, which made her blush.

"I guess if Tails is going to be here I'll hang too." Sonic said to Vanilla, "Might as well keep him company!"

"Fine, then." Vanilla acknowledged, "Are the rest of you staying as well?"

"If Sonic's staying then I will too!" Amy said excitedly, "We can spend some quality time, huh, Sonikku?"

"I'm leaving!" Sonic said quickly, provoking a glare from Amy, "Or… not."

Amy's glare once again turned into a smile, while Vanilla merely rolled her eyes at this classic scene. "Anyone else?" She asked.

"I should probably get back to Angel Island." Knuckles said, "Bats like to hunt at night, you know."

"Oh, for Christ sakes!" Shadow yelled out, "Rouge hasn't touched the Emeralds in over a year! Get over it!"

"Hey, you never know!" Knuckles argued back.

"Maybe it would be best that you stayed here?" Vanilla said to the red echidna, "You were hurt badly as well, dear."

"Well… I guess," Knuckles agreed, "but, will you watch the Chaos Emeralds for me, Shadow?"

"NO!" Shadow barked angrily.

"Fine! All right!" Knuckles yelled back, "If they get taken thought it's your fault!"

"Mister Kai," Vanilla proceeded to ask the human, "would you like to stay?"

"One adult male staying at the home of a single woman with whom he has no relationship along with seven minors hardly seems appropriate." Kai stated flatly, "I will retire to my house, thank you."

"I-well-I suppose…" Vanilla said in a confused tone, "if that's what you want. Have a good night then."

"And you as well, ma'am." Kai said, making a slight bow before walking toward the front door and exiting.

Vanilla then turned toward Shadow with an inquisitive look on her face. "Shadow, would you-"

"No." Shadow interrupted quickly, then walked out of the front door following Kai.

"All… right then." Vanilla said staring at the door where the two shady characters had exited with a dumbfounded expression. She then shook her head and turned to face the others who had chosen to remain at her house for the night. "There is still some food left over from dinner if any of you are hungry, but I suppose you are all rather tired, aren't you? Blankets and pillows are in the hall closet. Don't hesitate to come and get me if you need anything. Come along Cream, it's time for bed."

"But mommy, I want to stay up with my friends!" Cream protested, "Can I just have a little longer?"

"Dear, I think everyone is tired." Vanilla said to her daughter, "You can talk to them in the morning. Now, come along."

"Yes ma'am." Cream said disappointedly, getting up from her seat and approaching her mother, but not before wishing her friends a good night. "Good night, everyone! Sleep well! Good job with beating Eggman!"

"Thank you, Cream!" Replied everyone politely, just as the younger rabbit trotted off to the back of the house to get ready for bed. Vanilla turned to follow, talking loudly over her shoulder as she did.

"Good night to all of you! Try to sleep in tomorrow. You've had quite the day. Breakfast will be ready for you when you wake up."

With that Vanilla took her leave, leaving the fox, seedrian, echidna, and two hedgehogs alone to settle down for the evening. Knuckles gave a grunt as he pushed himself up from the recliner, walking towards the hallway closet where the extra bedding was kept.

"I'll get the pillows." Knuckles said marching into the back, approaching a half-sized door in the wall, "I'm tired of playing hurt anyway."

"You broke your leg." Amy said sourly, "Drop the though guy act. You weren't playing anything."

"Says you!" Barked the echidna from the hall as he opened the door. Knuckles stared in silence for a moment before he spoke again, this time sounding very much stumped. "Uh… where are the pillows and blankets again? All I see is board games!"

"They're on the top shelf, to the right." Cosmo replied back.

"I don't see-oh…" Knuckles ceased speaking upon noticing the items which he sought, reaching up to retrieve them as he continued, "How come you knew where they were and I didn't? They were right there in front of me!"

"I lived here for almost three months." Cosmo reminded him, "I remember where everything is kept."

"Well, maybe I should let you get them next time." Knuckles said as he reentered the room toting an armful of quilts and laced pillows, "How's it going living with Tails, by the way?"

"Oh, it's wonderful!" Cosmo said happily, "He's taken such good care of me, and now I get to spend more time with him! I've… never been more happy in my life."

Cosmo's face began to burn a slight shade of pink upon saying this, as did Tails'. Despite this, they both gave each other affectionate smiles, which were very obvious to the other occupants of the room. Sonic could not help but smirk at the sight of his lovestruck brother, while Amy stifled a giggle herself. Knuckles made no attempt to hide his amusement, however, as a loud snort escaped his nose.

"How can you stand his snoring?" Knuckles asked suddenly, "Last time everyone slept over, Tails sounded like a lawn mower! I can't imagine what it's like to share a bed with him!"

"What!?" Tails said bolting upright, but was forced to lay back down due to the strain on his shoulder. "AGH!"

"Tails!" Cosmo gasped, forcing the fox to lie down again. Her cheeks then began to turn bright red as she looked at the floor in embarrassment, "Ah… we-I-don't… I have my own room."

"Y-yeah, it would be kind of… awkward… if she didn't." Tails began to sputter, "I mean, not to say I wouldn't want to-I mean, it would be okay if she-I MEAN… IF SHE WANTED-GAH!"

"HAH!" Knuckles blasted, continuing to tease the fox, "Well, doesn't that make things difficult?"

"What do you mean?" Cosmo asked, "I don't understand."

"You know," Knuckles spoke suggestively, "when you guys want to have some 'alone time'?"

"YOU PERVERT!!!" Amy screeched loudly, throwing the television remote at Knuckles from across the room and striking him across the side of his head. Knuckles gave a loud shout as he grabbed at the side of his head in pain.

"OUCH!!! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?" Knuckles yelled, "IT WAS JUST A JOKE!"

"Well it wasn't funny!" Amy yelled back, "Suggesting something like that; you're an idiot!!!"

"I don't understand," Cosmo said confused, "what was so bad about what he said?"

"I'll… explain later." Tails said, his face turning almost as red as Knuckles.

Once again the room began to grow quiet, with everyone's eyes growing progressively heavier due to fatigue. Sonic then craned his neck, looking behind himself at the wall clock next to the kitchen door. The blue hedgehog gave a heavy sigh, since it was now almost eleven thirty. He then stood up and walked over to where Knuckles had placed the assortment of bedding arrangements, picking up a pillow and blanket for himself.

"We should probably go to bed." Suggested Sonic as he began to toss blankets and pillows to the others from across the room, "That battle was pretty tough. I'm actually a little tired, surprisingly!"

"You and me both." Knuckles agreed, taking his blanket and wrapping himself up in it while placing a pillow underneath his head. "Let's hope Egghead lays off for a while."

"I think you guys smashed up his army pretty good." Amy commented, "It should be a while before he comes back again."

"Hopefully he'll stay away for good." Cosmo said in a quiet tone, "None of you should have to fight such an awful man. It isn't your responsibility."

"Well, someone's got to do it, Cosmo," Sonic said as he plopped down on the love seat, throwing a comforter over himself, "and the Mobotropolis Police Force can't do much. We're all Mobius' got."

"I suppose…" Cosmo said, picking up a blanket and walking back over to Tails, spreading it over him gently. Tails smiled in response, whispering a heartfelt thank you to Cosmo who nodded her head in acknowledgment. "Still," Cosmo continued, "I don't think I could live with myself if I knew any of you had been hurt. Perhaps there might be something I could do to help? I don't want to fight anyone directly, but is there anything else I might do?"

"You already do enough." Tails said brushing his fingers over the top of Cosmo's hand sweetly, "You're always here to make sure we're all taken care of at the end of the day. That's all we can ask for. Besides, I don't want you fighting ether. It can get pretty intense and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Well, thank you." Cosmo said with a slight smile, "I just wish there was something more that I could do then just waiting around for all of you to get hurt."

"Can we talk about this tomorrow?" Amy asked in a grouchy voice, "I'm tired of thinking about Eggman, and fighting, and all that stuff! Let's just sleep."

"Sounds like a plan!" Sonic replied in agreement, pulling the comforter up until his sneakers were visible from the other end, "We can talk about this some more when we aren't tired."

"Hey Amy, turn the light off will you?" Knuckles asked the pink hedgehog impatiently.

"Do I look like your servant?" Amy asked Knuckles in an irritable tone, "Get up and do it yourself!"

"You're closer!" Knuckles barked in reply, "Can you not be lazy for like, two seconds!?"

"LAZY!? Who do you think you're calling lazy!?" Amy said, growing louder, "You're the one who sits by that Emerald all day and does nothing! You're like, the king of lazy!"

"Hey, I was the one who fought that robot and got my leg broken! You just sat here all day and-"

A click was heard as the room suddenly grew dark. Both of the arguing parties fell silent as they turned to face the lamp, seeing Cosmo walking away from it with a frustrated look on her face. The seedrian remained silent as she proceeded to once again sit next to Tails while everyone slowly lowered their heads onto their pillows, choosing to disregard the brief scuffle between Amy and Knuckles.

"Night, guys!" Sonic said turning over on the couch to face away from the others, "See you tomorrow!"

"Night, Sonikku!' Amy said affectionately before falling quiet herself.

Silence prevailed over the household as all were now drifting off to sleep, recovering the energy that they had used in the challenge against Eggman while they slumbered. Only Tails and Cosmo remained awake as they looked at each other through the dark with loving eyes. Cosmo continued to pet the top of Tails' head in attempt to calm him after his painful encounter, making every effort to make sure that her fox was safe and comfortable for the night. As Cosmo sat at his side, Tails found himself mesmerized by the seedrian's eyes, which seemed to sparkle in the dark of the living room. Once again he began to reflect on how lucky he was to have her, as he had done countless times since she had returned. He had no idea what he had done to deserve someone so graceful, chivalrous, and beautiful, but it must have been something right.

"You should get some sleep." Tails whispered breaking the silence, "Your day was probably just as hard as mine."

"I suppose." Cosmo said sliding off the edge of the couch and sitting on the floor, "Are you sure there isn't anything else you need before you go to sleep? I want you to be comfortable tonight."

"You've already done more than enough, sweetie." Tails said, "Thank you, I'm fine."

"All right," Cosmo said taking a blanket and pillow and lying on the floor, "if you're sure. Good night, Tails."

"Wait a minute," Tails said to her, sitting up slightly, "you're not sleeping on the floor are you? Everyone else has a place to sleep. That's not fair!"

"I don't have much of a choice," Cosmo whispered back, "all of the sofas are taken."

"I'll sleep on the floor then." Tails offered, beginning to ease himself off of the couch, "You can have the couch. I'll be fine."

"No, Tails. You're hurt!" Cosmo objected, "Really, I'll be fine down here. Don't worry about me, you just get some rest."

Tails fell silent for a moment, thinking of how he could rectify Cosmo's lack of sleeping arrangements. It simply did not seem right to him that he was lying comfortably on a large sofa while his girlfriend was being forced to take the floor, even if he was hurt. Tails knew very well that Cosmo would always put her friends', and especially his, comfort above her own, even if it was at her expense. Still, this was a large room. There had to be somewhere to fit her in comfortably.

A thought then occurred to Tails which caused him to blush, despite the fact that the lack of lighting in the room prevented it from being visible. Due to Tails' small stature he only took up a bit more than half of the couch, leaving a space open for someone else to sleep, albeit snugly. He did not want to make Cosmo uncomfortable, but then he also did not want her to sleep on the floor. Perhaps she would not mind since they had fallen asleep on the couch together before "accidentally". Finally he managed to gather enough courage, leaning over the edge of the couch and looking at Cosmo inquisitively.

"Er… Cosmo?" Tails whispered, "Um… can I ask you something?"

"Hm?" Cosmo said turning over to face Tails, "Of course, what is it?"

"Since… um… since you don't have any place to sleep," the fox began nervously, "and… I have some extra room… you could-well, if you want… you could sleep up here… with me."

"Oh!" Cosmo said, a slight blush covering her cheeks, "That's… awfully nice of you, Tails… but I don't want to overcrowd you. I'll be fine."

"No, really!" Tails said scooting over to make room for Cosmo, "It wouldn't be crowding me! I-I would like you to… if that's what you want."

"I… wouldn't mind… I would like that actually… if… you wouldn't mind, that is."

"Okay then," Tails said, lifting up his comforter to allow her to crawl under, "climb in and get comfortable."

Cosmo obliged, carefully climbing under the covers and nestling her body against Tails' warm fur. Cosmo let out a content sigh as she lay next to Tails, her eyes finally beginning to close after such a trying day. Tails smiled at his love sleeping next to him, wrapping his namesakes around her lovingly. After a long silence Cosmo whispered something to Tails over her shoulder, taking care not to wake the others.

"Tails, promise me that no matter what happens, you won't go anywhere. I came back to be with you, and I want to keep you with me forever. Promise me, please?"

"I promise, Cosmo." Tails said, wrapping his arms around her tightly, "I'll always be here for you."

"And if it means anything," Cosmo continued, hugging Tails back, "I am very proud of you."

"That means everything to me." Tails said, smiling widely, "Good night my flower. I love you."

"Good night, Tails." Cosmo said, yawning as her eyes fell shut, "I love you, too. I always will."

A feminine giggle could be heard from the far end of the room as the two finally began to drift off to sleep, secure in each other's embrace. For now, both Tails and Cosmo felt as peace, and neither could possibly want any more than what they had now.

Kai…

"You? It's you. Lady Hertia, you honor me with your presence.

The honor is mine. I only wish that I came to you on more pleasant terms.

"What is it that you mean? Your daughter is alive, and she is happy. What could possibly be wrong?"

I have news of the other…

"No…"

He is here…