Work Text:
Timeline: A month after the first movie
“It’s—he’s—a kid?” Rachel asked, looking at the blue alien in front of her with awe.
“I’m a teenager!” Said blue alien retorted. “And I’m an awesome one at that.”
“Well, technically we don't know your age.” Maddie said. “But you seem like you’re twelve or thirteen.”
“I decided on thirteen.” Sonic said proudly.
“But he’s so small!” Rachel exclaimed.
“Okay, rude.” Sonic crossed his arms and levelled her with a glare. “I’m not a human! I’m probably a very normal height for a thirteen year old alien hedgehog!”
“Well, I’m not one to say.” Rachel said. She crossed her arms and stared down at the blue hedgehog. “But if he’s truly been living alone for so long, it would make sense for his growth and/or puberty to be stunted.”
“Okay! That’s a bit invasive!” Maddie spoke with an exhale and intertwined her fingers, bringing them to her middle, a tight, fake smile on her face. It was a very Maddie thing to do, and it was basically her way of saying: You’ve crossed a line there, shut up and do what I tell you to. “Let’s move this to the kitchen?”
She smiled at Sonic. “You can go play with Jojo. Let me handle this.”
“But—”
“Sonic, I’ll take care of it. Go.” Maddie said, cutting him off sharply. Sonic seemed to freeze, a scared look on his face, as if he wasn’t scared of her, but scared of the idea of her angry at him at all. It was brief though, and Sonic quickly recovered.
“Okay, Pretzel Lady!” He said cheerfully, but he was stopped from leaving by Rachel.
“Oh no, there is no way I’m going to be letting him go and be with my baby unsupervised. Or at all!”
“Rachel—”
“Maddie, no. I let your stupid husband be with her, but I draw the line at a literal alien.” Maddie put her hand on Sonic’s shoulder protectively.
“He is fine, Rachel.” She narrowed her eyes before letting her shoulders droop and her hand go limp with a sigh. “I can’t make the decision for you, but Tom will be there… and Jojo will tell you what happened if anything did.” The older woman looked at Sonic long and hard, before finally sighing.
“Fine, but I will interrogate Jojo later.”
“You got it!” The blue blur nodded and ran out the door with a flash of light.
The sisters sat down at the table and stared at each other for a bit before Maddie finally spoke.
“He’s been alone for ten years, Rachel… and honestly it seems his physical development is that of a ten year old—or maybe an eleven year old at a stretch—but he described the mental development of a two or three year old when he first came here… and he raised himself.”
“Oh.” Rachel found it hard to say anything else.
“I guess… Him saying he’s thirteen is honestly for me and Tom, too.” Maddie let out a soft chuckle. “He’s so young… it’s hard to imagine… But you were probably right about the stunt, he’ll be getting lots of growth spurts for sure.” She took Rachel’s hand from across the table. “He’s a good kid, Ray, please, give him a chance.” There was silence for a few beats.
“Fine.” Rachel said finally. “I’ll give him a chance… your husband, however? He’s on thin ice.”
Timeline: Directly after the second movie
“I—he’s a kid??” Randall asked, staring at the blue alien with awe.
“That’s what I said!” Randalll put his arm around his fiance when she spoke and stared down at the child in front of him.
“I am fourteen.” Sonic argued. “That’s not a kid!”
“He is most definitely still a kid.” Tom put his arm around his son, earning an eyeroll. “And you tried to trap him and his eight year old friend.” Randall looked a little horrified. Good.
“That’s only two years older than Jojo…” Rachel was also disgusted. “I am so glad you didn’t know, or I would’ve called off our engagement a second time.” Randall gulped at the harshness of her words and nodded.
“Noted.”
Sonic fidgeted with the edge of his shirt, finding it hard to breathe all of a sudden. It could be from the fact that he had worn his binder throughout the entire fight and hadn’t taken it off yet (Maddie was going to kill him), but it could also be the sudden realization that he was talking to a G.U.N agent. Someone who was going to marry his aunt, giving Randall many more opportunities to catch him, Knuckles, or even worse, Tails. He seemed to regret what had happened, but if there was anything to know about Randall, it was that he was good at acting… Sonic had to make it clear that he wasn’t one to play with. Even with those horrid cages. Images of an unconscious Tails flooded his mind, and he had to repress the panic that flooded him. That wasn’t good…
“Sonic, are you okay?” Tom asked. “We can go if you want.” Sonic didn’t respond, fixing his gaze on Randall with an intense ferocity.
“You touch Tails, you die.” He growled. “Knuckles too, actually.” Randalll hesitated, a surprising amount of fear crossing his face as Sonic sparked with blue electricity.
“Understood.”
“Sonic, you can’t threaten him like th—” Rachel was cut off by Tom.
“No, Sonic’s right.” Tom’s arms tightened around Sonic once the electricity died down. “He has every right to threaten you over them, especially Tails.”
“And I can defend my fiance.”
“No, Rachel, your fiance helped kidnap children, there’s nothing to defend in that. Ignorance is no excuse.”
Randall nodded. “I would argue that it can be, but I accept the threat. I won’t help anyone kidnap you, and I’ll even put in a good word for you. Tell the others your ages.”
“Okay.” Tom nodded, his expression hardened even more. “Do not go back on your word, Handel, we will know.” Sonic tugged down on his shirt harder, a fidget that Tom had noticed was pretty common now that Sonic wore them to cover his chest. Which was now flat. Frick. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to talk to my kid about something.”
Once he and Sonic were out of earshot from anyone, they turned to face each other and Tom put his hand on Sonic’s shoulder, looking down at him in a way that was clearly learnt from living with Maddie for years.
“Take off your binder at the hotel, and I won’t tell Maddie.” Sonic crossed his arms.
“I. would. rather. die.”
“It’s not safe! You wore it to a fight, Sonic, go to me and Maddie’s hotel room, and stay there if you don’t want others seeing.”
Sonic sighed “Fine.” He stomped away, the threat of Maddie knowing scaring him into compliance. Tom reached out and put a hand on Sonic’s shoulder, stopping him briefly.
“Hey.” He said softly. “I love you, and I am so, so proud of you.” Sonic beamed, wiping his eyes with his arms before launching himself at Tom. He didn’t say he loved Tom back, but Tom knew that he did.
“Oh, gosh.” Sonic stumbled backwards a bit once he let go, and Tom caught him. “I feel sick and dizzy.”
“I’ll walk you to the hotel room, Sonic.” Tom said. “Let’s get you not suffocating, hopefully by the time Maddie finishes checking your new friends’ injuries.”
“Before she gets to me.” Sonic nodded, and the two of them made their way across the lawn, Tom’s hand on Sonic’s back a grounding presence to the young hedgehog.