Life Bond
by James F. Moore

This story is based on characters created by Service and Games (SEGA), and on characters created 
by Archie Comic Publications, Inc.  Any resemblance to actual characters is not coincidental.

James Hedgehog, Shada Echidna, Patrick Hedgehog, Jacob Hedgehog, Elliot Lightfut, and 
Emily Meirkki are the copyrighted property of James F. Moore.

Keldii/Keld'yrians, and Vision are property of Pat Carson Jr. (I think) (If I'm wrong, don't sue 
me, just correct me, so I can fix it)
        
This work is protected under various copyright laws.  The author of this work grants his 
permission for free distribution of this work in its original, unaltered form only.  No other 
use of this work is permitted.
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This was written in a way that (Hopefully) it will fit within the main Sonic fanfic universe 
(as displayed on Bookshire Draftwood's Furs of the Forest).
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Timeline: Two weeks after the failure of the Doomsday Project
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        In the outskirts of Robotropolis, a figure clad in a black, hooded robe, stands atop a 
pile of rubble, looking out over the city, his back to the Great Forest.  There he stood, at the 
division between the threatening black clouds of the city, and the brightly colored sunrise 
above the forest.  The looming egg-shape of the command center caught his eye, and brought with 
it a sudden flood of memories, of the previous day.  The capture of his partner, and nearly all 
his other friends seared into his mind.  His heart sank further into his boots, as he remembered 
her loving kiss, and caring embrace.  She was gone, now.  Probably long lost to the roboticizer, 
by now.  Gone, perhaps, but not forgotten.  The loss was almost unbearable.  Damn this war.

        But he cast his mourning thoughts aside, and turned his back to the pollution choked 
city.  He had other things to do.  The figure bounded down from his perch, and headed off 
towards the Great Forest at an unbelievable speed.  He had to find a place to find safety.  His 
destination was none other than Knothole Village.

        He stopped for a moment.  He listened.  He could hear voices somewhere nearby.  The 
figure moved to get a look.

        Freedom Fighters.  Four of them.  Apparently on a mission, into Robotropolis.  And... 
wait!  Was he seeing things?  It couldn't be.  He looked harder.  It was!  It was Sonic!  Then 
the figure saw the Swatbots.  He had been helpless, yesterday, but today would be different.  
This was going to be a lot of fun.


Meanwhile...

        The sound of a twig snapping.  Sonic snapped to attention.  Tails got behind Sonic.  
Bunnie began looking for the now imminent attack.  Antoine froze in place.  The Swatbots came 
into view, and opened fire.

        Antoine started screaming, "We are doom-ed, this is tres horri-ble!"

        One of the Swatbots droned out, "Priority one Hedgehog alert!"

        Sonic bellowed, "That's our cue!"  Sonic and Bunnie leapt at the Swatbots.  Sonic 
tearing through them with his spines, and Bunnie with her metallic arm.  While they fought, two 
more Swatbots came up from behind, one grabbed Tails; the other pointed its laser rifle at 
Antoine.

        One of the Swatbots ordered, "Surrender, Freedom Fighters, or your comrades will perish."

        As Sonic and Bunnie raised their arms in surrender, Sonic asked, "Hey, tall dark and 
gruesome, can we talk about this?"

        As if in answer to his question, a pair of precisely aimed blaster bolts, struck down 
the two Swatbots at the rear.  The combatants looked to the origin of the bolts.  They saw the 
black robed figure, standing on a hill of rubble, and the figure called out, "Need a hand, 
Freedom Fighters?"  

        Before answer or reaction could occur, a standard laser rifle snapped out from beneath 
the figure's cloak, held in a pair of white-gloved paws.  Three successive shots lashed out 
from the rifle, each took down a Swatbot, and left a smoking hole each's chest.  Sonic and 
Bunnie took out the remaining two.

        Sonic called to the stranger, "Hey, pal, who are you?"

        The figure walked up to the small group, and responded, "Really, Sonic, need you ask that?"

        "You didn't answer my question."

        "You always were the impatient one, Sonic.  Oh well, ask and thou shalt receive."  The 
figure's paws came out from beneath the robe, this time without the rifle.  Sonic noticed that 
the gloves bore an uncanny resemblance to his own.  The figure pulled back his hood.  

        Antoine said, "Zut alors!"

        Bunnie said, "Mah stars!"

        Tails just stared.

        With a surprised expression on his face, Sonic said, "Way past!  James!"

        The cause of their surprise was that the face beneath the hood was Sonic's.  Well 
almost.  The newcomer looked nearly exactly like Sonic, save that his face bore a fledgling 
mustache, and he wore a safari-style hat, and a pair of glasses.  The hedgehog took the sides of 
his cloak and folded them over his sholders, revealing further deviation from Sonic's scant 
outfit.  He wore a khaki handkerchief, tied loosely about his neck, a light brown multi-pocketed 
vest, and brown and green shorts.  And instead of the familiar red and white sneakers, which 
Sonic wore, the new hedgehog wore a pair of leather hiking boots.  Also, his blaster rifle was 
hanging from a belt/holster, there was a smaller blaster in the holster.

        He said, "Allow me to introduce myself.  I am James Hedgehog, Sonic's brother, and elder 
by eleven years."

        Tails said, "I didn't know you had a brother, Sonic."

        Sonic replied, "Well, Tails, I had pretty much figured he'd been captured."

        Bunnie said, "Y'all I hate ta break up this touchin' reunion, but we make beautiful 
targets, just sittin' here."

        Antoine said, "Oui, can vous carry zis on back in Knothole?"

        Sonic replied, "Sounds like a plan, 'Twain.  I wonder what Sal'll say when she meets 
James."

        James said, "Well, knowing you, Sonic, it'll probably be something like 'Dear gods, 
there's two of him.'"

        "Right...  Hey!"

        Everyone got a good chuckle out of that.  James asked, "Before we head for Knothole, can 
we stop by my place, right quick?"

        Sonic asked, "Why?"

        "Well, considering it was found by Swatbots, yesterday, I see no reason to return after 
going to Knothole.  I just need to get a few things.  Personal affects, you know."

        "Right, no problemo."

A few minutes later...

        As they came upon the falling apart old house, James said, "Ya wouldn't believe it but it 
didn't look like that two days ago."  He was right.  As they got closer, even Sonic could tell 
that energy weapons, specifically Swatbot laser rifles, had caused the damage.  James entered 
first, stepping over the remnants of the front door.  Without looking he jerked the muzzle of 
his rifle to the right, and fired down the hallway there, felling two Swatbots in the process.  
James commented, "Sorry, I always do forget to knock."  

        James walked into what had been either the living room, or a study.  The blaster marks 
made it hard to tell.  There James picked up a device that looked for all intensive purposes 
like Nicole.  He took the device and plugged it into a PC sitting on the desk.  Then he said, to 
the handheld unit, "Computer, download all files from PC unit, and then wipe the hard drive."  
While the little computer worked, James picked up a grappling hook and its launcher from the 
floor, and put them in one of his pockets.  Then he squeezed past Sonic and the others in the 
hall, and headed down the hall where the two Swatbots lay.  Then he entered what could only have 
been the bedroom.  James sat down on the left side of the bed.  He sighed, thinking for a 
moment.  He opened the drawer on his nightstand.  There was a sketchbook inside.  James reached 
in, pulled it out, and slowly flipped through it.  The first few drawings were of his family: 
his parents, Sonic, and Uncle Charles.  But the last two were of an attractive female echidna.  
How long had it been, he wondered, since he had last seen her.  A day, that was it, a day.  He 
missed her so much, and he longed for her presence.

        He shook himself back to reality.  He stood up and tucked the sketchbook under his arm, 
and went over to the nightstand on the other side of the bed.  James opened the drawer on it, 
and took from it, a rolled up, dark pink bandoleer, and a blaster holster, and stuffed both in 
lower right vest pocket.  With that, he returned to the living room, and said, "Computer, report."

        The computer said, "Download complete in five... four... three... two... one... zero.  
Formatting PC hard drive, now.  Format complete in one point two minutes."

        "Excellent."  James turned from the room, and back to the bedroom.  Once back in the 
bedroom, he got down on his hands and knees, next to the bed, and reached under.  He brought 
out, from underneath the bed, a carved wooden box.  James opened the box, revealing its 
solitary content.  A yellow gemstone pendant, hanging on a gold chain.  He put the chain on 
around his neck and tucked it behind his handkerchief.  James returned to the living room, just 
as the computer finished its task.  He unplugged the hand-held, and clipped it to his belt.  
He turned to his brother and said, "Okay, we can go, now."

Not long after...

        When they reached Knothole, James followed Sonic to the princess' hut.  They reached 
Sally's hut, and Sonic gestured for James to wait at the door.  Sonic went in.  Sally sat at her 
desk, going over the latest mission plans, for tonight.  Sonic walked up next to her, rested his 
paw on her shoulder, and said, "Hey, Sal.  What's up?"

        Sally sighed, and looked up at her friend.  She replied "Not a whole lot, Sonic.  So, 
how did..."

        "We didn't finish the mission."

        "Why?  What happened?  Did anyone get captured?"

        "'Course not, Sal.  Anyway, the reason we didn't finish was, we found somebody that'll 
be way past more help, than blowing any ol' factory."

        "Alright, who?"

        Sally suddenly felt like there was someone behind her.  As she turned to see who it was, 
Sally heard an unfamiliar voice say, "Greetings, Princess Acorn.  Allow me to introduce myself.  
My name is James Victor Hedgehog.  I am Sonic's brethren."

        Sally completed her turn, and saw him in her hut's doorway.  James stood at least a 
half-foot taller than Sonic.  His face bore a tired, aloof expression.  His eyes held a 
suppressed sadness.  James's appearance possessed a quietly competent nature, and there was 
something in his stance that was almost militant, like that of a soldier.  Princess Sally 
reached out, shook his hand, and said, "Hello, James, and welcome to Knothole."

        "Thank you, Princess Acorn."

        "Please, call me Sally."

        "Alright, Princess Sally."

        "Now to business.  We need to find you a place to live.  Sonic, do we have anymore empty 
huts in Knothole?"

        Sonic replied, "I dunno, Sal.  I think that one on the North end of the village, is still 
empty."

        Sally responded, "Great, Sonic, you show him there, and I'll come by later to discuss his 
training, and so on."

        James said, to Sally, "You won't need to expend much training on me, Princess Sally."

        Sally asked, "And why is that?"

        "Princess Sally Elisha Acorn, right now you are looking at one of the last remnants of 
the Mobian military."

        "But there's no record of you in Nicole's databanks."

        James shook his head, and said, "There wouldn't be.  You see, I completed my training, 
but the date that I would be officially welcomed into your father's military forces, was 
scheduled to be, what turned out to be the day after the coup."  James sighed slightly.  "If 
that ain't irony, I don't know what is."

        Sally caught the sadness in his voice, and said rather quietly, "It must have been 
disappointing."

        "Princess, you don't even begin to understand."

        "Well, see you later, then?"

        "Right.  Well, see you then."  James turned to his brother, and said "Well, Sonic, lead 
the way to my new home."

        "No prob, bro."

        Sonic proceeded to show James to the vacant hut.  They reached the hut and James 
started to enter.  He paused in the doorway, turned back to Sonic, and said "Sonic, if you get a 
moment, a little later, I'd like to talk with you, and Sally, too, if she can manage."

        "Sure, James, anything else?"

        "No, but thanks, Sonic."  James entered the hut, and closed the door behind him.  James 
gave the hut a quick look.  There was a hat-rack next to the door, a bed, with its headboard 
against the far wall, and a desk and chair to the right, under the window.  James sat down on 
the bed, unclipped his hand-held computer from his shorts, flipped up the fold down screen, and 
said to it, "Computer, open comm channel to Emily Meirkki."

        The computer replied, "Acknowledged.  Sending hailing signal.  Signal acknowledged.  
Incoming message."

        A female voice came over the computer's speakers, saying, "James?  That you?"

        "Who else would it be, Emily?"

        "Point.  Where have you been?  We've been looking all over for you."

        "I'm in Knothole Village.  It's not safe at the house, anymore.  I'll explain further 
when you get here.  Transmitting coordinates, now."  

        "Coordinates received, James.  See you soon."

        With that James switched off the computer, closed it up, and clipped it back on his 
shorts.  Then he flopped back on the bed, and fell asleep.

Sometime around noontime...

        James Hedgehog was awakened from his slumber by a knock at the door.  He got up, went 
the door, and opened it.  There stood Sonic, and Sally.  Sally said, "You wanted to speak with 
us?"

        "I did, yes."  James came outside and closed the door to his hut, behind him.  They 
started walking near the edge of the village, and James said, "Where do I begin..."

        Suddenly two children burst out of the woods and into the village.  Both were boys, and 
they appeared to be about five years old.  One was a scarlet hedgehog, and the other was a 
cobalt blue echidna.  Both wore boots like James', gloves, and holsters of the same type.  A 
teenage, female fox came out of the forest just behind the two children.  She was huffing and 
puffing like mad, as though she had been chasing the two boys.

        James smiled when he saw them.  "I'd say my starting point has been chosen for me."  He 
called to them. "Patrick, Jacob, you two haven't been running Miss Meirkki ragged, have you?  And 
after she was kind enough to baby-sit you two for me.  For shame."

        The two saw James and their eyes lit up.  Both of them squealed, "Daddy!"  The two 
children ran to James.  James' stern attitude dissolved and he hugged them both lovingly.

        Sonic and Sally looked at each other, and said in surprise and unison, "Daddy?"

        James led his two sons over to Sonic and Sally.  He said, with an obvious hint of pride 
in his voice "Sonic, Princess, allow me to introduce to you," he gestured to the blue echidna, 
"Patrick Alexander Hedgehog, and," he gestured to the red hedgehog, "his twin brother, Jacob 
Nathanial Hedgehog."  He then indicated Sonic.  "Boys, this is your Uncle Sonic."

        Patrick said, "Glad to meet you, Uncle Sonic."

        Jacob added, "Yeah, Dad's told us a lot about you."

        Sonic gave an unsure smile, and said, "Hi, kids."

        James continued, gesturing to Sally, and said, "And this is Princess Sally Acorn."

        Both replied with a bow, and a "Hello, Princess."

        Sally responded, "Hi, boys."

        Sonic whispered to James, "I take it, they're what you wanted to talk to us about."

        "Not quite.  Partially, but not quite.  Boys, come with me.  Sonic, Sally, you too."  
James returned to his hut, Sonic, Sally, Patrick, and Jacob followed him.  James closed the 
door, after the last of them entered.  He turned, sat down on his bed, and addressed Sonic and 
Sally, specifically.  "The subject I wish to discuss is," he gestured to his sons, "their 
mother... my life mate..."

        Sally said, "Go on, James."

        James continued, "She was captured, yesterday, as was a good friend of mine, named Elliot 
Lightfut.  But, I have been unable to discover whether, or not, she, or Elliot, were 
roboticized.  I thought maybe, you guys could help me out."

        "Well," Sally asked, "what does she look like, James."

        "I'll show you...  Computer, display file 'Beloved'."  James's handheld computer whirred 
for a moment, retrieving the requested file.  Then it activated its built in holographic 
projector, and showed a life-sized hologram of a red furred, female echidna, in her early 
twenties, and wearing a brown jumpsuit, and black combat boots.  "Well," James said, "there she 
is, Shada Echidna.  Of course, she's been known to take diff...  Wait; let me explain that, 
before I go any further.  You see, her father was a Keldii..."

        Sonic interrupted, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, you mean a shape-shifter, like Vision."

        "Yes, Sonic.  But her father broke a major Keld'yrian rule..."

        Sonic interrupted, again, saying, "Ya mean that one where they gotta stay neutral on 
Mobius."

        "Yes.  Anyway, he got rather, oh how to put it, 'involved' while he was on Mobius."

        Sally asked, "How so?"

        "Well, let's just say the Keldii, in general, weren't happy when they found out about 
Shada's birth."

        Sally asked, "You mean..."

        "Yes, Princess Sally, Shada Echidna is half Keldii... and half Mobian."

        Sonic looked at the hologram again, and said, "Ya know I thought echidnas were an 
extinct species."

        "So does just about everyone else on the planet, but they're not.  But they are nearing 
it."  James paused.  "Well, now that we've got that out of the way, let's get some lunch, eh?"  
The five Mobians exited James's hut, and made their way the mess hall.  James walked along with 
Sonic, and Sally, and holding his sons' hands.  Along the way, James saw Emily talking to another 
fox, and he called to her. "Hey, Emily, lunch."

        "Be there, in a minute, James."

        A little further down the way, the group came across Bunnie.  Bunnie said, "Those all 
ahre dahrlin' kits.  Whose ahre they?"

        James smiled, and said, "Why, these're my boys, Bunnie."

        "Really?"  James nodded.  

        They reached the mess hall, entered, and sat down to eat.  Jacob and Patrick sat down on 
either side of their father.

        Then, Jacob, and Patrick, said, at the same time, "Dad?"

        James answered "Yes?"

        Jacob said, "Mom is..."

        Patrick finished the sentence as his brother popped another bite of food in his mouth.  
"Alive."

        James asked, "Are you sure?"

        Patrick said, "Of course..."

        Jacob finished, "We are.  We asked..."

        "Her ourselves.  And we have deduced..."

        "That she has not been roboticized."

        James said, "I should like to know how you reached that conclusion."

        Jacob said, "Her mind would..."

        Patrick finished, "Have been indifferent..."

        "To our questions."

        James said, "I see."  At this time, all conversation around the tables of dining 
Freedom Fighters came to a halt, and listened to this one conversation. James asked, "Where is 
she?"

        Patrick replied, "Mother is in..."

        Jacob continued, "The Robotropolis..."

        Patrick finished, "Detention center."

        "We can't do..."

        "Any better than..."

        "That."

        James turned to Sally, and said, "I hate to eat, and run, Princess, but I got friends I 
gotta save."

        Sally responded, "I understand, James."  Sally turned to Sonic, and said, "Sonic, go 
with him.  The ring machine is about due to create another ring, why don't you get it before 
you leave?"

        "Gotcha, Sal," Sonic replied.  With that, Sonic, and James sped off for the power ring 
grotto.

        Both Patrick and Jacob stood, and asked, "May we be excused, Princess."

        Sally replied, "Certainly."  The two boys left the mess hall.

        When they reached the pond that held Sir Charles' ring machine, James saw the water 
begin to bubble and then a cone of H2O rise from the water.  Then the cone sank back into the 
water revealing a power ring.  Sonic grabbed the ring, and said to James, "Whelp, let's go, bro."

        James answered, "One moment, Sonic, I might need one, too."

        Sonic protested, "But, James, the machine won't have enough energy collected, to make 
another ring, for another twenty-four hours."

        "I know."  James raised one of his hands in the direction of the ring machine, closed 
his eyes, and drew his hand backwards, as if he were going to throw a baseball.  His hand seemed 
to begin to glow.  Then his hand shot forward, and when his arm was fully extended, a yellow and 
orange orb of pure energy shot from his hand.  The orb disappeared beneath the water and 
presumably struck the ring machine.  Suddenly, a whirlpool formed directly over the ring 
machine.  A power ring rose through the funnel of the whirlpool.  The whirlpool collapsed on 
itself.  James moved his hand to point at the ring, and it flew to his hand.

        Sonic merely stared, and said, "Whoa."

        James opened his eyes, turned to Sonic and said, "Well, I see, you have forgotten my 
other studies, Sonic.  Those I took under the Sorcerer Savant Ixis Nagus, and the court 
magician, Merlin Prower.  Those of sorcery, and illusion."  A smirk appeared of James' face, and 
he said, "Well shall we go."

A little later...

        Sonic was following James through a complicated expanse of ductwork, when James 
stopped.  Sonic looked down through some grating and saw that they were above the command 
center's control room.  

        James peered down through the grate and asked his hand-held computer, "Computer, can 
you interface with the core computer from here?"

        Computer replied, "That depends on the information desired."

        "Prisoner list of names and locations.  Can you access that information from here, or 
will you need a direct linkup?" 

        "Affirmative."

        "Affirmative on what?"

        "Information is accessible."

        "Excellent."  James waited for a moment.  While they waited, Sonic continued to watch 
trough the grate.  As he did, he saw Snively enter the control room, and right behind him was a 
figure that Sonic couldn't quite make out.  James gave up waiting and asked, "Well, what are 
you waiting for?  Make with the accessing."

        "Affirmative."  Another pause.  "Miss Echidna, and Mr. Lightfut located."

        "Good.  Let's get out of here."  The figure below stepped into the light.  James 
gasped, and said, "It's Mecha Sonic!  But he was at Doomsday when it went up.  He should be a 
pile of molten slag, right now."

        Sonic said, "Why don't we worry about that later, James."

        "Right, come on."

        They left the air duct, and James said, "Wait for me outside, Sonic."

        "No way, bro!  I'm stayin' with you."

        James pointed behind Sonic, and said, "Sonic, look!"

        Sonic turned away from James, saying, "What?  I don't see anything..."

        Sonic heard James say, "Not very bright, are you bro?"  Sonic whirled around, realizing 
that he had fallen for one of the oldest tricks in the book.  James Hedgehog was gone.  

        As Sonic started for the exit, he said, to himself, "Well I never."

        In the distance, Sonic heard James' voice say, "You should: it's fun!"  Then there was 
silence.

Robotropolis Detention Center, Cell Block 11138...

        "I don't understand it," Motobug growled.  

        Burrobot asked, "What are you babbling about, Motobug?"

        Crabmeat sneered, "Who cares?"

        Motobug continued, taking no notice of Crabmeat's remark.  "Snively doesn't give us 
important jobs, like the boss used to."

        Burrobot said, "You motorhead!  Robotnik's dead, get used to it.  Snively's our boss, 
now."

        Crabmeat snarled "Knock it off, you two, or I'll clamp your fuel lines."

        In a cell nearby the arguing badniks, a twenty-two year-old, scarlet furred, female 
echidna, wearing a burnt-ochre colored jumpsuit, and a pair of combat boots, rolled her eyes 
at the three 'bots.  She said, to the prisoner in the cell next to her, "There they go, again."

        The other prisoner, a thirteen year-old, gray and white furred, male coyote, replied 
"What do you mean 'again', Shada?  They never stop."

        Shada replied, "Point taken, Elliot."  She eyed a pistol-sized weapon, laid out on the 
security desk.  An ice gun.  She said, "If only I could reach my gun."  Shada paused.  She could 
have sworn she had seen something moving in the shadows.  Then the pistol seemed to get up off 
the desk, of its own accord.  It dropped to the ground and slid in front of Shada's cell.  The 
badniks failed to notice it.  Shada picked it up, and armed it.

        Suddenly they heard a familiar voice say, "You hit 'em high; I'll hit 'em low.  One, two, 
three, and away we go!"  There was a metallic 'clang' and there was a huge dent in Motobug's 
titanium shell.  The voice came again, "Do it to it, sweetie!"

        Shada almost felt sorry for the badniks.

        Emphasis on the almost.

        Shada snapped into action.  She aimed her weapon at the bars of her cell, and pulled 
the trigger.  A glowing, sky-blue laser beam flew from the gun, and struck the bars, freezing 
them solid.  Shada then proceeded to smash through the bars with her bare fists.  Then, as soon 
as she was out in the corridor, Shada freed Elliot.  Motobug exploded as a laser bolt struck 
him.  Then Shada bulls-eyed Crabmeat with a sky-blue ice bolt.  The voice came again, saying, 
following a slight tune, "Swing your partner 'round, and 'round, kick 'em in the head," 
Burrobot's head was suddenly detached from the rest of his body, "and knock 'em down."

        Then, a figure in a black cloak began to materialize, before Shada and Elliot.  The 
figure's hood was down and Shada could see exactly who it was.

        "Honey, I'm home."

        It was James.  Shada ran to him, and threw her arms around him.  She said, "I knew you'd 
come, Jim."

        James replied, "Of course!  I had to rescue you."

        Shada smirked, and said, "Why?  Couldn't get used to sleeping by yourself?"

        James smiled and said, "Maybe.  Just like old times, again, eh, Shada?"

        Shada said, "Yup, you grill 'em, I chill 'em."  She paused.  "Where are the children, Jim?"

        "Don't worry, they're safe."

        Just then, a Swatbot entered the room.  "Halt, by order of Robotnik!  Capture and detain 
Freedom Fighters," it droned.

        Suddenly the sound of laser fire came.  James, Shada, and Elliot winced expecting that 
any second their lives would end.  But, when the three opened their eyes, they found the Swatbot 
lying on the floor, with two smoking holes in its chest.  Standing in the doorway were two 
Swatbots. 

        One of the Swatbots said, in a non-mechanical voice, "Hi, Dad.  Need a hand?"  The two 
Swatbots seemed to shrink to the size of five year-old Mobians, and then morph into Jacob and 
Patrick Hedgehog, both holding laser rifles. The two boys holstered their blasters, and ran to 
hug their mother, and father.  

        James said, "Come on, reunion's over.  Let's get moving."

Not long after...

        Sonic and Elliot entered Knothole, just ahead of James and Shada.  James and Shada 
entered Knothole Village hand in hand, with their sons right behind them.  Sally met them, and 
greeted Shada and Elliot into Knothole Village's community of Freedom Fighters.

That night, after dinner...

        In the hut that James and Shada shared, Shada sat down on their bed and kicked off her 
boots.  James walked over to the hat-rack next to the door, took his hat off, and tossed it on 
one of the pegs.  He took off his cloak, rolled it up, and stuffed it in one of his vest 
pockets.  James took off his vest off and hung it on the hat-rack next to the hat.  He paused 
for a moment, as if to remember something.

        James reached for the lower right vest pocket, opened it, and said, "Oh, Shada, I almost 
forgot."  He tossed the bandoleer and the blaster holster to Shada.

        Shada said, "Thanks, Jim."  She got up and put the bandoleer, holster, and her ice gun 
on the desk.

        James untied the handkerchief from around his neck, and took off the pendant.  He 
dropped them and his holster and weapons into a desk drawer.  As he did so he said, "Yeah, I 
picked them up when I went back to the house."  He unclipped Computer, from his shorts, and 
laid it on the desk.  Shada took off her jumpsuit, hung it up, went back to the bed and lay 
down, under the blankets.  James sat down on the other side of the bed, took off his shoes and 
socks, and lay down.  James said, "Man, these last two days've been hell."  

        Shada snuggled up next to him.  Shada smiled as she heard a light snore rise from her 
mate.  James was fast asleep.

        It was good to be with him, and their children, again.

THE END

This is my first fanfic, and I'd really appreciate it if I got some feedback.

E-mail comments, questions, etc to spiderbot@hotmail.com