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Nights in the Wachowski household were much quieter than Knuckles was used to.
Well, that wasn't completely true—there was plenty of noise. The fox slept silently, but the hedgehog he now shared a room with made enough noise to account for both of them. Not only did he snore as though his life depended on it, but he also held complete conversations with himself in his sleep. But these noises were much different than the kind Knuckles was used to.
Where were the insects that chirped all through the night? Where was the local wildlife that should be hiding in the trees? Why couldn't he hear the sound of running water? The Wachowski house's walls were thick and wooden, and they blocked out all outdoor sounds of nature. This, Knuckles knew, was dangerous, because it rid him of nature's warning signs that had protected him for so many years.
The sticks and twigs that littered the ground were necessary because a footstep would snap one in two and alert Knuckles to an intruder. The native animals would flee and cry out in fear if they saw a stranger, and their squawking had saved Knuckles' life on two separate occasions. Running water could act as a barrier that attackers would have to make noise to get across. Sure, sleeping outdoors was thought to be uncomfortable when compared to a warm bed inside, but it was so much safer.
And here, in the attic, Knuckles knew he wouldn't even be able to hear an intruder enter through the front door.
He hated it.
That was why he had convinced Tom and Maddie to let him sleep downstairs for the first couple of nights. There, he could guard the household from danger and protect them and the Master Emerald, which would maybe eventually make up for his past mistakes. He had a debt to the Wachowskis, and he was going to make it up to them—and what better way to do that than to protect them from danger? He was a warrior, after all. He could guard them from harm.
But then Maddie and Tom (and Sonic too) had excitedly showed him the attic, which they had been secretly setting up for the past week. They'd added two more beds for him and Tails. It was a surprise gift, they said, because he deserved to have a room in their house too. Because he was family.
Knuckles hadn't known how to respond. He knew they were just being overly nice, or perhaps sucking up to him because they were worried he'd attack their house again, but figuring out the ulterior motive did little to help him form a response. He simply thanked them and accepted their gift.
It'd be rude otherwise.
But now, he regretted accepting it. Every inch of his body ached with exhaustion, yet he couldn't sleep no matter how hard he tried—he didn't feel safe. This was a dangerous place to sleep. There were too many places an enemy could attack from. Downstairs, the house could be swarming with attackers, and perhaps Maddie and Tom were already dead. How could he repay them from up here? He was a useless protector in the attic! How could he neglect his duties and sleep like this? He wasn't family; he was a guard!
Making up his mind, Knuckles swung his legs over the side of the bed and hopped off, careful to stay quiet enough so as to not wake the fox (the hedgehog, he knew, was out cold for the night). He made his way down the attic stairs and then downstairs once more, prepared to stand in the living room for the rest of the night.
But as he passed by the hall, a light in the kitchen caught his eye. He froze. The light was followed by the creaking of tile floor and the sound of someone's breath. Someone was in the house.
Already curling his fingers tightly into fists, Knuckles prepared for a battle. His lips pulled up into a sneer as he ran to the kitchen and raised his fists.
"Stop where you are, attacker!"
Tom blinked, frozen mid-bite in his sandwich, and narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Knuckles?" He tried to ask, mouth half full.
Knuckles deflated. "Oh, it is only you, Lord of Donuts. I apologize for interrupting your meal."
Tom looked down at the half-eaten sandwich in his hand. "I wouldn't really call it a meal," He said, a little sadly. All things considered, Knuckles had to agree. It was really just a thin slice of meat between two pieces of unnaturally white bread. If it was a meal, it was certainly a pitiful one at that.
"I still apologize. I was unaware you were awake."
"It's no big deal, kiddo," Tom said, shaking his head. "But why are you up? It's late and you did a lot yesterday. You must be exhausted."
Knuckles crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "I am an echidna warrior, and, as such, I do not require as much sleep as you humans may expect. I am quite fine."
Tom raised one brow suspiciously. "Is that so?" He asked, finishing off his sandwich.
Knuckles nodded firmly. It wasn't a lie, not really—he was used to a constant lack of sleep, as being awake and aware was the only way to protect yourself from attackers. He only rested in small increments and never too deeply. It just wasn't safe.
"Well, if you're hungry, you're welcome to whatever's in the fridge, but I really do think you should try and sleep some. Don't want you getting all cranky tomorrow from sleep deprivation. We're all going fishing, remember?"
Ah yes, Knuckles did remember this. For some reason, the human found it vitally important that he took the newest members of the household out on his boat, perhaps for some sort of initiation ritual. He'd already taken Tails, so now it was Knuckles' turn.
"I will be ready when the time comes to accompany you on the water," Knuckles said, ensuring that Tom knew he was taking this new duty seriously. The human chuckled and the echidna continued. "However, I will be staying down here for the remainder of the night. Your door is poorly protected. This shelter, while comfortable, is not well guarded, so I will be sure to keep anyone unwanted from entering."
Tom opened his mouth, looking like he was going to object, but ended up only sighed. "Alright, Kiddo," he said as he started to walk towards the hall, "Just make sure you try to get some rest. You know where the blankets are, and the couch is always there."
As he passed by, he patted Knuckles on the head, leaving the echidna to stare at him in confusion. He truly did not understand these humans, nor how they were treating him. If they were scared he was going to attack them again, they sure had a strange way of showing it. But he couldn't think of another reason they'd do so much for him other than as a peace offering and hope for protection.
But it was too late for lingering thoughts on this. Knuckles was going to keep his promise of protecting the house, so he placed himself in the hallway near the door and sat on the floor, watching the entrance as carefully as he could. He would not sleep, he decided, until he was sure it was safe to do so. He had to keep watch.
But if he nodded off around 3 AM, that was no one's business but his.
***
He knew it had all been a trap!
It was the third week in the Wachowski household and Knuckles felt horrible. His head was on fire and every time he swallowed, his throat burned. He couldn't believe he let his guard down like this! They had poisoned him. They'd fooled him with their kindness and gifts and Knuckles, naive as he was, fell right into their traps. They hadn't been scared of him at all. They'd only been scheming for his demise!
How could he let this happen?
"The Master Emerald," Knuckles gasped, jumping out of bed. But he stumbled as soon as he did. His legs were twisted up in the blanket and his head was already clouded with pain, destroying any sense of direction he had. He crashed to the ground with a loud thump and groaned in pain. As if this day couldn't get any worse.
The sound of footsteps snapped the echidna out of his trance. The humans and Sonic! One of them was coming. They knew he was awake, so they were coming to boast of their victory before putting him out of his misery. He scrambled to his feet, managing to kick away the blanket and stand up straight just before the door opened.
And there she was, the Lady of Pretzels. Knuckles scowled and clenched his fist. How dare she seem so kind and motherly, only to betray him? And to think he'd been starting to consider trusting her.
"Knuckles?" Maddie said, "What are you doing out of bed? You're sick, sweetie, you need to rest."
Knuckles blinked. "I... What?"
Maddie chuckled ever so slightly at the echidna's confused face. She walked over to him and gently set a hand on his shoulder, guiding him back to bed. Knuckles allowed his fists to relax as he followed. He was no longer angry, only confused.
"You were completely out of it last night when I took your temperature," Maddie said quietly as Knuckles sat back down on the bed. She knelt down and gently laid her hand on his forehead. Knuckles, against all his instincts, allowed her to do so. "Your fever is definitely down a bit, but it's still pretty high. I'm guessing you caught the flu."
"The flu?" Knuckles asked, testing the foreign word out on his tongue. He supposed it was some kind of Earth illness. He felt his cheeks flush, though he wasn't sure if it was from the fever or his own embarrassment. Why had he jumped to conclusions like that? He'd caught illnesses before, but somehow, in his panic, that hadn't seemed as likely as being poisoned. He shrunk back ever so slightly. "Oh..."
Maddie stared at him in silent thought for a few long moments. Though Knuckles knew humans certainly couldn't read minds, he still felt all too exposed as she did so. It was as though she was reading his every emotion.
So he shook his head and rid his face of any uncertainty. "Thank you for informing me of what is wrong," he said politely, "You may go. I shall isolate myself as to keep the rest of you safe from my illness."
Maddie rolled her eyes with a fond smile. "Silly, I'm not afraid of catching anything," She said, "I'm going to take care of you. Now, you need to rest some more, but I'll get you some soup in a couple hours. I also have some medicine to help. Hopefully, you take around the same dose as Sonic. But you definitely weigh more, so maybe I'll give you a bit more..."
She... What? Knuckles scoffed. "I do not need to be 'taken care of'. I thank you for the offer, but I am perfectly fine on my own. I am not a child, and have braved many sicknesses on my own."
Maddie sighed. "You don't have to be on your own though, Knuckles. You have us, but if you really wanna be left alone, I'll give you some space."
Knuckles crossed his arms over his chest and nodded firmly.
With one more sigh, Maddie leaned over, bringing her lips close to his forehead. But, when she noticed how the echidna tensed up, she hesitated and pulled away. She patted him softly on the upper arm instead.
"Get well soon, Red."
She left the attic and shut the door behind her, leaving Knuckles on his own once again. Just like he always was, just like he was supposed to be. Because he was a warrior perfectly capable of taking care of himself and waiting his sickness out.
He drifted back to sleep a couple of hours later, and he woke up to a cup of water and two pills on his nightstand. To the right of them, a bowl of chicken noodle soup sat, still warm. There was also a note.
Hope you feel better soon, Sweetie. Let me know if you need anything else.
- Maddie
He accepted the medicine after a few moments of consideration. The soup, he left alone. His shame and guilt from thinking he had been poisoned kept him from accepting any more gifts from those he wanted to trust.
***
It had been a long day and Knuckles was glad to be back home.
Tom had to deal with a wreck in town at noon. Normally, he tried to keep Knuckles, Sonic, and Tails far away from anything involving his job. But a car had flipped over and a child was stuck underneath, and it would take too long to wait for backup to help free her. Tom had called up and asked Knuckles to come to help lift the car. Knuckles was there as fast as he could, and the young girl was perfectly okay.
Not too long after, a neighbor asked if Knuckles could help push their broken lawn mower back into a barn so he could repair it. Knuckles gladly did. He was proud to use his strength twice in one day to help those in need. He was proving himself worthy of the town's acceptance, and he was quite prideful of this fact.
Those two things would've made an eventful day on its own, but that wasn't all. Maddie was taking the boys to the fair that evening. There, Knuckles was dragged around the entire fairgrounds by Sonic and Tails as they excitedly showed him every ride and activity. It was quite fun, especially when they found a game that boasted it could test anyone's strength. All you had to do was punch a punching bag as hard as you could and it would show you how high your score was.
Sadly, Knuckles never got to see his score. He'd accidentally launched the game across the fairgrounds and shattered it into pieces... But, at least, he could say he definitely won the game.
Three hours later, they all came back home. Tails had fallen asleep in the car, so Maddie carried him up to the attic while Knuckles and Sonic collapsed on the couch.
"That was so much fun," Sonic said, grinning, "Even better than last year's fair!"
Knuckles nodded in agreement. While he hadn't ever seen last year's fair (he'd only been on Earth about three months, after all), the day had been very fun. The hedgehog's judgment was true enough as far as he could see.
However, Knuckles' mind was concerned with other things—namely, why he was so tired. In the past, he'd had much more adventurous days that led to even more stressful situations, and he was always able to get back up after everything and run to the next thing. But now, after a few minor activities, he was ready to sleep for days. Why?
Was he losing his edge? That wasn't good. This planet was too soft—it was weakening him! He was supposed to be a warrior! What if he was exhausted like this and someone attacked the house? How could he protect Tom and Maddie and Sonic and Tails and the Master Emerald? His pulse quickened as his mind raced with horrifying possibilities. In his vision, he was standing in a pile of rubble that used to be their house, helpless to watch as an enemy walked away with the master emerald and his friends' lives. He couldn't breathe.
"Uhhh, Knuckles?" Sonic asked, snapping his fingers in front of Knuckles' face. The echidna blinked, returning to reality. Sonic frowned. "You okay?"
"I am fine, Hedgehog," Knuckles snapped, sitting up. He shook his head and panic away, but couldn't keep the edge out of his voice. "Nothing is wrong. And even if it was, it would not concern you."
"Uh huh, that's convincing," Sonic said sarcastically, swinging his legs over the side of the couch, "But you have your grumpy face on. So, spill it. What's going on in that thick head of yours?"
Knuckles shoved Sonic's hand away before he could playfully knock on his forehead. He kept his mouth shut, stubbornly showing the hedgehog that he was not going to tell him. He meant it when he said it was none of his business—this was something that concerned Knuckles and Knuckles alone. He didn't need to talk about it and he didn't need anyone's advice. He just needed to discipline himself on such a weak planet to keep his skills.
He wouldn't go soft. The Master Emerald's safety, and the Wachowskis', depended on it.
Sonic stared at Knuckles with a pensive look on his face. Before Knuckles could ask what he was thinking, a flash of recognition and excitement burst over his face. Sonic beamed and held up one finger. "I got it!"
"You got what?" Before Knuckles could even finish his question, Sonic had disappeared, leaving a gust of wind behind in his wake. Sonic was back less than two seconds later. He now had two plates in his hand with hastily prepared sandwiches, chips, and fruit on them. He held one out to Knuckles.
"You're in a bad mood and you won't tell me what's wrong," Sonic said, "But everything looks clearer with a full stomach. We haven't eaten since before the fair so I know you must be starving, like I am!"
Knuckles furrowed his brows as he eyed the plates carefully. This was Sonic's solution to his bad mood? Sure, Sonic didn't know what was actually wrong, but only a fool could think that all of one's problems could be solved with food alone. It just didn't make sense.
But all of Knuckles' criticisms disappeared the moment he saw what fruit was on his plate. "Grapes!"
Knuckles snatched the plate and scarfed down his fruit in mere seconds, leaving Sonic to laugh at his excitement. Sonic sat down on the couch beside him and ate his sandwich happily.
Once the grapes were gone, Knuckles switched to a much slower pace to finish the rest of his plate. Though it was obvious the sandwiches were rushed, the taste was delicious.
Sonic happily chatted about everything and nothing as the two ate their food, and by the end of it, Knuckles had to admit he was feeling a little better. Maybe the hedgehog had been right. While he did still know his worries had some truth to them... his hunger had been making it all worse than it really was, and the distraction had eased his anxieties the best he could hope for. Of course, he could still fight and protect his people. He was an echidna warrior, and it would take more than a long day to change that. It was disrespectful to his ancestors to think otherwise.
"Thank you, Hedgehog," Knuckles said suddenly, rising to his feet, "I am feeling much better."
Sonic grinned. "Told ya I was right," He teased, "You should listen to me more often, huh?"
"Perhaps," Knuckles said, then paused, "Or maybe not. I should not take advice from someone who somehow got more of the sandwich on his face than in his mouth."
"Hey!"
***
Knuckles could hardly believe it'd been six months.
Six months since he'd met Robotnik. Six months since he'd traveled to Earth. Six months since he'd located the Master Emerald. Six months since he'd joined the Wachowski clan. Six months since he'd moved in.
And he could hardly believe how well it had been going. He couldn't believe he'd used to think the Wachowskis had been scheming or out to get him. To think, he'd once been foolish enough to think as honorable a being as Maddie would poison him! Even though Robotnik had fooled him into attacking them, the Wachowskis had accepted him into their home. He was a part of their clan, through and through, and he quite enjoyed it.
Earth was so isolated from the rest of the galaxy. He understood now while Longclaw's clan had chosen to hide the Master Emerald here; most didn't even know this primitive planet existed. But, though it was primitive, it was safe and beautiful. It was the perfect hiding spot.
But that was where Knuckles had made a mistake. Nothing was perfect. It could always be found.
And a small group of treasure hunters had found it and come for the emerald. Knuckles, Sonic, and Tails had managed to fend them off, but it had been a great wake-up call for the echidna warrior. He couldn't let his guard down anymore. Those invaders could be back at any moment with their allies. They had easily beaten them once, but now the invaders knew their strength. They wouldn't misjudge the mission again. What if, next time, they succeeded in taking the Master Emerald?
Knuckles had to make sure he saw them first.
And that was why he was now standing out on the Wachowski's porch, arms crossed over his chest as he stared out into the distance. The snow-covered grass led into snow-covered trees, swaying gently in the wind with only the soft sound of rustling branches to accompany it. Knuckles shivered slightly from the cold. But, despite the discomfort, he was thankful for it. The temperature kept him on edge so he was always ready for an attack.
And he planned to stay like this for the remainder of the night.
He stayed like that uninterrupted until around 11:30 PM, when the sound of footsteps alerted him to another's presence. Luckily, the noise came from behind him—that meant it was from someone in the house. It was unlikely any intruders would get inside since Knuckles had barricaded the other entrances shut (which greatly displeased Tom, but Maddie consoled him and said it was okay if it would make Knuckles feel safer). He'd be able to hear if they broke through. This was the only remaining entrance, so this was where Knuckles would guard.
He turned around carefully and saw Tails standing behind him, a blanket wrapped around him and a worried frown on his face. Knuckles furrowed his brows.
"Fox, what is it that you need?"
"Are you gonna stay out here all night?" Tails asked.
Knuckles nodded and turned back to watch the distance. "Of course I am. The invaders could come back at any moment. It is vital that I am ready if they return, so I will stay here and wait for them."
"But it's cold. You could get sick. You don't even have a blanket!"
"I do not need a blanket. I have faced harsher weathers than this. I will be okay, Fox."
A few moments of silence passed, and Knuckles almost wondered if Tails had left and he somehow hadn't heard it. However, he soon felt a hand tug on his wrist, and he looked down to see Tails with a nervous smile on his face.
“Come with me? I wanna show you something. It will only be a minute, I promise.”
Knuckles considered. He truly didn’t want to leave his post, but he knew how stubborn the fox could be when he really wanted to be. Would he ever leave him alone if he didn’t come?
"Tails—"
"Please?"
He sighed in defeat. “Alright, but only for a minute. I must be back here as soon as possible.”
Tails beamed. Without another word, his tails shot out from under the blanket and started spinning, lifting him off the porch and up towards the roof. Confused, but intrigued, Knuckles climbed the house and followed him.
Once on top, Tails landed. Knuckles looked around, eyes wide. The roof had a new addition: a large satellite dish. clearly hand crafted from spare parts, aimed up towards the heavens. He stared at it and tilted his head.
“What’s this?”
“The invaders fled Earth, right?” Tails asked. Knuckles nodded, so he continued. “Well… I saw how stressed you were about them coming back. You haven’t come inside once since two days ago, when they attacked.” Tails set a hand on the satellite, smiling timidly. “So… I made this, to monitor anything entering the atmosphere around here. I’ll know instantly if they come back now.”
Knuckles’ eyes widened when he saw Tails wave a small device around. He caught it instantly when Tails tossed it to him and stared at it curiously.
Tails explained, “This’ll start beeping if anything comes. You don’t have to stand guard, Knuckles. We’re safe and this can warn us.”
Knuckles was at a loss for words. The fox had created this in only a day? It was truly an impressive feat. Better yet, Knuckles knew the quality of other pieces of technology that Tails build; they nearly always worked. Tails never allowed anyone to use anything he built if he wasn’t completely confident in its usefulness. Without even seeing it in action, Knuckles trusted this satellite instantly to be reliable.
“…Thank you, Fox,” Knuckles said, “This will help guard our clan and the Master Emerald. You are a very honorable inventor, indeed.”
Tails beamed. “Really? You like it?” Knuckles nodded, and Tails continued. “Does that mean…”
Knuckles frowned and silently urged him on. Tails spoke his next words quietly and hesitantly.
“Does that mean you’ll come inside?”
Knuckles considered. Though he now, logically speaking, had a sure way to know in advance when the invaders returned, he was still much too worried to go inside. Being on guard wasn’t only a protective duty, but a comforting one too. It ensured that he saw enemies in advance. It ensured that he was ready. He wasn’t quite ready to give it up yet.
“…Not yet,” He said slowly, “I would like to keep watch for a little while longer, just in case. But with this, I know I do not have to remain out here for the rest of time. I will come back inside in a few hours, Tails, I give you my word.”
Tails breathed out a sigh of relief. “Honestly, I wasn’t even expecting that much,” He admitted, giggling, “So I’ll count this as a win.”
A speck of white landed on Knuckles' nose, and he looked up to see hundreds of snowflakes falling from above. It had started snowing. Knuckles resisted the urge to shiver, instead deciding to just watch the beautiful snow rain all around him.
“If you won’t come inside, will you at least take this?”
Knuckles looked over to see Tails holding out his blanket. He paused, thinking, and then slowly accepted it. He draped the blanket over his shoulders as though it were a cape.
“Thank you, Tails.”
Satisfied that Knuckles would now be okay, Tails finally left him alone and returned to the house. Knuckles decided to stay up on the roof a little while longer. It was peaceful up here, and being higher up gave him a better view of his surroundings anyways. It was a win-win.
But he wasn’t staring only at his surroundings; the sky had caught his eyes. A few stars poked through the clouds above and shone down on the snowflakes as they drifted from the heavens. Knuckles pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders. The stars watched him just as much as they watched him.
He stayed up there as long as he needed to, clutching the monitor under the blanket for safekeeping. Then he returned inside and drifted off to sleep in his own bed, listening to Sonic's quiet muttering and Tail's gentle breathing from across the room.
And he felt safe.
***
Two months later, Knuckle's fears came to fruition.
The invaders came back with reinforcements. Worse? Maddie and Tom had taken Sonic and Tails to a sports game that Knuckles had had no interest in seeing. He was the only one remaining at the house when they attacked.
But at least he had a heads-up to meet them. Tail's device had given him that much, and he knew it was the main reason he had been able to defeat them on his own.
He held them off with all he had, but it wasn't easy. Their forces were strong and skilled. The echidna warrior used all of his strength to protect both the Master Emerald and his family clan's home. By the time the others had discovered there was a battle going on back home and rushed back, he had already fended all of them off. They retreated as fast as they could.
And Knuckles, caked in bruises and blood, watched them go.
"Knuckles!" Sonic, of course, was the first home. Before Knuckles could even blink, a blur of blue sped through the yard and landed right in front of him. "Are you okay??!"
"I... I am okay," Knuckles said, eyes dazed, "But those invaders... they were strong..."
"You need to sit down, you're bleeding!" Sonic gently guided Knuckles to sit down on the grass, and the echidna went with him without resistance. Sonic then held up a hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Uh... 6?"
This was apparently the wrong answer. Sonic worried glanced over his shoulder, and then breathed out a sigh of relief when he spotted the truck rolling in from the distance. He turned back to Knuckles.
"Maddie will help you. Just stay right here!"
Then Sonic disappeared, presumably to alert Tom and Maddie and Tails of the situation.
Knuckles stayed where he was, focusing on the sky above him instead of the pain in his fists and all over his body. He wasn't worried about his condition—he knew Maddie would take care of him. He knew his clan would help him; he could trust that much. He had done his job and kept everyone safe. Everything was okay.
A few moments later, Knuckles found himself surrounded. Tom picked him up and carried him inside, only struggling slightly from his weight, and brought him to the couch. There, Maddie started wrapping his wounds with bandages Sonic retrieved. He leaned his head back on the pillow Tails had handed him.
"You're gonna be okay, Sweetie," Maddie murmured softly as she leaned down and kissed the echidna's forehead, "You'll heal."
Knuckles nodded firmly. "Of course I will," he said, though he kept his voice low. His head hurt too much for loud noise. "I am an echidna warrior."
"You sure are, Big Guy," Tom chuckled fondly, "And you kept your family safe. We're proud of you."
Family. That was a nice word, one that suited them much more than 'clan' did. Knuckles resolved to use it more often in the future.
Tails climbed up beside him and sat as close as he could without irritating Knuckles' injuries. Knuckles nodded gratefully to him, perhaps even smiling ever so slightly.
"Your technology worked wonderfully, Fox," He said, "I received enough warning to prepare to face them. This victory may not have happened as it did without your work."
Tails beamed, but Sonic rolled his eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned forward.
"You got a warning, huh?" He said, "Then why didn't you call us? I could've got here to help you! You didn't have to do this alone!"
Knuckles looked down shamefully. Truthfully, the thought had crossed his mind, and he knew he should have done that. It was the logical plan of action. But he hadn't wanted to. For some reason, he knew he had to face them alone—and it wasn't out of any prideful need to prove himself this time.
"I did not want any of you harmed," Knuckles said, "I wanted to protect you all. I was certain I could defeat them on my own, and I was correct. They have been defeated."
"And you're hurt!"
"Minor battle wounds."
"What's done is done, guys," Tom interrupted, glaring at Sonic, "We don't need to start any arguments about what should have happened. What matters is we deal with taking care of Knuckles now." He then turned to Knuckles. "But we are going to have a talk about that later, okay?"
"I understand."
"But for now, let's focus on helping Knuckles feel better. Because that's what families do—we take care of each other."
"Speaking of that," Maddie said, "Tails, can you get some ice for Knuckles' head? And Sonic, can you grab a blanket from the closet?"
Both kids rushed off to fulfill their tasks, leaving Knuckles a moment to think about the last few months. He could hardly believe that it wasn't even a year ago that he thought these people were only kind to him because of fear or devious plans. He had mistaken their care for poison, but now he accepted it with open arms. These people had earned his trust, and his protection too. They were his family.
And he trusted them with his life.