Shadow of a Doubt

Peeping Shad

(Shadow)

Maria turned the light off and crawled into bed. She turned from on her side to on her back, then to the other side trying to get comfortable. There was a couple moments of quiet before she could be seen shaking her leg, rocking in the bed in some sort of stimming  or self-soothing action.

Shadow smiled softly at the sight from his spot in the tree outside her window, where he had been watching her.

"Shadow, get down here this instant!" A familiar voice rang inside his head.

He looked down to see Silver and Sonic staring up at him with displeased expressions. He silently hopped down only to have Sonic firmly grab his arm and walk him into the woods with Silver trailing behind.

Once they were out of earshot of the house, Sonic asked, "What the hell are you doing?!?"

"I had to know if she was for real." Shadow replied evenly.

"And you had to go all Edward Cullen creepy to figure that out?"

"Didn't you trust us? I went through her mind and saw her memories. It's definitely her." Silver added with a hint of betrayal and puppy dog eyes.

"I trust you, Silver. It's just... memories can be fabricated or implanted. I had to be sure."

"And how does creepily peeping through windows in the middle of the night prove anything?" Sonic asked crossing his arms.

"Maria had this particular stim when getting ready for bed that I knew no clone or fake would bother replicating. When she wasn't too sick to move, she would shake a leg while waiting to fall asleep. She called it 'getting all the extra energy out' so it would be easier to fall asleep."

"So? Did she do it?" Silver asked.

"Yeah." In the dim light the brothers saw Shadow smile to himself at the thought.

Sonic and Silver exchanged a look.

"Okay, but don't do it again now that you know. Can't have a peeping tom as a brother." Sonic gave Shadow's arm a punch.

The three brothers began walking home, with Shadow obviously lost in his own thoughts. The other two knew better than to interrupt him, but they also knew better than to leave him alone. 

When they arrived at home, Silver pulled Shadow aside without Sonic. 

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine, Silver." Shadow brushed him off. 

"I get that you won't admit anything in front of Sonic, but you can always confide in me." He paused to let Shadow say something, but when he didn't, he continued. "I won't push it right know, but you better bring this up with your therapist." 

"Don't worry, I will. I think I just need a little time to adjust and sort things out in my head." Shadow pushed a hand through his quills and sighed. "Like I had my suspicions; she was too similar for the idea not to cross my mind. I just didn't want to entertain the thought and needlessly get my hopes up. I don't know what to do now that it's true."

"You'll figure it out. Maria is patient and will understand. I think she's also working on adjusting to being alive again. I have faith you both will be right as rain in no time." Silver smiled at his older brother.

"Thanks, Silver." 

Silver hugged Shadow, arms squeezing his waist before he could be pushed away. Shadow let it happen, patting Silver's head. 

"You're not mad that I kept Maria's secret, right?" he asked, ending the hug. 

"Of course not. I trust you with my life, Silver." Shadow gripped his shoulder. "I trust your judgement. Sure I'm disappointed that she didn't come straight to me, but I'm glad she was able to trust you with such a big secret."

"I'm glad. It's kind of wild to hear you open up like this, Shadow. With Maria around now, can we expect more of this?" Silver smirked.

"Don't count on it."

"Answer me just one more thing. I'm your favourite brother, right?"

"Of course you are! You really think I would ever prefer Sonic?" he chuckled, putting Silver in a loose chokehold and ruffling his forehead spines.

Silver smiled, happy to see a sparkle return to Shadow's eye.