Time Heals All Things

Chapter Thirty One: Surprising A Hedgehog..

Over the next couple of days Sonic spent his time with Tails planning Shadow's birthday party. It was nice, almost like old times except they were twice as old as they used to be and Tails ran his workshop as a garage, taking in vehicles and fixing them for a price. It had not taken much convincing to get Amy to make his birthday cake, the moment she had learnt Sonic was celebrating Shadow's birthday she immediately insisted that the cake was going to be her gift to him and would not hear any ideas on what her cake should be like. So deciding to let her just do her own thing the males left her to it knowing that at least the cake would be at the party.

Deciding who to invite had been a little more tricky. Sonic knew that Shadow would not want a large gathering of friends and family he would just want a few close friends there and that was it. Unfortunately besides himself, Knuckles and Rouge, Tails and Cream along with Amy and Scourge he was unsure who else to invite. He knew that Shadow did not socialise with many at G.U.N and after phoning Rouge about who he liked to talk with she told him she would get in contact with Hope who Sonic had yet to be introduced to.

To the middle-aged blue hedgehog this seemed like a very small gathering but considering the fact that his birthday celebrations in the past had resulted in some seriously wild nights. But then his birthday used to be considered the highlight of the social calendar and everyone who knew him would come flocking. To him seven guests might sound like a small number but for Shadow it was the perfect number. It was shaping up to be an afternoon event that way the guest would leave before Shadow's patience would give out. It was also going to be a garden party with a barbecue, this had been Tails' idea to have the whole event outside in the garden and he had even offered to man the grill since Sonic never had the attention span required to cook anything that wasn't blackened to an uneatable charred crisp.

On the morning of Shadow's birthday Sonic carefully opened the patio door at the rear of the home and scanned the kitchen before beckoning Tails to bring in the first of the supplies for the party.

"So you're sure Shadow won't bust us?" The thirty six year old fox murmured softly as he set the first of the bags from his truck down on the island worktop. His large fox ears tilted and twisted as if expecting to hear Shadow moving around.

"Nah, don't worry about him. I woke up first today for a change and turned off his alarm so he could have a lie in." The older blue hedgehog replied calmly. Sonic wasn't particularly a morning hedgehog but since today was such a special day he had tweaked the curtains to remain open a little so the rising sun would make sure he woke first.

"Won't he be pissed about that?" Tails raised his golden eye ridges towards his best friend.

"I have ways of making him come around.." Sonic chuckled with the edge of a rolling purr.

"Yikes, that's too much information for the morning Sonic." The middle-aged fox shuddered to himself thinking that some things were better left unsaid. He was fine with the idea of Sonic and Shadow dating but they could keep those kind of intimate details to themselves, as long as they were happy he didn't need to know more.

"Coffee Tails, I just meant I can win him over with coffee and a croissant." Sonic threw his best friend a deadpan gaze, not missing the small quiver or the slight grimace that twisted his white muzzle. "You have such a dirty mind buddy. That stuff happens when the party is over. Be back in a few.." Sonic immediately brightened before fixing a coffee and picking up the warm croissant he had bought on their way over.

"Yeh, sure, just leave me to bring everything in.." Tails rolled his sky blue eyes wearily before waving one hand then turning to finish unloading his truck.

*. *. *

"Hey.... Shadow.... Wakey, wakey... It's your birthday...." The sound of Sonic's soft voice made the black pointed ear of Shadow twitch and the low grumpy sounding groan that followed it made the edges of Sonic's boyish grin tweak wider.