Frost: Yes I have finally updated this story and what's more, it is the finale chapter! We have reached the end everyone

Sonic: Praise the lord! I am free

Frost: Not forever, soon I'll have another story up for you

Sonic: Screw you then!

Frost: Whatever, anyway please review or PM me if you have questions. Also this chapter has also been looked over and edited by my Beta The Lunatic Author so go check out her stories as well

Shadow: Frost doesn't own us, Sega does

Silver: Please review and thanks to everyone who has stuck by us

Emily spent the first day contemplating on whether she truly wanted to go through with what John wanted her to do. At first she believed she could since it would be easy; it would only hurt her, but she could survive and fortunately move on.

Then she watched as her little boy experienced all the things she'd missed out on while he'd been growing up, and suddenly the decision was much harder.

"I can't wait to show you all the amazing places I've travelled to, mother! You'll love them!" Sonic had smiled at her while describing some of his adventures. She watched as the young hedgehog moved about with such energy, such happiness and life, she knew if it came to it she would sacrifice his life for hers.

The boy had just barely begun to live and had so much to look forward too, she couldn't take that away from him. When the second day rolled up, Emily gazed towards the forest and squared her shoulders, eyes sharp. She wouldn't allow John to frighten her anymore. She wouldn't allow him to take her child from her.

Sonic was hers, no matter what the monster said.

As the day progressed she became more and more nervous and restless. Yet despite how frightened she was on the inside, she refused to let it show around Sonic. She didn't want him to worry, especially not when he looked so happy...but she couldn't hide her tense behaviour from everyone. It wasn't long before Shadow and Silver began to grow wary.

"She seems very jumpy today." The white hedgehog mused from the kitchen as they watched Emily speaking with her son. Every now and then, the mother would look up towards the forest, a unusual, pensive expression on her face, one she showed only when the Blue Blur was glancing away from her.

The Ultimate Lifeform at Silver's side shifted uneasily, scarlet eyes dark and thoughtful. "You don't think she'll walk out on him again?" Shadow murmured, more to himself than to his companion. Even one such as himself, who thought families were incredibly important, had doubts about the woman.

The telekinetic hedgehog sighed softly, his quills rustling briefly before they lowered a few inches down. "Emily had a bit of a track record with that." Silver pointed out, causing the ebony hedgehog to ground his teeth together, barely holding back a snarl.

"I've already warned her of the consequences should she chose to leave." Shadow growled out, crossing his arms firmly over his chest. Silver merely raised an eyebrow at his companion but gave a nod of acknowledgment.

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Emily laid in her bed, eyes closed and thinking about her future. The woman knew John would be coming for her soon which meant Sonic would be in danger. She knew it would destroy the child if she were to leave, but there was no other choice.

She couldn't risk his life by staying, and attempting to tell him why she would have to leave would only result with the young one chasing after her, getting caught in the crossfire. If she told Sonic it would only make things worse, since the little hero would surly go after John himself in a attempt to protect her. She knew it would only end up with him getting grievously injured, or dead.

The saddened, worried mother sighed and turned onto her side, only to give a terrified, muffled scream when a damp cloth was clamped firmly over her mouth. A strange smell invaded her nose and her mind began to grow fuzzy, sleep threatening to take away her conscience. Yet she struggled violently, her heart beating loudly in her chest, threatening to tear itself out of its confines.

"I warned you, didn't I, girly? What would happen if you didn't bring him?" A rough, growling voice hissed in her ear, horribly familiar to her. Emily felt fear rush through her and her struggle renewed, yet it was no use. With one final, muted cry she gave in and allowed the blackness of sleep to take her.

John watched her with a sickening smile. Making sure she was asleep, he gathered his once wife into his arms. The man walked to the window and dropped a letter onto the bed as he went. He would have his revenge soon on the little mistake and then, when the rat and his wife were dead, he would be able to take all of her money for himself.

With one final look at the room the man fled into the night, Emily tightly grasped in her arms.

(Line break)

Sonic was buzzing with excitement when he woke up. Never had he felt like this in his life, like everything was absolutely perfect. The hero had his mother back and she loved him, paid attention to him and wanted to be a part of his life, just like he had dreamed of when he had been little.

He also had two older brothers who would do anything for him, and his friends were gradually starting to know him not as the hero of Mobius, but rather Sonic. Amy was no longer a problem and they were all planning a trip so that his dear mother could see all the incredible sights they had been to during their many, many travels. Everything was perfect. He finally had his family back.

"Hey mum, are you up yet? I have something to tell…" The sapphire hedgehog's excited chatter broke off when he walk into the room and saw no sign of his mother. Her bed hadn't been made, but it looked as if it had been slept in. That was odd because Emily was a neat person; she always made her bed before getting up.

Sonic felt the old, heart-wrenching fear he felt when he was younger and woke up to see that his mother had left again. Gritting his teeth, he did his best to push those thoughts aside. Emily wouldn't leave him now, she'd changed.

She promised.

He looked around the room for clues, wondering where she'd gone when he spied the letter on the bedside table. He picked it up, eying it curiously before quickly scanning it's contents. At the end of his reading, his face had reached the pallor of snow and against his will, tears began gathering in his eyes.

"No, no...Shadow! Silver!" His voice began to break as he called for the only remaining figures of stability in his life. Dropping the letter to the ground, the young hedgehog tried to stifle the sobs worming their way out of his lips, struggling to keep the tears from leaking out of his eyes. Sonic could hear the footsteps rushing towards the room, but he didn't care.

His world was falling apart all over again, and he didn't know how to stop it.

The white hedgehog was the first to enter the bedroom. "Sonic, are you alright!? What's wrong!?" Silver shouted as he made his way towards the crying hero, Shadow at his side. Sonic could only point them the letter, and at that both feared that Emily had once more left her child.

What they read, however, was far worse.

Hello son,

It seems Mummy Dearest cares for you after all. I gave her the chance to live by handing you over, yet she chose to save you instead. Now she will pay with her life...that is, unless you come to me before the sun sets. Meet me at the old hut on the other side of the forest, alone, if you want to see your dear mother alive. If you don't show up, trash, I will know you don't really care for her and I will end her. Then, I'll come for you.

Hope to see you soon, boy.

"What do we do?" Silver murmured as Shadow bared his teeth, crimson eyes alight with rage.

"Call the police, let them handle it." The darker of the trio snarled, causing Sonic to swing round and stare at him in horror.

"We can't call them Shadow, he'll kill her!" The azure hedgehog exclaimed in terror and desperation. Hadn't the elder male read the letter!? Didn't he realize what was at stake here?

Shadow glared at the sobbing child. "What other choice do we have? I'm not letting you go out there alone. Think, idiot. He'll kill you too if you go. Your mother won't be spared. Can't you see this is a trap?" The red-eyed male snarled at the young one who glared back, determined to make the other see things his way.

"I don't care! He has my mother and I only just got her back!" The boy roared, quills bristling, tears leaving tracks on his face. His hands were balled into fists as his body shook, the rage and helplessness barely contained.

"And we'll get her back, just not if we just run head first into his trap. Think child, use your head for once!" Shadow seethed, trying his best to get it through the blue one's thick skull that this was something he couldn't fix by recklessly charging in and trading blows.

"I am...and I know what I have to do. I'm going to save my mother!" Sonic hissed as he stormed out of the room. Shadow and Silver didn't follow him until they heard the door open and slam shut. Only then they tried to run after him, yelling after the azure hedgehog; unfortunately he already was tearing through the forest with as much speed as he could muster. His two brothers didn't know where the hut was located, but he did.

Sonic wouldn't let them stop him from saving his mother.

The hut used to be an ancient hunting shack where a family would take their kills and skin them. The said family had made a living from the forest, but when hunting became illegal they had been forced to pack up and leave, abandoning the hut. The building began to rot away and was reclaimed by the forest.

When he reached it, Sonic stared at the wooden building and felt a shiver run up his spine. The roof looked like it was about to cave in while the walls had holes in them, probably from termites. The damp smell of rotting wood was also thick in the air and made him wrinkle his nose in distaste, yet he walked forwards, determined to save his mother.

He walked slowly and quietly towards the door that was slightly ajar and nudged it gently with the tip of his finger. He winced when it gave a loud creak as it swung open revealing the dusty inside. The main room had old hunting traps and a few rotting animal skins that made him turn away in revulsion, while a dusty curtain divided the room in half.

What caught the speedster's eyes instantly was his mother tied to a chair in the middle of the room, her mouth gagged.

"Mother!" He was by her side in an instant and untying her, ignoring the way Emily was shaking her head. "It's alright now mum, you're safe!" Sonic pulled the gag off, and was quick to pull her out of the chair.

"No my baby, you have to leave, now! Before that monster comes back!" Emily begged through the tears when the gag was removed, trying her best to urge the frowning child towards the door.

"I'm not going to leave you here!"

"Oh, isn't that sweet?"

Sonic tensed at the voice that hunted his dreams, his eyes darkening with rage. Emily gave a chocked sob and bowed her head, defeated. Sonic turned to see John standing before the curtain, a small pistol held tightly in his right hand. The elder hedgehog was smiling, showing the decayed, rotting yellow teeth. His eyes gleamed with a cruel shine.

"Hello, son." He greeted warmly, mockingly, while raising his arm and aiming the gun at them. Sonic snarled, shifting to a defensive stance.

"Don't you dare." He bit out while pushing his mother behind him, protecting her from harm. John saw this and chuckled while shaking his head. "I am not your son, and you certainly aren't my father!"

"I see you're still trying to help and save people. Such a waste of time, if you ask me." The monster drawled and Sonic felt his quills rise with anger. The man had become colder over the years, more vile and revolting. Sonic knew that spelled trouble for he and his mother.

"I see you're still a drunk, horrid being." The azure hedgehog shot back and expected the cruel man to explode with rage like he had often done when he'd been younger. Instead, John gave a loud laugh and gazed at him almost proudly.

"I see you still have that sharp tongue, boy, the only good thing you got from me." He laughed and Sonic gave a hiss of anger.

"I am nothing like you. You are cruel...vile. As far as I'm concerned, I have no relations to you." Sonic snapped and that wiped the smile off of John's face. The demon looked down his nose at Sonic before glancing at the gun he held, a mocking sneer on his face.

"Pity you say that. I may have let you live otherwise." He said thoughtfully before pointing the gun at his son, whom paled and stood frozen, rooted to the floor, eyes wide. "Goodbye, boy."

BANG!

Sonic closed his eyes at the echoing noise, waiting for the pain and death to take him...only to scream when a heavy weight slammed into his side, knocking him to the floor and out of the bullet's path. His head slammed into the leg of a nearby table leaving him dazed and confused, wondering what had just happened. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he rolled onto his back and propped himself up with his arms, shaking the dizziness away.

What he saw turned his blood cold and stopped his heart in his chest.

Emily stood over him, back facing him and trembling on her feet. The young speedster sat there in shock and watched as she slowly turned to face him, hands clamped over her stomach while crimson leaked between her fingers and stained her dress.

"Mum?" his voice was meek and shook slightly as he tried to understand what had just happened. Emily smiled at him, soft and calming, before falling to the ground. "Mum!" He kneeled beside her, not having realized he'd even moved and whimpered until he pressed his own hands to her bleeding wound, her warm sticky blood coating his hands. Emily was still breathing, but it was shallow and weak, wrong in his ears, and worst of all his mother appeared to be fighting to keep her eyes open.

"My baby…you've been so brave..."

Her soft whisper made Sonic shake his head violently. "No, no, no, no please. Just keep breathing mum and I'll get you help, you'll be fine, I promise!" The Blue Blur begged as tears fell from his emerald eyes like little rivers. Emily's similar, jade ones had tears in them as well. She smiled at her son, her face slowly taking the shade of snow as blood left her body.

"I'm sorry…I was never there…for you, my angel..."

"Don't apologize, I already forgave you and you'll be fine so don't apologize." Emily just sighed and closed her eyes but she kept breathing. Sonic used one of his bloodied, stained hands to grab hers. He squeezed it gently, and could only smile when her mother squeezed back, as weak as her grip was.

"Isn't this touching?" John's voice jeered behind them and Sonic turned his head with a snarl on his lips, teeth bared in a feral display of anger. "Poor little boy wants his mummy. Well don't worry boy, you'll be joining her soon!"

John had abandoned the gun for a crowbar and was walking slowly towards them, eyes filled with madness. Sonic looked around desperately but all he could see was the discarded gun. Using his speed, he picked it up with trembling hands and pointed it at John, who just laughed, not acknowledging him as a threat.

"Stop right there, I will use this if I have too." Sonic warned, his eyes sharp and focused despite the trembling of his voice, arms trembling which made the gun shake as well.

"You stop me? I'd like to see you try, little boy!" John crackled as he took step forward and Sonic aimed higher at his torso, where the heart was. The movement made the mad man pause, but it was for a moment. A sneer worked its way onto his face, twisting his expression into something even more sinister. "You don't have the guts. Drop it!"

He was walking closer, gripping the metal bar tightly in his hand while a terrified Sonic tracked him with the gun. "Stop...stop! I said stop!" He begged with a shuttering voice but John wouldn't listen. The man was looming over him now, making him remember the terror he had felt when the monster had done so long ago. He was raising his arm, slowly, as if savouring the movement that would end with his triumph, ready to bring the bar down on Sonic's head, ending his life.

BANG!

The sound reverberated through Sonic's body, the sharp crack forcing the terrified youth to close his eyes as he pulled the trigger. The speedster kept his eyes tightly shut until he heard the thud of his father's mass hitting the floor, followed by the metallic clatter of the crowbar falling to the rotting ground.

Was it finally over...?

The trembling hero opened his eyes and felt his stomach churn when he saw John laying on the ground, bullet wound in his chest where his heart would be gushing blood. His eyes were open, glassy, unseeing. He was dead…and Sonic had killed him. He shot him at point blank range and killed him.

He had killed his own father.

"Oh god, what have I done...?" He couldn't take it anymore and turned away, emptying his stomach violently onto the ground. His body was trembling and tears were running freely from his eyes. A tortured sob tore itself from his lips while he shook his head in denial. He'd never taken a life before and had never wanted to, but now he had.

His own flesh and blood.

"Baby." He gasped and looked up to see his mother gazing at him sadly yet she still had a smile on her face. She was still alive, laying on the ground like a broke doll. "Come here, baby." The crying boy rushed to her side, throwing himself on his knees and pulling her into his lap, gripping at her hands and sobbing freely. Emily hummed softly and reached up to brush away his tears, whispering sweet nothings to him as she did so. "My sweet angel…do not weep..."

"But I killed him, I shot him and, and…oh mum, I killed him." Sonic despaired, yet Emily shushed him gently, her eyes filled with tears. Her face was pale as bone and hollow, shadows growing beneath her eyes, accentuating her deadly pallor.

"It wasn't you fault baby…it was self-defence. You've done nothing wrong…nothing at all." Her eyes were closing, her wheezing breaths getting slower and Sonic suddenly realized how cold she felt. There was no way out of this. His mother was going to die.

"Mum, mum save your strength. I got to get you help." He looked around, desperately searching for anything to help him stabilize his mother, but Emily shook her head and smiled wistfully.

"No baby…my time has come." She sighed making Sonic whimper. He cradled her tightly, ears falling, eyes brimmed with tears.

"No, no, no you can't leave me. I just got you back!"

"I'm sorry baby…but it's too late for me. But remember…I'll always love you…you are my baby, my angel, my soldier..." The dying woman reached up and cupped his face in her hands. He gazed down at her, eyes filled with pain and heartache and she felt her heart break. She felt so terrible for leaving him so soon after finding him. She wanted to be a mother to him. Emily wanted to watch him grow and shine like he was always meant to...but now, she knew she would never get the chance.

"I love you too, mum." Sonic sobbed as he pressed his forehead to her own. She smiled at him and nuzzled him gently, using her last strengths to show all the love and affection she felt for her child.

"Always follow your heart Sonic…never let someone else control your life." Emily whispered as her eyes slowly slid shut. She held her son's hand as she passed and Sonic held her tightly as well. He whispered all the things he'd wanted to tell her ever since she came back into his life, told her of all the places he had planned on taking her and adventures he wanted to have with her.

Sonic kept talking long after her eyes fell shut, after her heart stopped, rambling even when Shadow and Silver arrived with the police. The swarmed the place and gathered up John's body and the weapons. A male police officer tried to force Sonic to release Emily's body but it just caused the boy to become more distressed. It was a female officer who stepped in and gently encouraged him to let go of his mother. She led him to the two other hedgehogs who gathered around him while she brought a shock blanket over and wrapped it around Sonic's shoulders.

"We would normally take him in for questioning but he seems too distressed to speak right now. We'll come back tomorrow, allow him some time." She said to the older pair who nodded gratefully.

The case was wrapped up very shortly with the police getting statements from Sonic, Shadow, Silver and their friends. It was found that Sonic was cleared of all charges for acting in self-defence while Joh, despite being dead, was convicted of child abuse, kidnapping and murder. The terrible case was kept a secret though, the public didn't need to know about Sonic's past.

A week after the incident, Emily's funeral was held.

It was a clear sunny day and all of Sonic's friends gathered to pay their respects. It was a truly beautiful funeral. Flowers of all colours lined her coffin, while a photo of her from many years ago rested on it. The photo of her was taken the day Sonic had been born and she could be seen smiling brightly, holding the new born hedgehog kit tightly in her arms. The cub was blind and helpless yet Emily looked like Sonic was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen in the photo.

On her headstone was her date of birth and death, name and also a message Sonic himself had carved into it.

Here lies Emily, a caring woman and an amazing mother who just needed a second chance.

"She would be so proud of you." Tails said while he held Sonic's hand in his own. His older brother smiled softly down at the kit. Reaching out, he ruffled the young fox's hair, making Tails giggle.

"Thank you, buddy. I needed that." The grieving speedster whispered, more to himself than the vulpine as he watched Emily's coffin being lowered into the earth.

He hadn't had the best childhood. His mother hadn't been the best mother and she had made many mistakes throughout her life. One of them had been marrying his father, but it may have also been one of the best decisions of her life because if she hadn't married John, she would never have had Sonic. While they hadn't had the best relationship, Sonic had loved her with all his heart. The young hedgehog knew she had done the best she could with him.

He didn't blame her anymore, he'd forgiven her a long time ago and now he would continue to live his life just like she'd wanted him too. He would make her proud and would make sure to continue her legacy.

Emily wasn't the only one who'd been given a second chance, Sonic had been given one as well, and he was eternally grateful for it.

"Come on Sonic, let's go home." He looked at Shadow and Silver and smiled, ready to live his new life with his new family.

Frost: And that my dear readers is the finale chapter to this story. Hope you enjoyed reading this and also hope to see you next time in my other stories

Sonic: Please review, have a nice day, go see The Lunatic Author's stories and SAVE ME!