Well, folks, I hope that you've enjoyed the many romantic, brotherly and suspenseful moments this story had to offer, and now it's time I closed it off with the epilogue!

Thankfully, my summer session at college is almost over, so that will give me a few weeks worth of breathing space before I go back for the fall semester.

I would like to thank you all for your reviews and the support you've given me over the last few weeks I've been writing this story. It really keeps me motivated, and I greatly appreciate it.

Anyways, without further ado, here's the ending to Sonic and Tails' Day Off! I hope you enjoy this final moment of romantic love … and brotherly love!

Epilogue

A Healed Fox

A few hours had passed since Tails accidentally blew up Eggman's lair again. Nighttime had fallen over Bygone Island. The orange sunset had been replaced with a dark blue sky filled with stars and moonlight. Almost everywhere on the island, all you could hear were crickets chirping night tunes, or the snores of the many residents that had long since fallen asleep.

Not at Tails' house, though …

Tails was just coming out of his bathroom after taking his night shower and brushing his teeth. Sonic and Zooey had decided to spend another night with Tails to make sure he was feeling alright after the catastrophe that had happened just a few hours ago.

While trying to take a day off seemed to help Tails get out of his emotional depression for a while, Eggman's surprise attack for revenge on the fox seemed to undo all that Sonic and Zooey had done for him. Tails' emotions especially took a nasty turn after Zooey was kidnapped, and continued to change for the worse after the kitsune attacked Eggman with his Gold Ray just like he had done three days earlier. However, once Team Sonic had returned home after the lair's destruction, they rendezvoused at Tails' house, where everyone shared gentle hugs with Tails, almost to the point of apologizing to no end. Eventually, Sonic decided it was time for everyone to hit the hay, and Amy, Knuckles and Sticks returned to their homes.

Despite his day off being cut short, just as was the case with his "Brotherly Vacation" with Sonic just a couple of months ago, Tails was now feeling a lot better than he had been feeling when he woke up this morning with a bloody nose. He felt as if he could get up tomorrow morning, have a nice breakfast and either start working in his workshop again or simply go flying his plane just for fun.

Overall, Tails felt as if his emotions were healing fast, and he couldn't wait to enjoy himself tomorrow.

Sonic was in the kitchen, sipping on a cold soda, while Zooey was relaxing on one of Tails' sofas. The two-tailed fox showed his fresh self to his two friends, and they were treated to a nice scent of Japanese Cherry Blossom shampoo.

"Wow, Tails! You smell so good!" commented Zooey.

Tails grinned proudly, "Thanks."

"I recognize that scent," added Sonic, "Reminds me of the one time I visited Japan."

Tails and Zooey both laughed at Sonic's comment, and the fox joined his girlfriend on the sofa.

"So, Tailsy, we've got the rest of the night to ourselves," said Zooey, "You wanna relax with me for a bit before you go to bed?"

"I'd love to," replied Tails in a loving tone.

"Oh, and by the way, what about that song you told me about?" asked Zooey.

This left Tails confused for a moment before he remembered humming that song in the desert with Sonic and Zooey in his presence.

"Oh, … you mean … the song I was humming this morning in the desert?" the fox said.

Zooey grinned at her boyfriend and replied, "Yep."

Tails sat where he was for about a minute and thought about how he could show his sweet lover that eighties piece he and Sonic had heard at Station Square's train station during their vacation.

"You look pretty thoughtful over there," said Sonic, taking notice of Tails' seemingly confused look.

Tails simply rubbed his white muzzle with his finger for a bit before he finally made a move …

He got up off the sofa and headed towards the side door.

"Hey, where are ya going, buddy?" asked Sonic.

"I'll be right back, guys. I gotta go grab something," replied Tails, and he opened the door and walked out towards his workshop.

Sonic began to feel concerned about his little brother once again. He was worried that Tails was about to go into another emotional lapse.

"Are you sure he's okay?" asked Zooey with concern in her voice.

"I'm hoping he is," answered Sonic, "He can very easily have emotional periods. From what I know, he developed anxiety way before I first met him. He had been bullied throughout his childhood because he has two tails."

"I had no idea that people bullied poor Tails," said Zooey.

"Everyone called him a freak all the time. He was considered a freak because of his tails. It was a birth defect he was born with, and everyone used to beat him up all the time. That's why he hates being called that word," continued Sonic, "I greatly consider forbidding that word from even being spoken in his presence. That one single word."

The hedgehog paused and sighed sadly as he remembered how Tails was like when they first met on Westside Island all those years ago.

"It just brings back the terrible memories of his childhood trauma."

"Poor Tails!" gasped Zooey in horror, "I could never have imagined that. The poor little guy."

"Aside from his parents who disappeared when he was very young, I was kinda the first one to really tell him that his two tails were cool and that he was a special fox. I'd say he was gifted with two tails. It wasn't just any old birth defect. It allowed him to fly, for crying out loud," added Sonic, "I think that our meeting and bonding may have saved his life. If it weren't for me, those bullies may likely have murdered him within about a year or two. He couldn't have survived living on his own like that for so long."

Zooey was astounded by Sonic's story. She had seen Tails act shy around other people before, but she never could have imagined that it was because of the bullying that gave him a miserable, painful childhood.

"Poor Tails," she thought sadly, "My sweet Tailsy has been through so much cruelty in his life. No wonder he acts so shy around other people."

"Not so long after we started to form a close bond, Eggman attacked the island, and we teamed up to stop him. I took Tails in as my sidekick, … and I brought him up as my adopted little brother," Sonic continued as he stared off into space, recalling those fond memories from years long past, "He really needed a special someone in his life, … and, to some extent, so did I."

Zooey looked into Sonic's eyes in amazement as he continued to stare at nothing in particular.

The speedster then shifted his gaze back to Zooey.

"We've been brothers and partners ever since, … right up to now," he concluded, "He was the first true friend I had, … and I was his first true friend. I didn't meet Amy or Knuckles until later. For a while, it was just the two of us."

"I had no idea that you two were friends for that long," said Zooey, "Now that I think about it, you two really are the best of brothers."

"I guess you could put it that way," replied Sonic.

Just then, Tails returned with his laptop in his hand. The fox closed the door behind him and walked back to the sofa where Zooey was sitting. As he sat down next to his girlfriend, he took notice of their concerned looks, and he knew right away that it was about him. Of course, he expected it to be that way, given he was still recovering from his recent depression.

"I'm okay, guys," the fox told his two friends softly in an effort to calm them down, "I only left just to get my laptop out of the workshop."

Sonic sped over to the sofa and sat next to his little brother.

Tails opened his laptop and powered it on. Within just a matter of seconds, the fox had typed in his password and opened up his browser.

"I haven't had a chance to listen to the whole song yet," said Sonic, "Even though it's been a few months since that vacation."

"I can't wait to hear it," added Zooey.

"All in good time," replied Tails as he opened up YouTube and typed 'Call It Love – Yello' in the search bar.

About a few hundred results appeared, but Tails decided to click the video that contained the official music video for "Call It Love."

"Looks promising," commented Zooey as a thumbnail appeared on the screen with a 'play' button in the center, "It looks quite colorful."

"Ready, guys?" asked Tails, bringing the mouse cursor over the 'play' button.

"I've been ready since you mentioned it this morning," answered Zooey.

"Here we go!" replied Tails, and he clicked the 'play' button.

The video started in what appeared to be a dimly-lit studio, with cameras strangely moving with nobody in the chairs. Some birds were heard in the background, followed by some hums; the same hums that Sonic and Zooey had heard from Tails earlier that day in the desert. Then, the music started in the key of F-minor with a slightly high pitch.

A few seconds later, they showed a woman with long upward-pointed hair and next to no facial expression, and then the camera revealed lead vocalist Dieter Meier, and he started singing …

"For all these years, I've been rushing and running away.

I've seen the cities, the bars and the beaches are full.

To keep away from you."

Then came those high-pitched keyboard notes that Tails loved so much about the radio edit, just before Meier continued …

"I know I'll meet you one day for a lifetime. I'm scared.

One thousand years I could live on your smile. I'm scared.

I'll run away forever."

The high keyboard notes played again, and this was immediately followed by a loud guitar chord as the camera panned away from Meier and towards the other Yello member, Boris Blank, who appeared to be playing a piano. Behind them, there was a red background with a greenish gem that somehow did not move when the camera moved, but it simply rotated and shined as it stayed in the center of the background.

"Wow. Such astounding visual effects for that time period," thought Zooey as she recalled Tails telling him that this song was from the eighties.

Some more random shots were shown, including a few more shots of the long-haired woman. During this instrumental break, the high keyboard notes played twice more, much to the delight of Tails' ears.

Meier then spoke into the camera …

"Call it love.

Just call it love."

A guitar solo started playing, although Blank was still shown playing the piano.

"Where is the guitarist?" whispered Sonic, "All I see is a piano."

"Boris does all the music himself in the studio," Tails replied in a whisper, "Everything but the vocals."

Sonic seemed to somewhat understand, but he still wondered why wouldn't they show a guitarist although they were clearly listening to a guitar solo.

After the guitar solo, Blank then starting humming some background vocals, and the woman was then seen in front of a table of studio light switches. She turned one of the sliders up, and a light turned on just above her. She looked up, and the camera rose to reveal Meier sitting in a chair with the spotlight now on him, and he continued singing …

"For all that time, I've been crazy. There is no escape.

Come back to the city. Come back to the hotel and wait.

The city waits forever."

Sonic and Tails recognized those lyrics immediately. Those were the very words that defined their brief return to a revived Station Square during their vacation a few months back.

The woman then turned the light back off by turning the slider back down, and Meier was then seen in different part of the room as he went on with his lyrics …

"I know I'll meet you one day for a lifetime. I'm scared.

One thousand years I could live on your smile. I'm scared.

I'll run away forever."

Meier then began to walk away, while Blank was seen singing a backing part in one breath. People then started walking out of the studio.

As the final guitar solo began, one last shot showed Meier standing in front of a background of the rotating gem, which was now on fire. On the left side of the screen, the woman's silhouette was visible behind the background. That part of the background then ripped open like a couple of curtains as the fire consumed it, and the woman appeared briefly before she turned away and ran as Meier looked on.

Finally, the screen faded black as the music slowly faded out into silence, indicating the end of the video.

Sonic, Tails and Zooey sat there in silence for a moment as they allowed the song to get stuck in their heads. Sonic had to admit that this was one hell of a song from a time before he became famous. Zooey, meanwhile, was fascinated. She thought it was the most beautiful song she had ever heard in her life. All throughout the song, her thoughts were on Tails. She could relate some of the lyrics to how Tails used to be a very shy fox, especially during the time he was crushing on her.

"That song was so sweet!" the vixen said, "Even though it's older than all of us, it sounds just like something you would write, Tails!"

Tails blushed madly as he was forced to grin from Zooey's loving words.

"Aw, Zooey! You're so sweet!" the fox replied.

Zooey simply planted a romantic kiss on Tails' cheek, making him blush even more.

"You're so sweet, too, Tails!" the vixen replied, making Tails giggle as he turned to Sonic.

"And so are you, Sonic, my awesome big brother!" the fox said happily.

"Oh, Tails! My awesome little brother!" replied Sonic, pulling Tails onto his lap.

The hedgehog wrapped one arm tightly around Tails' chest, trapping his arms in so that he couldn't escape. Tails knew right then what his brother was about to do.

"No! Please, no tickling!" the fox begged.

"Now that you've said it, too late now, lil' bro!" teased Sonic with a mischievous grin.

Sure enough, the hedgehog used his free hand to pull the fox's shoes and socks off, and he started tickling his bare yellow feet.

"No! NO! PLEASE! NAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" laughed Tails as he felt the tickling sensations within the nerves in his feet, "STAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHOP!"

"Hmm. I don't know. Shall I?" said Sonic as he paused for a moment before continuing, "Nope! I don't think so!"

The speedster switched to Tails' upper chest towards his chin. The fox could only sit on his brother's lap and laugh endlessly.

"AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" laughed Tails.

Zooey scooted next to Sonic and smiled as she delightfully watched the two brothers having fun with each other. She wasn't quite sure if Tails felt like he was having fun like Sonic was, but the laughs coming from the kitsune's mouth made him sound like he was having so much fun.

"PLEEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEASE!" begged Tails through laughter as Sonic had begun tickling his muzzle, "NOHOHO MOHOHOHOHORE!"

"Maybe after this!" Sonic responded as he stopped tickling Tails' face and gave him yet another 'noogie' on his forehead.

"AAAGH! AAAAGHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!" yelled Tails in laughter, "NOHOHOHOHOHO FAHAHAHAHAIR! PLEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEASE STAAHAHAHAHAHAHOP!"

"Okay, little buddy. I think you've had enough for tonight," said Sonic.

The hedgehog stopped with the 'noogie' and allowed Tails to catch his breath. The fox let out long gasps as he struggled to regain his stability.

"I think you look adorable when you laugh," commented Zooey with a sweet-looking smile.

"I've always felt the same way," agreed Sonic.

"Oh, guys! Please don't start tickling me again!" panted Tails,

Sonic and Zooey giggled at Tails' reaction to their comments, having found it to be hilarious.

"Nah! We're not gonna start tickling you again, Tails. We promise," said Sonic.

"Good," replied Tails.

The fox finally re-stabilized his breathing, and Sonic loosened his hold on him so that he could get off his lap.

However, instead of getting off Sonic's lap, Tails turned around and wrapped his arms around his big brother's neck.

Sonic instantly grinned and returned the embrace by wrapping his arms around Tails' back.

"I love you, Sonic," whispered Tails happily with an adorable grin.

"I love you, too, Tails," replied Sonic.

Tails turned to Zooey and grinned at her, too.

"And I love you, Zooey," the fox said adorably.

"I love you, too, Tails," replied Zooey, smiling at Tails and kissing his cheek.

At that same moment, Sonic planted a brotherly kiss on Tails' forehead. The fox blushed madly in happiness again as his two best companions cuddled him and loved him.

"I really enjoyed taking most of the day off," said Tails, "It was especially nice to have two loving friends by my side."

"I was happy to be able to go with you," said Zooey.

"Two companions are better than one," added Sonic.

The three shared some laughs for a few seconds before Tails continued.

"I wanna thank you both for helping me fight off my depression," the fox said, "You're both such wonderful friends, … and I don't know where I would be without either of you."

"I'm happy to be your girl, Tails," replied Zooey with a loving smile that made Tails blush again.

"And I'm happy to be your caring big brother," added Sonic, winking at Tails.

Tails winked back at Sonic as the two brothers smiled at each other, feeling their brotherly love once again sinking in.

"I'm happy to be a hero's little brother, … and the boyfriend of the most beautiful girl on Mobius," said Tails.

"Aww, Tails! You are the nicest fox I've ever known!" replied Zooey, and she kissed Tails right on the lips.

Tails' muzzle turned deep red and he relaxed himself on Sonic's lap while Zooey kissed him tenderly. Sonic smiled as he watched his little brother receive lots of love from his loving girlfriend.

Soon, Zooey slowly pulled away from Tails and started rubbing his bare feet in a loving fashion.

"I've got the best two loving companions I could ever ask for," said Tails happily with a wide smile.

"We're happy to be in a special place in your heart," replied Zooey.

"We'll always be by your side, lil' bro, … no matter what happens," added Sonic, "And I'm glad we could get you out of the house for a while. For that, … you're more than welcome."

Tails smiled once again at his two companions, and at that moment the Yello song they had listened to a few minutes ago was beginning to get stuck in his head.

"What is it, lil' bro?" asked Sonic as he noticed a strange look on Tails' face.

"That song's stuck in my head now," replied Tails.

"The song we just listened to?" guessed Zooey.

"Yeah," sighed Tails, "It's happened to me the last few times I've heard that song during the night."

"I could understand that. Given that it's in a slightly high pitch, it's easy for a song like that to get stuck in someone's head," commented Sonic.

"Well, not just that. The lyrics feel as if they really mean something to us," added Tails.

"I could still remember the lyrics from the second verse when it was on that day at Station Square," said Sonic, "It felt like Station Square wanted us to come back for a day."

"True," agreed Tails, "But to some, that verse could mean something else depending on whom you ask."

"I guess you're right," said Sonic.

"I could relate some of those lyrics to how shy you've been before," said Zooey.

"You mean, something like, 'I know I'll meet you one day for a lifetime, I'm scared'?" said Tails.

"That, and what came after it, 'One thousand years, I could live on your smile, I'm scared'," added Zooey.

"Yeah. Reminds me of how nervous I was whenever I was around you," admitted Tails, "I was just simply falling in love, but I didn't know how to act."

"Well, now that we have each other, maybe I could help you become less shy around other people," offered Zooey.

"Aw, Zooey. Sonic's already taught me so much about not being so shy," said Tails.

"I taught him many lessons about his social life over the years before we moved here," Sonic put in.

"I know, … but perhaps I could offer a little more to that sometime," said Zooey.

Tails smiled at his girlfriend once again. Of course, saving her from one of Eggman's robots may have been what won him her heart, but he figured that whenever Eggman was not around and Team Sonic were free to hang out at the village, Tails would always be the one to shy away from those he didn't know very well. Now that he had won the heart of this beautiful vixen, he felt a little more confident about his social life, but he still seemed to lack many aspects of being social around people that weren't familiar with him.

"Perhaps, … Zooey could teach me things that Sonic couldn't teach me before," the fox thought to himself.

"Suddenly, I feel even happier to have fallen in love with you," he said softly to his girlfriend.

This earned a smile from Zooey.

"I feel happy to have fallen in love with you, too," she replied.

The vixen kissed her boyfriend's cheek once more, earning another chuckling smile from Tails. Then, the fox let out a soft yawn. To Sonic and Zooey, that yawn indicated that Tails was tired out after such a long day of relaxing, suspense, combat … and taking vengeance on Eggman.

"Feeling tired there, little buddy?" asked Sonic.

"Yeah," sighed Tails, "It won't be easy with that 'Call it Love' song in my head. My brain's begging me to play it again, … but I think that can wait another day."

"I'd love to hear that song again sometime," said Zooey, "I thought it was beautiful for its time."

"I really liked those guitar solos, especially the last one. If there hadn't been a guitar in there, I would've been bored," said Sonic.

"Yeah. Those solos really rock," chuckled Tails.

The three laughed again before Tails let out another yawn.

"Okay, Tails. I think it's time to hit the hay," said Sonic before he let out a yawn himself.

"Yeah. Let's get some shuteye," agreed Zooey with a yawn of her own.

"Maybe after a little something," said Tails, and he signaled for Zooey to come closer.

The vixen wrapped one arm around her boyfriend's back, prompting Sonic to wrap one of his arms around Zooey. Tails wrapped one arm around Sonic and the other around Zooey. Then, the three sat there and enjoyed their group hug for several minutes.

This was a moment that Tails had been wanting all night after a long battle with Eggman to keep Zooey away from harm. He felt that he had wanted a private, silent group hug with Sonic and Zooey since the moment they and the rest of the team returned to the island, and this was the perfect moment to have one and enjoy it while it lasted. With his brother and girlfriend loving and cuddling him with no one else around, Tails felt as happy as he ever had been during their time on Bygone Island.

Eventually, after a few minutes, the trio finally broke apart, and Tails reluctantly closed the browser and turned his laptop off. He had really wanted to play "Call It Love" again, but he knew that now was the best time to give it a rest and allow himself to get some much-needed rest after yet another nasty ordeal with Eggman.

"Okay, guys. I'm going to bed," Tails announced as he stood up and stretched his arms before walking slowly to his makeshift bed.

"So are we," replied Sonic, lying down on the sofa and pulling the blanket down to cover himself.

Zooey lied down on the other sofa and wrapped herself with another blanket.

"Thanks again for helping me with my emotional state. I really appreciate it," said Tails as he lied down on his bed and rested his head against the pillow while wrapping himself in his blanket.

"You're very welcome, Tails," Sonic and Zooey replied in unison.

"I love you both," said Tails.

"We love you, too, lil' bro," said Sonic.

"Goodnight, Tailsy," called Zooey.

"Goodnight, Zooey. Goodnight, Sonic," yawned Tails.

"Goodnight, little bro," replied Sonic.

With that, the three all fell into a deep sleep and were treated to some pleasant dreams throughout the night. Sonic and Zooey were very grateful that Tails was feeling a lot better after a pleasant day off, despite Eggman nearly ruining everything at the last minute.

Zooey was happy to have helped her boyfriend through these last few hard days, and she was very excited about seeing Tails wake up the following morning with a big smile on his face.

Sonic was extremely relieved that his little brother's depression was over, and could perhaps go back to being his usual running self the next day without having anything to worry about whatsoever.

As for Tails, the efforts made by Sonic and Zooey had cheered him up tremendously. He would not let a simple Gold Ray incident effect his life forever. It was time to move on, learn from his past mistakes and focus on the future. What could he come up with next? What project could he start off tomorrow? He felt that the possibilities were practically endless now that he was back to being his smart, youthful self again. He had so many things on his mind about tomorrow, but for now all he wanted to do was rest and continue enjoying the company of his caring brother and loving girlfriend.

For Miles "Tails" Prower, tomorrow would be a brand new day, and a brand new day would start a brand new chapter in his life with his close friends. He would not let his emotions get in his way. He was going to prove that any genius inventor could achieve their dreams. In Tails' case, not only did he want to make life easier, but also gain advantages over Eggman in combat.

For this little eight-year old, two-tailed fox, one fresh start was all he needed to help make his own life, and everyone else's, much easier. Tomorrow morning, everything would go right back to the way it should be.

Tails was now, indeed, … a healed fox.

And so, my sequel to "A Brotherly Vacation" is finally completed! Tails is back to enjoying life again, and all is well!

I want to give special thanks to those who gave me great support over the course of time I wrote this fanfic:

Magiku Maggi-Dixie Kong – You've given me so much support for my stories over the past few years, and I'm happy to be your boyfriend! I love you, sweetie!

Captain Hwawrang – I'd like to thank you for a few things you've taught me after reading my other SonTails stories. I'll always remember them for my future stories. Thank you!

The Kanadian Writer – Your series of family-themed "Sonic Boom" short stories was a great inspiration for this one, and I hope to see some more of those stories soon. I give my regards to you! :)

narrator925 (now known as SonicBoomFan4000) – As I understand it, you weren't very fond of the rating because the characters tended to curse often. I apologize for that, but I wanted to take an approach aimed for teens and young adults in this story, but if I ever make a sequel to this, I promise you, I'll cut out the vulgar language and aim for a "K" rating again. BTW, keep up the good work with your Sonic Boom Bloopers. They're extremely hilarious! XD

Oh, and to answer a question you had about Tails having a high IQ despite being only eight years old: some have theorized that having two tails made him smarter, while others say that he read a lot during his childhood. As seen in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Tails was fascinated with the Tornado the moment he first saw it, so we know he's already obsessed with planes and technology when he's first introduced in that game. I'm still looking into other theories, but I guess it depends on whom you ask. Right now, I somewhat accept the theory about having two tails making him smarter.

And lastly, to all the other writers whom have read this story, I hope you've all enjoyed this fanfic, and I can't wait to come up with more fantastic stories in the near future!

Right now, though, the only thing I need to worry about is finishing off my summer college session with Public Speaking, then I'll have a few weeks off before the fall semester begins.

Until next time, this is DiddyKF1, saying goodnight … and good luck!

;)

"Call It Love" - Performed by Yello, written by Boris Blank and Dieter Meier - (c) 1987 Phonogram GmbH