One early evening, after a long day of fighting badniks, A male black hedgehog named Shadow with red stripes white gloves and shoes matching his colors with a bit of white on them was seen carrying a female white bat in a black jumpsuit to his room to treat her scrape that she obtained during the fight.

"Hun it's fine, seriously," Rouge pointed out.

"Well at least let's take care of it before it gets infected," Shadow said before stopping by a small room; inside was a young human girl seen in her pajamas sleeping in her bed, her name was Hope. Shadow set Rouge down and covered hope up in a blanket so she would get cold, upon leaving, Shadow noticed something on her desk on the other side of the room. Later while Rouge was treating her scrape, Shadow was seen reading a small note by Hope to her father.

"I wish you could be here, I miss you all so much and I also wish I had a Family Signed Hope Kintobor," The note said surprising Shadow who had a quick flash image of a young girl named Maria who he cared very deeply about before she died.

"I wish there was something I could do for her," Shadow pointed out.

"You do a lot for her, I really don't know what else there is," Rouge pointed out.

"She hardly has any family left, and I don't trust Snively with her," Shadow pointed out.

"Well why don't you look after her?" Rouge asked making Shadow raise an eyebrow. Later that evening, Hope wakes up to find that the note she was working on was several inches away from her; she then looks around to see Rouge walking in.

"Hey, hun, Shadow wanted to see you," Rouge said before Hope got up and went to the living room to sit on the couch; Shadow then walks in and gives her a cup of tea.

"How'd the mission go?" Hope asked.

"It went fine," Shadow answered before taking a sip of his tea, after taking a sip he hears a sob or two from her, "what's wrong?"

"I just miss my family so much, Shadow, now thanks to this whole war, I might never have one," Hope pointed out breaking down in tears, then out of nowhere Shadow pulls her into his arms.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I found your note and felt bad for you; I'm gonna be able to live in my own soon and..." Shadow explained before Hope interrupted.

"And what?" Hope asked.

"And I want you to live with me," Shadow said surprising the young girl.

"What do you mean?" Hope asked.

"You've been through too much hope, so you deserve a second chance, with someone you can see as a second father," Shadow pointed out.

"Do you really mean that?" Hope asked.

"I would never lie to you, Hope," Shadow answered before he gets taken by surprise by Hope who grabs him into a big bear hug and digs her head into his chest.

"Thank you, Shadow, I never thought..." Hope said in a weak voice before Shadow started to stroke her hair.

"You're staying with me and that's what matters," Shadow pointed out before eventually Hope falls asleep in Shadow's arms with Rouge nearby watching.

"He'd do anything for that girl," Rouge said to herself watching Shadow and Hope fall asleep on the couch; she then walks over and covers them up in a warm blanket before heading off to bed.