I don't own any of the characters and all that blah

Another cup of coffee wasn't going to keep him awake this time. Six straight hours of work into one moderately-sized piece of paper, and he didn't even want to finish. Of course, he wanted to go home, but something anchored him to this place. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on. What truly was it making him wish he could stay?

It certainly wasn't the dimension itself, he deduced. Their outdated technology didn't interest him in the least. He was already several generations ahead of where mobians from his dimension would be. Cross that off the list. Perhaps the area or scenery? No, it couldn't be. The majority of this planet alone was mostly islands of varying sizes, and while he was an excellent swimmer, oceans simply didn't appeal to him too much.

Ah, but he had made tremendous leaps in geology, he mused, reaching lazily for the notepad on his desk to look over his notes. He had, with the help of Sonic and Marine, discovered several different types of mineral, known to them simply as Materials. He had documented about eight different Materials so far, but Marine had assured him there were hundreds of different materials to be discovered. They enabled him to build the same types of machinery in cheaper and more effective ways. For instance, a hovercraft built by using a Material that repelled all water in the space around it. This was good for quick overseas travel with multiple passengers, and the build was generally light, so it didn't require much else to build. Smirking slightly, he remembered sending Marine to and fro, back and forth, to get the supplies he needed during the creation of the machine. His thoughts slowly drifted away from his current project, and to the raccoon.

He remembered meeting her after washing up on the shore of Southern Island. After she unceremoniously poked Sonic with a stick, they were instantly dragged into retrieving some of those materials to help fix her own broken ship, modestly named the S.S. Marine. Then they had met Blaze again while exploring, found out that they were in her dimension… They embarked on one long excursion to defeat Captain Whisker and the Eggmen, and ultimately saved the day. Everything was the way it should have been, except that of course, it wasn't. As soon as Blaze suggested they return home, something balled up in the pit of his stomach. Something that felt halfway between nausea and indigestion. He scarcely felt it when around Sonic or Blaze. It was usually Marine who caused this reaction within him.

Staring back at his plans on the desk, he sighed. Marine was always around to lighten the mood, yet at the same time, looking at her made him want to cry- no, cry was an understatement. It made him want to bawl his eyes out. He recalled taking an initial interest in her when they built the Wave Cyclone together. She showed a natural talent for shipbuilding, but she lacked the materials or technical know-how to make anything that would run. Their friendship simply blossomed from there. She had made this trip an enjoyable experience for him. He had turned it into a learning experience for her.

"Oh, dear…" He groaned, clutching his chest and closing his eyes. That awful feeling was returning full force. Was just thinking about the raccoon enough to rouse this feeling in him!? He pushed away from the desk, hoping to clear his head of this construction. Then suddenly, a conclusion dawned on him.

He didn't want to leave his new friend behind. The feeling in his chest began to subside, replaced with relief washing through his system. Finally, an answer! In fact, the more he thought about it, the more it made perfect sense to him. Marine was the first friend he had made of his own ability. It pleased him terribly to know that. Most of the mobians he knew Sonic had introduced him to, and as a result he still felt awkward around quite a few of them. Marine was much different than them though. She was his age; she had very similar interests… She could be a bit impulsive… a little naive, but to him she was perfect. That was all that mattered. And he'd be darned if he didn't try to stay with her longer. His trip back would have to wait.

Lazily sauntering over to his desk, he searched for his schematics. His eyes slowly began to close. Exhaustion hit him in waves. His gloved hand finally brushed over it, and he gripped it with both paws.

"Time to end this…" Mustering up the last of his strength, he tore the paper to shreds, grinning like a madman. This way, he could stay as long as he wanted to. He and Sonic's presence did nothing to this dimension. Finally at peace, he rested his head on his desk. Not long after, he heard Sonic call him from up the stairs.

"It's getting late, buddy...How are those plans comin' along?"

Smirking only slightly, the fox replied. "I'll work on em' in the morning…"

So... What did you think? All Constructive Criticism is accepted!