Five years have passed and not much has changed. Sonic has grown some, now being ten, and is quite the blue little trouble maker. He has just started to figure out that he can run pretty fast for a child of his age and I have a pretty good feeling that he is only going to get faster.

I still continue my job at GUN but don't stay out nearly as long as I used to because of little Sonic. I have raised him well and I know that he can take care of himself quite well when I am gone, but I still try to make it home before nightfall so I spend as much time with him as possible be able to lay him down to sleep at night.

********

It was morning time and just like every morning I was preparing breakfast for the two of us, a cup of black coffee for me and a plate of blueberry waffles for Sonic.

He nibbled happily on the fluffy treat while I sipped slowly at my morning beverage. Everything was going fine until my phone rang. I put down my drink and walked into the living room and picked it up holding it to my ear. As I expected, on the other end was the Commander with another job for me to do.

Once hanging up and returning back to the kitchen I could tell by the disappointed expression on Sonic's face that he knew that I had to go. I truly hated seeing the sad look in his eyes but there really is no saying no to the Commander unless you want to suffer the dire consequences.

I signed as I gave Sonic a long hug goodbye and told him the usual things that I tell him everyday before I leave. " Goodbye Sonny I'll be home as soon as I can just be patient and wait for me alright little one?" Just like usual though, I never really get a verbal and we from him just a nod of his head.

I hesitantly nod my head back and kiss his forehead before putting on my skates and leather jacket and walking out the front door. Little did I know though that was going to be the last time I ever saw my little blue bundle of sunshine.

*****
Upon reaching the destination for my mission and getting the information about it, I treated it like any other mission. It seemed simple enough so I wasn't expecting much, it should probably took one... maybe two hours tops if everything goes right I'll be back home to Sonic in no time... but I was wrong.

A hour turned to a day.
A day turned into a week.
A week turned a month.
A month turned into a year.

By then before I knew it my team, along with myself, was captured by the enemy. I sat bounded by my hands and feet in a chair with a gun held up to my temple. My entire crew of teammates already gone, killed long before me. I refused to give the enemy what they wanted due partly to my stubbornness and the other half to the loyalty of my home, and now I was next.

I stared into the cold eyes of my capture, waiting for him to do the inevitable to me and before he pulled the trigger he asked me one question.

" Any last words?"

I had only one and it was a simple request for a dieing hedgehog that I'm sure any other father would ask for as well if he had a son.

" Sonic...wait for me."

And with that the world went black.

*********

A few days later, eleven year old Sonic had heard about the death of his second father and told of his father's last dieing request by a friend of Shadow's named Mephiles.

Sonic thanked his father's best friend and look alike and quickly began setting up a funeral and proper burial for the blue boy's caretaker. And on the of the funeral not many came besides Mephiles and himself, but Sonic didn't really mind. He only had one thing on his mind. One necessary thing that needed to be done before this day was over.

Once Shadow's corpse was lowered into the ground and the ceremony was over and Mephiles had left. Sonic walked over to headstone of his resting father and got down on both knees and leaned his forehead against the hard stone, just like Shadow used to rest his forehead on his own, and let a single tear roll down his muzzle as he said barely above a whisper,

" I will wait for Papa Shadow. I will wait for you... always."

~The End