Rated: Fiction T (Teen) (PG-13) - English - Romance/Drama - Sonic & Amy


Chapter Three – Big Trouble


Bernadette had come home late that evening much to her dismay. She could not help the strange feeling of dread she felt all day since she dropped Sonic off at school. When she had come home she found Sonic already asleep, dressed in his pajamas in his bed. Jules had ordered pizza and said he and Sonic ate while watching a movie and Sonic had fallen asleep on the couch.

She quietly walked into the little hedgehog's bedroom and sat on the edge of his bed; she watched him sleep soundly for some time lost in her thoughts. Something simply felt off and she couldn't put her finger on why. She sighed. "I'm probably reading to much into this."

She caressed her son's cheek softly and smiled. "Goodnight sweetheart." She whispered while bending down and kissing him gently on his forehead. She quietly got up and left the room, shutting the bedroom door behind her.

She climbed into bed quietly trying not to disturb her sleeping husband. She was happy she was able to take off work tomorrow; she planned first thing in the morning to call the school to set up an appointment for a meeting. Soon, she'll find out what's happening to her son and be able to fix it then everything can go back to normal. She gently wrapped her arms around her husband and snuggled close to him.

Jules stirred and opened his eyes slowly to see his wife in his arms. He smiled and bent down gently kissing her. Tonight he had difficulty facing her and making up an excuse for Sonic; he had gone beyond to far this time. He couldn't control himself and before he realized it the little hedgehog was laying unconscious on the living room floor.

He had to act fast, he quickly picked up the little boy and cleaned him, hiding any evidence of foul play; he changed him out of his clothes, throwing them lazily into a hamper and put him in a pair of clean pajamas. He placed Sonic in his bed and pulled the covers over him; afterwards, Jules spent the next couple of hours rehearsing his story for Bernadette.

He sighed slowly as he caressed his sleeping wife in his arms. He loved her with such intensity it would seem as if he was on the border of obsession. He didn't know what he'd do without her by his side and he shuddered at the thought. Whenever he threatened Sonic he'd hurt her, he knew it was an empty threat. Hurting her was the very last thing he ever wanted to do.

He held her possessively in his arms as he felt her stirring. She opened her eyes slowly and smiled at him; he kissed her lips softly and hugged her tightly. For a while they continued to kiss each other passionately, embracing one another. After a while Jules pulled away and looked deeply into Bernadette's eyes.

"We'll always be together...won't we?" He asked with a bit of desperation in his voice. She nodded, hugging him tighter.

"Of course we will...no matter what." She kissed him gently to reassure him.

"I love you Berny...you know that don't you?" He asked, his hand caressing her cheek. She placed her hand on his and smiled, her eyes lighting up.

"I love you too Jules..." She whispered, sitting up slightly to kiss his cheek. He smiled contentedly, his lips cascading down on hers as he laid her slowly back down.


Sonic tossed and turned in his sleep. His body was covered in perspiration as he tried to escape the never ending nightmare playing over and over again in his mind. He had been asleep since that late afternoon when he had blacked out. The little hedgehog began to cry as violent visions flashed through his mind.

"No..." He whimpered.

"No...stop it...stop..." He cried, kicking his feet in his sleep as if struggling with an invisible intruder.

"Help...me..." His movements began to increase as the nightmare worsened. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks and his body began to shiver.

"M-mommy..." He began to shout in his sleep, his arms reaching out for her.

"MOMMY!" He screamed again as he woke from his nightmare and instantly sat up. He looked around his dark bedroom terrified and disoriented; still not realizing where he was and what was going on he began to sob hysterically calling out for his mother.

Bernadette was violently awoken to the sounds of her son screaming and crying. She looked at Jules to see he was still sound asleep; she quickly climbed out of bed and rushed towards her son's bedroom.

"Sonic!" She yelled as she burst through the door rushing over to his crying form.

"Baby what's wrong!" She asked worriedly, grabbing him and pulling him into a warm, strong embrace. Sonic simply sobbed into his mother's shoulder, hugging her as tightly as he possibly could.

"Shh...it's okay..." She soothed, rubbing his back gently and kissing the top of his head. He was trembling uncontrollably and she could feel his runny nose on her night gown.

"Everything is going to be okay..." She cooed while rocking him slowly. His sobs began quieting down and she ran her fingers through his quills. She rubbed the back of his head gently, knowing how it easily calmed him when she did so. For a couple of minutes they just stayed like this, nothing in the world could tear them apart.

"M-mommy..." Sonic mumbled while hugging his mother. Bernadette laid down on his bed and pulled him close to her. "Shh...mommy's not going anywhere." She said soothingly, still rubbing the back of his head; he cuddled closer to her, his heart beat calm and steady.

"Y-you promise?" He asked sullenly. Tears threatening his eyes once again. She hugged him tighter and kissed his forehead.

"I promise..." She cradled him in her arms; he closed his eyes for a moment taking a deep breath.

"I had a nightmare you left...I couldn't find you anywhere..." He made sure to leave out any parts of the dream pertaining to his father. She caressed his cheek lovingly and stared deep into her son's emerald green eyes.

"Sweetheart...I will never leave you..." She kissed his cheek affectionately and nuzzled her nose with his.

"Mommy loves you too much." Sonic managed a weary smile. He kissed his mother on her cheek.

"I love you too." Finally after so long, Sonic felt at complete ease; he felt so safe and relaxed in his mother's arms. He wished they could stay this way forever. She smiled at him wearily, her eyes feeling heavy.

"You need to go back to sleep...otherwise you'll be tired tomorrow." She whispered. Without a word Sonic did as his mother told him and closed his eyes. After a few minutes Bernadette attempted to go back to her bed when she felt his tiny hand clasp in hers.

"Mommy...don't go...please stay with me..." He mumbled drowsily. Fatigue was taking over him and he was having difficulty staying awake.

"Alright...I will." She whispered, exhausted. She laid back down next to her son and pulled the blankets over them. Bernadette closed her eyes as she began to rub her son's back gently; Sonic snuggled closer to her, smiling softly. Within minutes both hedgehog's were sleeping soundly.


Bernadette was busy cleaning the house. Just as she had planned, first thing that morning she had called Sonic's school to schedule a conference with his teacher Mrs. Kennedy. She would be able to meet with his teacher later that afternoon. She felt restless, on the one hand she couldn't wait to find out what was happening to her son, but on the other she was very apprehensive about it.

Sonic had no idea she was planning to meet with his teacher that day. Last thing she wanted was to upset him or make him feel he's done something wrong. She yawned as she walked into the kitchen and began putting clean dishes away. Last night was not an easy night for her, she's never seen Sonic that shaken up over a nightmare before.

What made her feel worse about it, was the fact it had to do with her leaving him all alone.

"That will never happen." She thought to herself as she continued putting clean dishes in their respective cabinets. She turned and looked at the refrigerator and smiled at the new picture she placed on it with a magnet. Sonic had made her a picture yesterday at school; in the picture, she and Sonic are holding hands under a large rainbow. They stood in front of a small brown house surrounded by a field filled with flowers with a bright sun smiling down at them. She couldn't help but smile, it was to adorable not to. She also couldn't help but notice the absence of Jules in all of his artwork he brought home.

She found it odd but never really thought much of it. "Maybe it's a guy thing." She wondered as she left the kitchen to go do the laundry; she entered Sonic's bedroom to gather his hamper deciding she'll do his wash first. As she entered the laundry room she couldn't help but smile while remembering the conversation she had with her son that morning.

"You never did tell me how your day was yesterday." She said while pouring him some orange juice.

"Well...school was pretty boring..." He said honestly while putting two hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair. Bernadette couldn't help but smile as she took her seat across from him.

"Nothing interesting at all?" She asked playfully, while grabbing a piece of toast. He looked up at the ceiling in deep thought for a moment then a sheepish grin formed on his small face.

"Well...maybe just one thing..." He said still grinning. "I met a new girl yesterday..." He felt himself starting to feel all warm inside. Bernadette looked at her son intrigued; Sonic made a friend, and a girl at that.

"Oh really...?" She asked curiously, Sonic felt his cheeks getting hot.

"What's her name?" Sonic frowned, a look of disappointment evident on his face.

"I don't know..." He admitted.

"Don't worry...I'm sure you'll find out today." She reassured him, his smile returned to his face.

"Mommy...if we become friends can she come over to play?" She smiled lovingly at him.

"Of course she can!" He giggled happily as he continued eating his breakfast.

"When did my son become a little Casanova?" She laughed to herself as she had begun removing his clothes from the hamper and putting them into the washing machine. Her smile slowly faded, however, when she noticed something odd on one of his shirts.

She looked at it more closely and gasped. There were small droplets of what appeared to be blood on his little shirt. She examined the shirt for a couple of minutes completely perplexed; she then realized this was the very shirt Sonic had worn just yesterday.

"How did this happen...?" She thought, beginning to worry.

"Why didn't Sonic say anything?" She held his little shirt close to her chest, then another thought came to her.

"Why didn't Jules say anything...?" She stood there for a few moments frozen in place, her mind was racing. "If Jules noticed this...surely he would have told me..." She felt her heart pounding in her chest and great anxiety and worry took over her.

"Something happened to Sonic yesterday..." She felt tears threaten her eyes as she stared at the crimson stains on his shirt. Unsure what to do Bernadette leaned against the washing machine and dryer in deep thought. Now everything that happened last night made sense to her; something terrible had to of happened to him yesterday but what?

She found herself pacing the laundry room, she was tempted to call up her husband and ask him if he had any idea about this. If so, why didn't he say anything to her about it? She felt so frustrated, her son is keeping something from her and has been receiving injuries and now this. It's a good thing she's going to his school today because she demanded answers.

She decided she would have Sonic tell her the truth today whether it be during the conference or at home. She could no longer be patient and wait for him to be honest. She couldn't bare this anymore, she began biting her nails. She loved her son more than anything and seeing him getting hurt is breaking her heart.

"I can't take this anymore..." She whispered out loud to herself as she collapsed to the floor, her back against the washing machine. She hugged Sonic's little shirt close to her heart as she began to sob hysterically. "I need to know what is going on...I have to find out today...I just have to."


Sonic sat at his desk looking around the classroom in disappointment. The little girl he had seen yesterday was not there nor did he see her on the playground or in the cafeteria.

"Where could she have gone?" He wondered. He fidgeted in his seat impatiently; he didn't really like sitting down for to long. He had to much energy and felt the need to get up and run around.

"Alright class are you ready for a fun new art project?" Mrs. Kennedy exclaimed excitedly. The children all exchanged excited looks on their faces as they waited to hear what their teacher had in mind.

"Since Parent's Day is coming up, I thought it would be fun if you children drew some pictures as a surprise for your parents."

"It could be anything you want, but each picture is dedicated to each family member." She explained giving an example.

She passed out construction paper, glue, crayons, colored pencils, glitter, and stencils. Sonic was not particularly thrilled about this new assignment; sure he loved the idea of drawing another picture for his mother, but his father...he wasn't quite sure how he was going to be able to do this.

"Don't forget to write something nice to your parent in each picture!"

He sighed miserably; there was absolutely nothing nice he could write to his father. He looked around watching all the other children excitedly working on their artwork while talking to their friends then looked back down at his blank construction paper.

"Is everything alright Sonic?" Mrs. Kennedy asked hovering over him. Sonic nodded while picking up some crayons; he decided he'll draw a picture for his mother first then figure out what he can do about his father. As he finished his mother's picture he smiled proudly at his work. Setting the picture off to the side he looked at the clean, blank sheet of construction paper and frowned.

"Now I have to draw something for daddy..." For a few minutes he just stared blankly at the paper; when it came to his father not a single nice thought came to mind. He decided to try and pretend everything was normal, like he was just like all the other kids in his class.

He tried drawing nice pictures with rainbows and sunny skies but suddenly crumpled the paper in frustration. He simply couldn't do it, whenever he tried he just found himself thinking of all the beatings his father had given him and all the harsh words he's said to him.

Sonic found his mind wandering on to what happened yesterday. He had never felt so terrified in his entire life; his father, for the first time threatened to kill him and his beating was the worst he's ever had it. What disturbed him the most though, was when he tried figuring out how he managed to get in his bed. The very last thing he remembered was laying on the living room floor getting hit with the belt.

Did his father carry him to his bedroom? He shuddered at the thought. He hasn't seen his father after the beating and was very afraid to. The fear he felt for his father had grown to an unreasonable size since that day. He was honestly unsure how he would face him now and he felt sick to his stomach just thinking about it; he was lucky his father had already left for work this morning but what will he do when he came home?

Sonic felt uneasy and noticed his hands were beginning to shake a little. He looked around the classroom and noticed half the class was just about finished with their pictures. Suddenly feeling angry and frustrated he picked up the red and black crayons; as if in a trance he began drawing a horrible picture, one that represented how he truly felt about his father and how his father felt about him.

Without realizing what he had done, he felt satisfied with his ugly, grotesque, work of art.

"Alright class pass up your drawings!" Mrs. Kennedy announced to the class. Sonic took his two pictures and passed them to the front, his mothers picture laying on top. Sonic leaned back in his chair leisurely as his teacher began looking through their papers at her desk.

Her eyes widened in shock and she let out a small gasp when she came across a particular picture.

"S-SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!" She yelled out loud causing all the students to turn their heads and look in his direction. He jumped at the tone of voice his teacher had towards him and he immediately felt nervous. He found himself sinking low in his chair, ears pinned back, hoping to turn invisible at that very moment.

"SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COME OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!" She shrieked, Sonic shakily sat up and moved himself out of his desk chair and walked slowly towards her desk.

"C-coming..." He managed as he felt the many eyes burning into him. As he walked up to her desk she showed him the drawing he had made for his father.

"What is the meaning of this?" She asked him, his eyes widened.

"U-uh..." He stuttered. "I-I don't know..." He lied, rubbing the back of his head nervously. She got up from her seat quickly and left the room for a minute. Sonic stood anxiously by her desk unsure of what was going on. Moments later she came back into the room with another teacher.

"Class Mrs. Austin will watch you for a couple of minutes...please be on your best behavior!" She called out. She then turned her attention to the nervous blue hedgehog standing next to her desk; she grabbed his hand and began tugging him towards the door.

"W-what's going on?" He asked nervously.

"We're going to the principals office." She said pulling him, his eyes widened in fear and he felt an urgent need to run away.

He had never been in trouble before. What's going to happen? Will his mother find out? How could he of been so stupid he scolded himself. He really wasn't thinking when he drew that picture...but he couldn't pretend and draw rainbows and sunny skies. For once he had to be honest. He felt Mrs. Kennedy quicken her pace and saw the main office come into view. He gulped, feeling his hands getting clammy and butterflies dancing in his stomach.


Bernadette felt uneasy all day since she did the laundry. She was in the midst of getting ready to head to Sonic's school for the conference when the phone began to ring; she quickly ran to the ringing phone and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Yes...is this Mrs. Hedgehog?"

"Yes...w-who may I be speaking with?" She felt a bit anxious.

"This is the main office of Station Square Elementary School and we are calling in regards to your son Sonic."

Bernadette's eyes went wide and she felt her heart beat begin to increase.

"Is everything okay? What's happened? W-" She was cut off by the secretary.

"There was an incident in the classroom earlier and he was brought down to principal Watson's office." As if reading the worried mother's thoughts the secretary spoke again.

"Don't worry Mrs. Hedgehog your son is fine...but we need you to come down here as soon as possible."

"I-I'm on my way...tell my son I'll be right there!" She quickly hung up and grabbed her car keys and headed out the door. She drove in a panic, her thoughts were all over the place.

"So was it true? He's possibly being bullied by kids at school?"

"Maybe he got into a fight? Maybe Sonic finally decided to stand up for himself and the kids ganged up on him." She felt her heart in her throat as she tried to calm herself down. Today was indeed the day she would find out the truth.

She felt a pang of guilt in her heart when she thought about Jules. Earlier, in the laundry room for a split second she had suspicions he knew more then he was letting on. How could she possibly think that of him? She knew he loved Sonic just as much as she did.


Sonic sat anxiously in the main office. He was looking down at the floor, feet swinging back and forth at a steady pace, while fiddling with his fingers nervously. He regretted getting so frustrated and drawing that picture. His ears pinned down as sadness and anxiety took over him. He watched as teachers and faculty members darted back and forth from room to room.

"Now what's gonna happen?" He wondered.

"Mommy's gonna be upset with me..." He felt his heartbeat increase and felt an urge to cry.

"Sonic Hedgehog?" The principal called out while exiting his office. Sonic looked up shyly and nodded his head.

"Will you please come in?" Sonic slid out of his chair slowly and walked up to his principal apprehensively. Mr. Watson ushered the little boy inside his office and shut the door quietly. He pointed to the chair in front of his desk for Sonic to have a seat.

"A-am I...in trouble?" He asked nervously, the butterflies in his stomach jolting at an incredible rate. Mr. Watson shook his head.

"No son...you're not...but I do need to speak with you about what happened in class."

"I...I didn't mean to draw it...I-I..." Sonic felt hot tears forming in his eyes and looked down at his lap fighting to hold them in. The young bear looked at the frightened boy and frowned.

"You do not realize how serious this is..." Sonic refused to look up at his principal.

"Do you know you can get your daddy into a lot of trouble for drawing something like that?" Sonic could no longer hold his tears back and began to sob quietly, his body trembling. He nodded his head weakly.

"Why did you draw this?" Mr. Watson held up the horrible picture for Sonic to see. Sonic shrugged his shoulders trying to keep his gaze away from Mr. Watson.

"I-I don't know..." He lied, the principal eyed the little hedgehog sternly, knowing full well he was lying to him. Kids do not normally draw stuff like this without a logical reason; he's dealt with several child abuse cases to know that this was not a normal drawing for a five year old to be making.

"Tell me the truth." Sonic's eyes got wide and he began to panic, he looked from side to side trying to think of what to say.

"I-I can't tell you..." He felt his hands becoming clammy and he tried his hardest to stay calm, taking in a deep breath.

"And why is that?" Mr. Watson eyed the sobbing hedgehog closely.

Feeling defeated by this interrogation Sonic looked back down at his hands.

"B-because of m-mommy..." Mr. Watson's eyes softened. "Now we're getting somewhere."

"What will happen to your mommy if you tell me?" Sonic didn't dare look up, he remained silent.

"Sonic!" Mr. Watson said in a higher tone. Sonic flinched slightly and shook his head from side to side.

"Sonic...I need you to tell me." He said more sternly. Sonic refused and shook his head again.

"I already told you...I can't tell you..." Sonic said in a low voice, almost inaudible.

Mr. Watson let out a frustrated sigh as he stared at the frightened, sobbing hedgehog before him. He could easily see the fear and hurt in the child's eyes and knew this was a serious situation. For how long has this been going on? That is what he really wanted answers for.

Moments passed in silence, all that could be heard were the sounds of the little boy sobbing quietly. In a soft, understanding voice, Mr. Watson spoke again.

"I promise you...if you tell me...I won't tell anyone." Sonic took his words in and thought it over for a moment.

"Y-you promise?" He asked unsure if he should trust him with his secret. The bear nodded sincerely.

"You have my word."

Sonic wiped the tears out of his eyes and sniffed, his emerald eyes meeting his principals dark brown ones. He nodded his head slowly.

"A-alright..." Sonic whispered, Mr. Watson smiled softly.

"Please...tell me...what will happen to your mommy if you tell anyone?" Sonic felt his heart racing and he let out an exhausted sigh. He clasped both his hands together and looked back down sadly.

"If...if I tell anyone...a-anything...d-daddy...will..." He trailed off, having great difficulty finishing the sentence.

"Your daddy will what?" He asked, concerned. Sonic felt his heart sink, he looked back up at his principal.

"D-daddy...will hurt m-mommy..." He felt another tear roll silently down his soft muzzle and he wiped it hurriedly. Mr. Watson stared at Sonic with a serious expression, one that read pain and concern; it sickened him to think anyone would harm a child and frighten them with horrible threats.

"Your mommy means a lot to you doesn't she?" He said softly, it was more of a statement than a question. Sonic sniffed and nodded his head. Mr. Watson paused for a moment before daring to ask his next question.

"Does...your father...hurt you?" Sonic felt fresh tears forming in his eyes as he looked up at his principal, he didn't even bother to try and hold them back anymore. He nodded slowly, feeling a bit ashamed of admitting his secret.

"When?" Mr. Watson asked gently, he felt his own heart breaking at the scene transpiring before him. Sonic was quiet for a long time before speaking again.

"All the time..." He finally admitted. He felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He buried his face in his hands and began to weep. Mr. Watson got up from his chair and handed the sobbing hedgehog some tissues while rubbing his back.

"Everything is going to be okay Sonic..." He soothed. "After today...your father will never hurt you again." He said firmly. Sonic's head shot up and he looked at his principal with hope in his eyes.

"R-really?" He felt a bit apprehensive. "B-but..." There was a knock on the door suddenly preventing Sonic from finishing his sentence. He felt mixed emotions now, he felt safe and hopeful at the thought of his father never hurting him again, but at the same time...he felt so scared.

Mr. Watson opened the door to reveal a secretary standing in front of him.

"I'm sorry to intrude...but...the mother's here." She whispered, turning her attention to the little boy sitting in the chair.

"Alright...send her in please."

Within moments Bernadette appeared through the doorway. Sonic's eyes went wide, he had no idea his mother was going to be here. He felt the butterflies returning to his stomach, he did not want his mother to know his secret.

"Mommy?" He asked, confused. Bernadette turned her attention to her son sitting in the office chair.

"Sonic!" She rushed over to her son and hugged him tightly. "Sweetheart...what's going on? What happened?" She asked him while rubbing his back. Sonic laid his head on her shoulder, he felt so tired and weak from all the crying and his head was now throbbing. He hugged her back tightly as he felt fresh new tears forming in his eyes.

Mr. Watson shut the door slowly and walked back to his desk. Bernadette took a seat with her son sitting in her lap, his arms wrapped tightly around her. She looked at the principal with a confused and concerned expression.

"I'm sorry to of inconvenienced you Mrs. Hedgehog..." He began slowly. She looked at the bear desperate for answers.

"Please..." She interrupted him. "I just want to know what is happening to my son." He looked at her for a moment thinking of how to break the news to her.

"What do you think is going on?" He suddenly asked. She looked at him confused.

"W-what do you mean?"

"This is something that has been ongoing for a while now." She looked down at her son as she cradled him in her arms, rubbing the back of his head softly. She nodded sadly. "Yes...yes I know it has." She answered.

"You do?" He asked, she nodded. "I've noticed changes in my son's demeanor and behavior lately...and I know he's keeping something from me. Whenever I ask him to tell me what it is though...he won't tell me."

He nodded in understanding, she continued. "I've been really upset and worried about him lately...I've recently noticed him having bruises and I just don't know what to make of it." She felt tears brimming in her emerald green eyes.

"I just don't know what to think anymore..." She whispered. "I...I can't take it anymore." She suddenly said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "It's breaking my heart...I don't want to see my son like this anymore...he's been quiet...having nightmares..." Sonic hugged his mother tighter as he buried his face into her.

"I've been wanting answers for a while now Mr. Watson...I had made an appointment for a conference today...only to be called by the school telling me something has happened."

"Please..." She begged. "What's going on?"

"Is he being bullied and picked on? Is it another student hurting him?" Mr. Watson raised a hand to stop her questions.

"I'll tell you in one moment but I must ask you this first." He said folding his arms and leaning closer to her.

"Have you discussed what you've just said to me with your husband?" She looked at him in surprise.

"Well...yes...but what does Jules have to do with any of this?"

Mr. Watson sighed as he picked up the drawing Sonic had made and then looked back at Bernadette.

"I think you should have a look at this..." He said handing the drawing over to her. She looked at him confused taking the paper from his hands. Her eyes widened when she glanced at the contents of the drawing and her gaze immediately went from the paper, to her son, and back to Mr. Watson in pure shock and disbelief.

"W-what...?" She felt completely speechless.

"T-this can't be..."

"It can..." He interrupted. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach, she could not control the rapid tears flowing from her eyes.

"Today in class the teacher had asked the students to make a drawing dedicated to each family member..." He informed her. "That picture there...was what Sonic had drawn...for his father." Bernadette held her hand over her mouth as she felt herself beginning to sob hysterically.

"No...that can't be right..." She said in complete disbelief. "Sonic would never draw anything like that...I have so many pictures at home that he's drawn...none of them are..." She broke off, finding it difficult to speak.

"I know this is hard for you...Mrs. Hedgehog." He said sympathetically.

"The source of the problem...is your husband." He said cautiously, Bernadette felt physically ill. She grabbed a handful of tissues as she wiped her eyes and hugged her son tighter.

"I-I can't believe it..." She whispered.

"Jules...he wouldn't hurt a fly...he's a gentle man...he loves Sonic just as much as I do..."

"Are you trying to convince me that or yourself?" He said boldly, she narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

"My husband does not beat our son!" She quickly said exasperated.

She felt heartbroken at the words being said to her. She loved her husband and loved her son and could not believe Jules would do something like this. He would never hit Sonic or lie to her, that was not the type of man she married.

"Why don't you ask Sonic?" He suggested. "I believe this is something you should hear from him."

Bernadette looked back down at her son who was squeezing her tightly. Sonic was afraid, afraid to face his mother...afraid of the truth. He felt her hands on his shoulders. She stared at her trembling son, afraid to hear what he was about to tell her. This was not the answer she had wanted to hear or anticipated on.

"Sonic..." She said softly while gently pulling him away from her. Sonic looked down, refusing to look his mother in the face. She lifted his chin gently and forced him to face her.

"Sweetheart...please...this is important...you need to tell me the truth." Sonic broke away from her and shook his head slowly. He turned and looked back at Mr. Watson.

"You said you wouldn't tell anybody..." He felt slightly betrayed. Mr. Watson's heart sank at the situation playing out in front of him.

"You have to be the one to tell her Sonic..." Sonic looked away, he can't tell her...he just can't.

"Baby..." Her eyes brimmed with tears and she worked hard to stay steady and prevent them from flowing. Taking a deep breath she asked a question she never thought she would ever hear herself say.

"Sonic...does...daddy hit you...?" She whispered just loud enough for Sonic and Mr. Watson to hear. Sonic looked down at the floor remaining silent.

"Sonic..." She began to sob, pleading with him. "Answer mommy's question."

Sonic shook his head defiantly. "No mommy...I can't..."

"It's okay to tell her Sonic...nobody is going to get hurt...everything is going to be okay." Mr. Watson said encouragingly. Bernadette looked over at him dumbstruck for a moment. Sonic remained silent, refusing to tell his mother his secret.

Bernadette squeezed his shoulders slightly and shook him gently. "Sonic!" She raised her voice. Sonic flinched, he's never seen his mother so angry at him or heard her ever raise her voice at him. He suddenly felt his will power deflating and his tears returning to his eyes.

Bernadette's eye's softened. "Please...I need you to tell me the truth." She begged him.

Sonic was silent for a moment. He was having an inner battle with himself; he's been wanting to tell his mother the truth for months and now he has no choice. He felt so afraid and unsure of himself. He just kept remembering his fathers words. He didn't want anything to happen to his mother, he was staying quiet to protect her.

Bernadette asked the question again, desperation apparent in her voice. She wiped a few tears out of Sonic's eyes before asking once again.

"Does...daddy hurt you?" Sonic felt the protective wall he built around himself crumbling down as his tears began pouring from his eyes. Bernadette had never felt so heartbroken in all her life. Sonic looked deep into his mothers eyes, eyes so much like his own, and nodded slowly.

"Yes..." He whispered in a low, almost inaudible voice. Bernadette pulled her son into a deep hug and began to sob hopelessly. For a few minutes both hedgehog's just sobbed hysterically while hugging each other tightly.

"Why...?" She whispered, rubbing the back of his head. "Why didn't you tell me...? Why did you wait so long...?" She felt like this was all her fault. She should have been at home more...She should have looked into things more closely...She felt so blind and oblivious...so helpless.

Sonic sobbed into his mothers shoulder. He felt parched and his lips were dry, he felt the urgent need for water and his head was now throbbing.

"B-because...if I-I t-told y-you the t-truth...d-daddy would h-hurt you..." he stuttered. She looked at her son incredulously. She could not believe what she was hearing. She pulled him away from her and kissed him gently on the forehead.

"Daddy said he would hurt me?" She asked him, concerned. She could not believe Jules would threaten let alone beat their son right behind her back. This was a very painful revelation. Sonic simply nodded.

"When does daddy hurt you?" She asked him softly, she needed to know now that the truth was out. He looked down to the ground. He couldn't believe he was telling his mother his secret.

"A-almost e-everyday..." He said sullen. She bit her lower lip.

"Then...your bruises that night...and your shirt from yesterday...it was...because of Jules..."

"And...he lied to me...this whole time...h-he...lied..." She began to weep violently, putting her hands to her face. She felt her heart shatter, her husband had lied and betrayed her.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart...this is all my fault...I'm so sorry..." She kissed her son and hugged him tightly.

"This is not your fault Mrs. Hedgehog...you had no way of knowing this..." Mr. Watson comforted.

"I should have been there...I-I should have done something..." She felt like she had failed her son.

"Now is not the time to dwell on the past...it's over and done...and there's nothing we can do about it. Now that you know the truth...what is your course of action?" He asked in a serious manner.

She looked up at Mr. Watson while rocking her son in her arms. "Tonight...Sonic and I will stay at a hotel...and I will not let Jules know our whereabouts."

"It's over..." She felt silent tears rolling down her cheeks and didn't bother to wipe them away. Mr. Watson gave the mother hedgehog a sympathetic look.

"I'm so sorry..." He said softly, she smiled weakly.

"As long as Sonic is safe...that's all that matters to me right now." She said honestly.

"I'll give the department of Children and Families a call..." He informed her.

"Thank you..." She said graciously, shaking his hand.


Jules paced back and forth in his bedroom beginning to panic. He had come home from work early unexpectedly, only to find the school had called earlier about an incident that transpired earlier with Sonic. Bernadette answered the phone late and the answering machine had picked up the entire conversation she had with the secretary.

"What has that little shit done...?" He thought angrily. "He's going to pay for this." Jules balled his hands into a fist as he battled to control the rage and anger burning inside of him. He wanted to strangle Sonic at that moment.

"What if Bernadette found out the truth...?" He felt his heart beginning to race as the fear of the thought consumed him. He was nothing without her, absolutely nothing. "I cannot afford to lose her...she absolutely cannot learn the truth." He looked at their wedding photo sitting on their dresser and picked it up gently; he stared at the photo in silence for some time before placing it carefully back in its original place.

"Berny and I will be together forever..." He reassured himself while running a hand through his quills.

"I'll make sure of it...even if it means getting rid of that disgusting pest of a son." He thought to himself, disturbed. He found himself turning towards his closet door with a wicked smile forming on his face.

"Berny loves me...she will never leave me...and if she ever tried I would never let her go." He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and decided to give her a call. He wanted to know what was going on and had to act like he was completely clueless.

The phone rang and there was no answer. Beginning to feel uneasy he called her again. Still no answer. He began to feel agitated and continued calling her repeatedly. He would not quit until she answered the phone. After countless missed calls he finally got her to answer.

"Berny...why haven't you answered your phone? I've been worried." There was a long pause and Jules began to feel nervous.

"Berny...?"

"Jules..." She choked trying to hold back her tears.

"H-how could you...?" He felt a sense of dread come over him. His heart began to beat faster with every passing second and he could feel the butterflies dancing in his stomach.

"Bernadette...what are you talking about?"

"How could you lie to me like this...? How could you do this to our son?" She sobbed.

"Berny I-" She cut him off.

"No! I don't want to hear your excuses!"

"You...betrayed me...you...you LIED TO ME! This entire time you've done nothing but lied..." She began to sob hysterically on the phone. Jules felt his heart sinking, his fear of losing the love of his life growing stronger and stronger by the minute.

"Bernadette let me explain...I-" She cut him off again.

"What is there to explain Jules? How you've been secretly beating our son for over a year now? How you've constantly lied to me?"

"I thought you loved me...I thought you loved Sonic." She felt her anger dying down into sadness and heartbreak.

"Berny...I do love you...more than anything...you know that I do." He reasoned.

"No...you don't. If you did you wouldn't have done this..." Jules felt his heart snapping in two and had to use all of his strength to hold back the tears that now threatened his eyes.

"Berny please..." He pleaded. "We can fix this...we can work it out...please just let me explain myself."

"Jules...y-you...bastard..." She wept into the phone helplessly. "I-I can't believe you would do this..." Jules felt silent tears rolling down his muzzle and he didn't bother to wipe them away. For a few minutes neither spoke a word, the only sound being heard was her uncontrollable sobs.

"Berny..." He whispered softly into the phone. "I love you...please...don't do this to me..." He pleaded hopelessly. He never felt so weak and vulnerable.

"I loved you with all of my heart...I put all of my trust into you..." She weeped. There was another long pause before she spoke again.

"I'm sorry Jules..." She whispered almost inaudibly. His eyes widened with fear.

"W-what are you saying...?" He choked, unable to prevent his sobs any longer.

"There's nothing to fix...nothing we can work out...i-it's...over Jules..." She whispered softly as she sobbed harder.

"Y-you're leaving me...?" He sobbed. There was a long pause which felt like hours to him.

"Yes...I-it's over..." Before he could say anything he heard a click followed by silence. He felt his entire world falling apart. The only thing that mattered to him was gone. He put his head in his hands and wept for minutes. He should have seen this coming, he couldn't have kept what he was doing a secret forever.

His sadness was then replaced with sheer rage when his thoughts went onto his son. He balled his hands into a tight fist, his nails digging into him making him bleed.

"It's all that little bastard's fault!" He screamed angrily. He began tearing his bedroom apart in a fit of rage. He grabbed the wedding photo from the dresser and threw it into the nearby wall, the glass shattering upon impact as it fell to the floor.

He turned his attention to the closet door. "I'm going to kill him!" He shouted. He ripped open the closet door and began ripping the closet apart until he found the brief case. "That little shit is going to pay for this..." He said, teeth clenched.

He opened the brief case and pulled out the small box. He ignored the tears of pure anger rolling down his cheeks as he lifted the lid to reveal a medium sized hand gun. He smiled wickedly at the thought of finally doing away with that pathetic son of his.

"After I kill him...I'll make sure Berny stays with me..." He said to himself. Something in his mind had snapped at this point and all logic and morality eluded him. He spent the next fifteen minutes planning out how he was going to do all of this.

He hid the fully loaded weapon in his pants pocket and headed out towards the front door. He quickly got into his car and began to pull out of the driveway. He drove around the block and found a good spot to park and hide his car. Now he would play the waiting game; he knew Bernadette would have to come back home eventually and when she did that will be when he makes his move.


Bernadette had been laying her head down on the steering wheel sobbing for the past fifteen minutes. It had been an hour since she and Sonic were in principal Watson's office. She had decided to take Sonic somewhere to eat real fast before they prepared to leave for a hotel. To her dismay Jules had kept calling her while in the restaurant; she continued to ignore his constant calls not wanting to speak with him. Her heart had been so broken this afternoon no words could describe how she felt at the moment.

Sonic had been silent the entire time throughout their meal. She didn't pressure him to say anything, she was concentrating more on how to keep him safe. After their meal they headed back to the mini van that sat in the parking lot. She strapped him securely in his booster seat and he gave her a strong hug and kiss.

"Everything is going to be alright now sweetheart." She told him while giving him a kiss on his forehead. He nodded sadly with a frown. She saw something sitting in the passengers seat she knew would cheer him up if not at least give him comfort.

"Look who's here to see you..." She said soothingly while handing him the stuffed chao. Sonic's eyes lit up for a moment as he hugged Charlie tightly.

Bernadette shut his door and slid into the drivers seat; she was just about to turn the key in the ignition when her phone began to go off again. She sighed miserably and looked at the phone revealing Jules' cellphone number. She stared at the ringing phone for a moment debating whether or not she should answer it.

Now she sat sobbing in her seat wishing she had never answered. Despite all of what her husband has done she still loved him. How could she not? Today she made one of the hardest decisions she's ever made in her young life. Sonic buried his face in his hands while his chao laid on his lap. He felt it was all his fault that his mother was so upset. He had ruined everything.

"I'm sorry mommy...it's all my fault." He whispered sadly, finally speaking for the first time since they had left principal Watson's office.

She stopped sobbing and sat up after hearing his words. She wiped her tears hurriedly and shook her head.

"No...baby...nothing is your fault. He shook his head in disagreement.

"It is my fault! I'm the reason why you're mad at daddy...the reason why you're crying...the reason why we have to live in a hotel..." He broke off unable to finish his sentence. He looked down dejectedly at his stuff chao petting him gently as he began to feel fresh tears coming on.

Bernadette undid her seat belt and climbed into the back of the mini van. She gave her son a strong hug and kissed his cheek lovingly.

"What your daddy did to you was wrong..." She assured him. "He's the one at fault...not you..." Sonic's body began to quiver as quiet tears leaked from his eyes. He hugged his mother tighter.

"I love you mommy..." He choked.

"I love you too sweetheart." She kissed him on the forehead.

"I only wish you told me what was happening sooner..." She said, sadness filling her eyes.

She wiped the stray tears falling down his cheeks away and kissed his nose. She had to be strong for her son now. Right now the most important thing was making sure he was safe. She climbed back into the drivers seat and started the car. She looked into the contents of her purse and frowned, biting her lower lip.

She had just enough money on her to pay for their cheap meal. She had left her credit cards, everything back at the house. She scolded herself mentally at doing something so foolish, but she had no idea she would be on the run from her husband today. She checked her cellphone for the time and saw that it was only three thirty in the afternoon.

"Jules doesn't get off work today until six." She thought to herself. She decided to make a very quick pit stop at the house to get her wallet and pack a few necessities before they headed on out. She felt extremely uneasy about this for some reason but shrugged the feeling off.

"We're going to go back to the house real quick to pick up a few things." She informed him as she began pulling out of the parking lot. He nodded quietly as he began to look out the window; he twiddled his thumbs and fingers nervously. He had a very bad feeling and an overwhelming fear of going back to the house.

They drove in silence, both hedgehog's feeling an immense amount of anxiety building up in them. Bernadette felt her stomach churning and her hands feeling clammy while clutching the steering wheel. Why was she so nervous? Jules was at work there was nothing to worry about.

They drove down their block slowly. Sonic clutched his stuff chao tightly as he looked out the window. As they edged closer to their house she sighed in relief when she saw the empty driveway. She almost mocked herself for getting so nervous and worked up over nothing.

She pulled up the driveway and turned off the car. "I'll only be a minute sweetheart. Do not leave the car and do not open the door for anyone do you understand?" He nodded.

"Don't worry baby...everything is going to be alright now. Once we leave you won't have to worry about anyone hurting you again." Sonic managed a weary smile and his mother returned it. Climbing out of the car she locked the doors and headed with haste into their two story home.

Sonic waited uncomfortably in the car while hugging Charlie. He could not shake the bad feeling he had and wished his mother would hurry. Suddenly without warning a loud bang was heard against his window. He turned and looked in fear as he saw his fathers angry face beaming back at him. His father banged his fists on the window a second time.

"OPEN UP THIS DOOR YOU LITTLE SHIT!" He shouted angrily. Sonic was frozen in complete fear. His father knew he told his mother his secret; he knew the punishment he would have if his father pulled him out of that car. He looked back at the house with pleading eyes wishing his mother would come out in that instant.

His father began banging on the windows in a fit of rage, pulling the handles in hopes of catching a door unlocked. Sonic unbuckled himself from his seat and tried to take cover on the other side of the car.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" He screamed dementedly. Sonic cowered in fear and hid low behind the passengers seat. Jules punched the window again and it began to crack slightly. The noise terrified the little hedgehog and he let out a small scream.

"M-MOMMY!" He screamed as his father continued to punch the window. Sonic felt himself sobbing uncontrollably, completely terrified and hugged his stuff chao for dear life. Sonic cried out for his mother desperately in hopes she would save him from his father.

Jules punched the window again harder and finally made it shatter. Sonic screamed as Jules put his arm inside the car and unlocked the door. Sonic tried to crawl to the passenger seat to escape from the passengers door but his father had thrust the door open on his side and reached inside the vehicle. He grabbed Sonic's wrist firmly and began pulling him roughly towards him. Sonic yelped in fear and clung onto the passengers seat with his one arm, holding on for dear life.

Jules continued tugging his arm and when the little hedgehog refused to let go of the seat Jules began to twist his arm. Sonic cried out in pain as he felt his arm twist and bend in places they were not meant for. Getting frustrated Jules leaned into the car and grabbed the small boy by the waist and forcibly dragged him out of the car.

"NO!" Sonic screamed. "MOMMY! HELP ME!" He cried helplessly as he felt his fathers firm grip around him. He squirmed trying to get out of his grasp.

"I'M GOING TO GET RID OF YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL" Jules said almost laughing. He began dragging Sonic away from the car. Sonic's heart began to pound painfully in his chest as the overwhelming fear took over him.

"NO!" He begged again still trying to escape. "LET ME GO PLEASE!" His father laughed darkly as he continued dragging the sobbing hedgehog away.

"I KNOW THE PERFECT PLACE I'M GOING TO DUMP YOUR BODY ONCE I'M THROUGH WITH YOU." Sonic's eyes widened as his tears continued to roll down his soft cheeks. This was really it, his father was going to kill him today.

Jules smiled sadistically at the terrified hedgehog in his arms. He brought one of his hands up to Sonic's throat and began to squeeze tightly. He lifted Sonic higher up away from the ground and began to laugh dementedly. He watched intently as the little boy gasped for breath and struggled to remove his hand from his throat. Sonic kicked his little legs in midair desperately trying to escape from his father.

Sonic began to feel extremely light headed and his struggle began to weaken. He was suddenly thrown to the ground with great force and he coughed violently gasping for air. Before he could fully register what was going on he felt sharp pains in his stomach as his father hovered over him and began to violently hit him repeatedly.

Jules wasted no time hurting the little hedgehog. He had completely lost all sense of morality and good judgment and the only thoughts flooding his mind now were the sadistic thoughts of killing his only son. Sonic screamed in pain and continued to sob; he began to struggle, trying to fight back to get away from his father. Jules simply laughed at his son's futile efforts.

"M-MOMMY! PLEASE HELP ME!" He screamed only to receive a sharp blow to his face. Sonic laid still, stunned after receiving the agonizing blow from his father. Jules grabbed his shoulders roughly and began to shake him.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT BERNY HATES ME! YOU LITTLE SON OF A BITCH! SHE'S LEAVING ME BECAUSE OF YOU!" He continued shaking the dazed hedgehog like a lunatic. He began to laugh dementedly as he pulled Sonic back up.

"T-THAT'S WHY...I'M GOING TO KILL YOU...RIGHT HERE...RIGHT NOW." Sonic winced in pain and struggled to keep his eyes open. Jules then threw Sonic roughly to the ground towards the garage door. Sonic hit his head hard on the ground upon impact. He laid on his back panting as he began to feel the back of his head throb.

Everything was spinning and blurring out of focus. Jules walked closer towards the near unconscious boy and pulled the hand gun out of his pants pocket; he smiled darkly as he aimed the gun at his small son.

"I'm finally going to be rid of you." He said calmly.

Bernadette had been in the house searching desperately for her misplaced wallet. The house' strong, thick walls blocked out any sounds of the scene happening from outside. She had found a small travel bag in the living room closet and began packing it with anything that could be of use to her. She turned and looked at the kitchen counter and sighed in relief.

"There it is..." She said, grabbing the medium sized wallet. She quickly ran up the stairs with the travel bag and entered Sonic's bedroom. She quickly rummaged through his closet and dresser drawers tossing his pajama's and day clothes into the bag messily. Feeling satisfied she left his room to gather some of her own clothing but when she entered her bedroom she dropped the bag and let out a small scream.

Her bedroom was completely destroyed; furniture was thrown and laying on the floor on it's side, the bed was uplifted hanging off the box spring, and the full length mirror's glass was completely shattered. She took a small step forward and heard the sounds of glass crunching under her feet. She looked down to see a smashed photo frame laying on the floor.

When she picked it up she realized it was her and Jules' wedding photo. Her eyes widened and she dropped the frame on the floor. Her heart began to race as she felt pure terror seize over her. Realization hit her as warning bells began to ring in the back of her mind. She felt her stomach churning and her hands getting clammy.

"Jules...he must have come home early..." She whispered out loud to herself nervously. Her eyes widened in fear and she turned and bolted down the stairs. "Oh no! Sonic!"

She ran out the front door almost slipping in the process as she bolted for the mini van. She turned the corner and stopped in her tracks gasping, completely terrified, as her eyes fell on her near unconscious son laying on the cement ground. A small puddle of blood surrounded the back of his head.

She heard the sounds of something clicking and turned her attention to the left to see her husband holding a medium sized hand gun and aiming it right for her son. Her thoughts were only on one thing, and that was saving her little boy. She bolted from where she was standing and ran towards her husband in desperation.

"JULES! NO!" She screamed with tears in her eyes.

Sonic battled with himself to stay conscious; his head was swimming and he could no longer feel his body. He couldn't move no matter how much he willed himself to. His eyes were closed and he felt a heaviness overcoming him, the urge to sleep was becoming more and more inviting.

Sonic could hear his father talking but could no longer make out what was being said. He knew he was going to die. He tried to mentally prepare himself for the inevitable. His only regret was not being able to meet that little girl he had seen yesterday one last time. He wanted to know her name, he wanted to see her smile, he wanted to hear her giggle. Now he knew he would never have that chance.

As he began to succumb to the inviting darkness, sounds and voices filled his ears. He heard his mothers voice shouting something he couldn't make out. Everything sounded so distant and far away. The sound of a loud bang suddenly filled his ears followed by his fathers muffled screams. Then everything fell completely silent as Sonic blacked out.

inserted by FC2 system