*Shadow's POV*
I woke up in a panic when I heard Sonic start yelling and crying. I immediately skated to my room and growled furiously imagining Fleetway trying to take him but when I opened the door, I saw Sonic dashing to the closet and hiding there with the blanket wrapped around him and no one else in the room.

My ears perked up then lowered as I realized he must have had a nightmare and slowly walked to the closet and opened the door, then knelt down when I saw him shaking under the blanket.

"Sonic?" I spoke softly. "It's okay. You're safe here." I whispered and reached for the blanket, lifting it up slightly so I could see his face. "I promise I won't let him get to you. I won't let anyone hurt you."

Sonic was crying and looked at me with pure terror in his eyes, he was shaking and pressed up against the corner of the closet so I got in as well, wrapping the blanket around the two of us and pulled him closer into my arms. He immediately rested his face in my chest and kept quietly crying as I rubbed his back.

"Everything's going to be okay." I promised. "You're going to be okay." I said, trying to convince myself as well.

"He's going to come back." He sobbed.

"He won't even get to reach you." I said as calmly as I could, but I was furious at the idea that Fleetway was still out there looking for Sonic. I moved my hand up and down his back, feeling his spine, which worried me. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" I looked down at him and watched him close his eyes.

"Why did you say those things to Rose and Miles?" I decided to finally ask.

"What do you mean?" He looked up at me. "What did I say?"

"You told them you didn't need them, among other things." I said, not wanting to get into details at this moment, but Sonic sighed and shook his head.

"Spike and I thought about what may have happened. Tails and Amy just dropped me, they kept avoiding me and I didn't know why." He kept his ears pinned down, and he hid his face again in my chest. "They started ignoring me after I met Fleetway. He probably was the one who said all those things faking to be me so I could be alone and fall for him. Knowing I was alone now." I lowered my ears. "Everyone left me." Even I felt like crying.

Why didn't I suck it up and talk to Sonic after we broke up?

Why wasn't I there for him?

I could have prevented all of this.

"Why did you leave me too?" His voice broke, and I was suddenly without words. I wasn't sure what to say or what not to say. My mouth opened, and I started talking without thinking.

"Because I never stopped loving you." I confessed. "I blamed myself for our breakup, I didn't want to lose you, I never wanted to lose you. I wanted us to get married and start a family like you wanted, but I was afraid. Afraid that I was going to lose you someday. So, instead of talking to you, I kept going on missions trying to get myself to think of something else other than losing you. And when we had the talk, when we broke up, I realized how badly I messed up, I couldn't get you out of my mind so I loaded myself with work so I would stop thinking of you."

Sonic remained quiet, but I knew he was listening. He didn't say anything else. He just hugged me tighter.

"I'm sorry, Sonic. If I had just talked to you, then none of this would have happened. I should have been there for you, I should have stopped you from running away with an idiot like Fleetway. I don't know exactly what he did to you, I can just imagine by looking at you, but I promise I will not let him or anyone else hurt you. I will take care of you and protect you with my life. I will help you heal from this, however long it takes." I rested my head on top of his and pulled him closer into the hug, being careful not to hurt him.

"I need Miles to see you." I whispered, which made him tense up and pull away from the hug. "I won't take you to a hospital. It would cause too much attention. But you do need medical attention, Sonic." I looked into his eyes, which used to be full of life and color. They were now dull and red. "Do you trust me?"

He looked like he was about to say something, then he stopped, and he slowly nodded and then rested back on me again. I smiled and kept petting him gently so as not to hurt him.

"I trust you." He mumbled softly and closed his eyes. I rested back against the wall and closed my eyes as well. We spent the night sleeping in the closet, but he didn't wake up afraid anymore.

*Sonic's POV*
When I woke up, Shadow was on his phone, texting someone. I lowered my ears and moved out of the way, causing him to sit up correctly. I realized we had spent the whole night in the closet, and I didn't wake up anymore after that.

Being in Shadows' arms really made me feel safe, but I couldn't keep doing that. I can't expect him to protect me all the time, to be with me all day, every single day.

It was just motivation enough to heal enough so I could leave. Leave as far away as possible, where Fleetway would never find me.

I knew a divorce wouldn't work. There was no proof that the wounds were caused by him. There was no proof of anything, and he would end up dragging the process as long as he wanted to.

I just wanted to be as far away from him as possible.