It certainly seems that Maria is in the best hospital she could be in with the best care available. The nurses seem to be on top of taking care of all of her needs. Tying everything together, Maria`s needs are the most important. The hospital is a great place for her to be while she is recovering. There will still be a few more days she would have to be in the hospital before they will let her go. That would buy Shadow some time to get everything sorted out and ready.

A tv on a wall shelf is currently turned on to the news. The news reporter is the same one that made the report a few days ago about Maria being kidnapped by Eggman. She is making another report,"A mysterious girl has made an appearance in Station Square. She is currently in the Station Square hospital, receiving medical attention. The hospital, however, will not permit any reporter inside to gather any information or photos of the girl."

Good. Maria will have peace from a bunch of people wanting to buzz around her and pester her with questions and photo-taking.

"What we do know, though, is that this is the same girl that Eggman had kidnapped a few nights ago. We`re not sure how she managed to return to Station Square. When she was found in the park, a name was left with her. The hospital, however, will not disclose the name. They are on a search to find her family to make claim on her. She is still a minor, doctors are guessing her age is 15 or 16 years of age. If you have had a family member of yours turned up missing, call the hospital to identify her."

No doubt, several people will call the hospital to try and "adopt" Maria. Luckily, the hospital won`t let her go unless the person knows her full name, physical description and know her special condition.

Eating in the interior of the Burger Shop, the groups usual hang out joint, Shadow is actually out in the open for the first time in a while. Eating a seemingly ordinary meal, he doesn`t think much to look anywhere but his plate, occasionally sipping on soda on the side, while eating the fries as well. However, as soon as the news broad cast comes on, his head automatically lifts, eyes glued to the video screen. He watches as it is reported for someone to make claims for Maria and his heart almost sinks at the thought at someone else coming along and taking her. He certainly knows who she is but did he dare go forth and reveal it to the world? If he doesn`t, they would assign her to foster parents for sure.

Eventually, Shadow drops his fork and starts to rise. Walking over to the counter, he pays for his meal. Wiping his mouth, he starts to turn towards the door, but then he freezes. He isn`t sure of how to handle this situation. Is he to outright go there?

If he were to go to the hospital to claim her, the hospital probably wouldn`t give him a chance to say a word before they would try to usher him out or call the police to have him removed. His undeserved reputation proceeds him quite far...He couldn`t ask Sonic or any of the others to play decoy and claim her, they`re all too young, some of them are even younger than Maria`s seeming age. Asking Eggman was out of the question for obvious reasons. The only adult Shadow knows besides the police and school teachers is Cream`s mother, Vanilla. Well, he doesn`t actually know her, they never exchanged words with one another. He just caught a glimpse of Vanilla giving Cream her almost forgotten lunch one morning when the Sonic Gang had gone to their home to pick Cream up for school.

Running through the options, Shadow just stands there. No one he recognized is coming or going which gave him time to think as he stands near the door, staring out as he watches the city pass him by. There has to be another way. Thoughts cross his mind as to what he could do. It all comes up negative. Closing his eyes briefly, he continues to go through the options, which are limited. Vanilla crosses his mind once, but he had never met her. Cream always sounds nervous around him at that. He doubts anything would come up if he asked for help. Inhaling once, Shadow starts to exit the building.

Stepping out back into the city, a nearby building wall has obvious graffiti all over the side of it. The height, as well as the message, makes it clear that it was the work of the Babylon Rogues, likely marking their territory. Wait, this side of town is Sonic`s territory, not Jet`s. He seems to be extra serious this year, crossing the line...That`s another worry for Maria, having to worry about the Babylon Rogues coming after her. But Shadow is confident that he could keep her safe from them, long as she doesn`t wander the streets alone. But yet, the Babylon Rogues have been laying low. They haven`t made any confrontations to anyone in the Sonic Gang, almost like they are watching them, looking for something. Best be on the guard. They could launch their attack any day.

The other buildings are untouched by the graffiti, oddly enough. Maybe then perhaps, the Babylon Rogues graffitied the building to just try and annoy Sonic? Who knows...It isn`t really Shadow`s concern. He was just there to kick tail and stomp on Jet`s dreams of supremacy when things got rough and when he was called upon by the group. Shaking his head a few times at seeing it, Shadow straightens his jacket, then his gloves and walks off. The security detail is significantly better today than it was at the hospital. So, to pass the time if nothing else, Shadow begins to take a walk down the street. Was anyone else going to bother him? He half expects Rouge to come by and ask him more questions. If Sonic and Amy, why not her. Silver and Blaze don`t care and Fang doesn`t exactly mesh with Shadow`s attitude.

For the most part, Shadow`s walk is peaceful and uneventful. People just pass him by (or they cross the street to keep their distance from him) and a few bird calls are heard here and there. The cars zip past Shadow and another thought enters his frequently brooding head: he would have to teach Maria the ways of this world. This planet has changed a lot since the books they read on the Arc 50 years ago. And, she has never been to school. She always had a private tutor. This would be a huge adjustment for her, as it was for Shadow when he first got here. Only, she won`t be mixed up with Eggman like he had been. Or so Shadow could hope. Thinking on things mentally, he might as well return home and look through his things. Perhaps secure a spot at the local apartment complex? Nothing too fancy or expensive, just a place to get by.

Suddenly, he wakes up from his times of day dreaming and begins to really look around. His eyes open, he actually begins to observe where he is. Shadow is at the series of town-houses that lined the street, no doubt a step better than the apartments the group mostly took to living at. It is by chance that he sees Cream`s house across the street, recognizable as being a spot the school bus stopped at on its morning run to school. For a good while, he just leans back against a cement wall and closes his eyes, thinking for a while, going back to his day dreaming.

Cream is in the front yard of her house, playing with her pet chao, Cheese. No doubt her mother, Vanilla, is inside the house, probably knitting as usual. Cream runs around in the yard, laughing, as she plays chase with Cheese. Currently, Cheese is chasing Cream, seeming to enjoy the simple game.

During the game, Cream notices Shadow engaged in what seems like another brooding session. She pauses, her smile drops and she looks across the street to Shadow, wondering what he could be doing here. No one could tell what Shadow always thought about, no once could get him to even hint at what it was. Cream especially wondered about it as Shadow seems to do it a lot and he isn`t ever seen as happy, her 6-year old mind translates this to as that whatever he thinks about makes him unhappy. Cream turns to Cheese and sends him back into the house and then looks back to Shadow. As Tails had once told her, you won`t get your questions answered unless you ask them.

Cream takes a deep breath and braves her fears of Shadow, leaving her yard to approach the taciturn, dark one.

Shadow is in deep thought about everything that has happened. His dark, violent, mysterious past...He has been through some close run ins. Nearly destroyed the world for Maria, but fortunately pulled back and even (almost ironically) sided with GUN just a few years later against the Alien Invasion. Violent missions followed, all in the name of GUN operations, for the sake of peace, or so they told him. To the point that to this date, he`d be knee-deep in dead looking back at the records for his missions. But the thought of Maria never left him, even for a moment. Briefly he thinks over of how things were back on the Arc.

Thinking of Cream to be just another of the neighbourhood kids, out of Shadow`s blurred vision, he takes no notice of her as she approaches him. His arms are crossed. He still looks as though he is in deep thought, a mixture of brooding and day dreaming.

Cream stops beside Shadow and looks up to him. Mostly from age difference, Cream is much smaller than Shadow. She reaches her little hand up and grasps the sleeve of Shadow`s jacket, giving it a few tugs to get his attention,"Um, Mr Shadow?"

Shadow wakes up from his series of deep thoughts and day dreaming, looking down at her. Surprisingly, he doesn`t lash out at her or push her away. But he gives her an odd look for a while as if he is surprised she was even talking to him. Shortly afterwards, his expression returns to normal,"What is it?"

His tone is slightly lighter than usual, but only slightly.

Cream immediately retracts her hand from Shadow`s sleeve. She quickly puts both hands behind her back and takes one step back, now suddenly averting her large eyes away from him. It`s obvious that she is nervous and even a little scared. Thinking of what Tails said to her once more, Cream finally speaks,"Why are you sad, Mr Shadow?"

It was as simple as that. Straightforward, to the point, and yet insightful. When the others of the group inquired to Shadow of his personal life, they never asked why he felt the way he does, nor did they even mention any emotion he might have been feeling. A bold move but her innocence shines through...Almost like Maria. Yeah, Maria was like that...One of the very few people that cared about his feelings.

This puts Shadow off for a brief period of time. She is among those that feared him and yet she is inquiring about him, trying to get to know him. After quite a while of silence, he lets out a short sigh. No one is around, oddly enough. They were, seemingly, the only people on the stretch of street. Shadow starts to reply,"...You ask that as if this were the first time...Cream, I'm always sad..."

Replying in that fashion, it is mostly true, at least, to Shadow`s experiences. Although Maria is back, her future is still uncertain. Shadow`s eyes close after answering Cream, briefly, as he seems to think very quickly to himself.

Cream nods her head understandingly to Shadow,"I noticed that you are always sad, Mr Shadow...Why? It must be because of the things you think about all time..."

She is pushing her words out as carefully as she can, to the best of the ability of a 6-year old. But her concern is sincere. Cream`s desire is to make everyone happy. Seeing someone sad that she can`t help makes her feel terrible inside. Everyone deserves to be as happy as she is, which is evident in everyday life of how much happiness she has in her. On a very mature level, she knows that bouncing around an unhappy person would only further their negative emotions.

Shadow stops again as Cream asks the question of 'why.' Well, it is full blown obvious to Shadow. He could have answered her that upon the day that Maria had died, Shadow was considered lost to the world the following day. That his life spiraled downwards and that he had endured much hardship afterwards. Something that he could never truly get over. Especially having watched her get killed in front of him. His eyes open again and Shadow look directly into Cream`s. And for a while, he just looks to her. How is he to explain things to her without revealing too much? It was something that Shadow couldn`t shake off. He doesn`t want to tell them all exactly what happened. Why is anyone`s guess, it just doesn`t feel right in Shadows mind,"I...have been through a lot in life, Cream...Things happened that have changed me..."

Closing his eyes again, thinking of what he is going to say next. He is talking to someone very much younger than he is.

Cream rolls out another simple question, now finally letting her eyes look up to Shadow`s face,"Is it something that is still happening?"

Surprisingly, she isn`t prodding very much for details like the others would try to do. It`s not certain if it`s just because of her age, or because of her high level of respect she has for other people.

"It is, and it isn`t...You probably wouldn`t understand..."

It is eating him up inside, each and every day. He has conflicting aspects to his personality. Parts of him that died or were consumed as a result of Maria`s death, and other parts that filled in the gaps. Parts of him now that aren`t exactly considered pleasant by those around him. Examples would be his deadly efficiency in combat or de-sensitization if he needs to kill another.

Shadow adds in after thinking over things for a time,"...It`s complicated..."

As any child would normally say, 'grown ups are so complicated.' Shadow`s mind and feelings are the best example of complexity. True, though, that Cream couldn`t fully understand, she never had to loose anyone that was important to her; all of those people are still in her life.

Cream`s eyes direct themselves to the ground for a moment, formulating on how she would ask her next question. She slowly looks back up to Shadow,"Is there something that would make your sadness less?"

Shadow looks back to her at this point, thinking over that answer. Immediately, he thinks of Maria. However, he knows that having her back isn`t going to set everything right automatically. Well, it could. The only doubt he feels is how the new him might come off to her, how he is now.

"I don`t know...There is one thing, but...I`ve changed so much. I don`t think things can ever be..."

Cream knows nothing of his life on the Arc, nothing of his life outside of Station Square. Shutting his mouth, he just looks down to her,"...Can ever be like they were for me..."

Cream suddenly beams up as a thought has just entered her head upon hearing Shadow`s words,"Nothing can ever be as it once was."

It might sound like a cruel thing to say to any normal person, but there is truth to her words,"But that doesn`t mean that the changes in the future aren`t better than what they were in the past. My mom says that a lot of things happen for a reason, and that sometimes, we have to go through tough times, because that`s what makes us stronger. In order to survive this world, we have to be strong."

Granted she may have heard that last line from Jet during one of his moments of defending his actions instead of hearing it from her mother. But adding that with what Vanilla had told Cream, it all makes sense. Cream smiles for the first time during that entire conversation,"You are very strong and powerful, Mr Shadow. Whatever happened in the past that made you that way, it happened for a reason."

She may not know the details of his past but she is aware of his fight against the alien army, Black Arms, and his saving Earth from being blown into non-existence by the plummeting Arc. And she also knows, that whatever happened in his past was not a pleasant experience.

Shadow listens quietly and patiently, to all that Cream has to say. There is a visible effect of her words on him but it is mainly at how she would say such things to him. Reflection on his inner self led to the conclusions that he doesn`t like how he is now, mainly because this is how he was going to present himself to Maria. Maria would see how he had changed. How would she react? How would she feel on this?

Shadow makes a slight, brief shrug with his shoulders, looking back to her,"...So I am...Tell me, Cream...Can you keep a secret?"

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