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mama-qwerty · 1 year

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Darkling Wade and Callie - Qwertyverse Edition

Okay ya mooks. It’s done. Or as done as I’m gonna get it. Everytime I read it I change/add something so I’m gonna stick a fork in this baby and leave it be.

Over 8500 words. A lot longer than I expected it to be, but damnit, I got in The Zone and this came out pretty darn well, I think.

This is from my Qwertyverse, where Callie and Wade had been dating for a while before he was turned. I stayed pretty true to what led him to be transformed (established by @stillafanofsonic and @doomfox ) but just embellished it a bit.

Enjoy!

~~~~~

Callie stood in front of the door leading to the bedroom that used to belong to Eclipse. Silence radiated from inside—one would think it was empty.

But it wasn’t.

Eclipse hadn’t used the room for the better part of a month. He’d moved in with his brother down the hall, and someone else took shelter in here. Someone Callie loved. Someone she missed. Someone who was the same, but different.

This was almost a ritual of hers, developed over the past few weeks. Stopping in front of this door, day after day. Sometimes she’d raise her hand to knock, and it would hover in the air for a long moment, before dropping back to her side. Sometimes she actually would knock, offering food to the person inside.

She was always met with silence.

Well. Not always.

Sometimes she heard crying.

That was worse.

Heart pounding, she lifted her hand and rapped her knuckles on the wood. It sounded louder than she intended, and she flinched.

“Wade?” she called, her voice shaky. She swore her heart was trying to beat right out of her chest. “Can I come in?”

Silence. Then, movement.

“No.” His voice was raspier than before. A side effect of his new vocal cords. “I’m a . . .” He paused, pushing out a harsh sigh. “I don’t want you to look at me.”

Callie released her own sigh, a soft, nearly silent one. “You haven’t eaten in days. I’m gonna make you a sandwich. I’ll . . . leave it right outside the door. Please eat it.”

He uttered another sigh, then a grunt of affirmation. Then, silence once more.

Words piled up on Callie’s tongue, dragging a whirlwind of emotions with it. She wanted to cry, and rage, and just slink away in silence. Wanted to scream at him, beg him to talk to her. Her hands curled into fists, ready to pound on the door with every ounce of strength she possessed, demanding he open it, and if he didn’t, she would. She’d bust it to splinters if she had to. She needed to see him, even now, when he looked so different.

She loved him. It was something that had snuck up on her, creeping into her heart before she realized it was there. But once she saw it, understood it for what it was, it made her feel so light.

She loved him. This man who’d come into her life the same day Silver had. Had stayed by her through that whole crazy time, checking in, making sure she was okay. And they had become friends, good friends, best friends, and that was good. That was great. He was the first person to see through her shell, to see past the Confident Callie mask she wore every day of her life, for decades. To see just how broken and lonely she really was. To see her.

And at some point, months down the line, that friendship changed. That comfortable air between them turned to something more. He became something more. He grounded her when she felt lost. Supported her when she felt weak. Held her when she felt as though she would break. He made her stronger. Calmer. Happier. She needed him beside her.

She needed him. His sudden absence felt as though she were missing a limb. Off-kilter. Broken.

And it wasn’t as though he were gone. He was here! Right here! Right behind this door! And all she had to do was go in. The door wasn’t locked, she could simply turn the knob and walk right in. Just go in and tell him now much she loved him, still, even after everything. Nothing was stopping her.

She reached for the knob, hand hovering over it, shaking.

She wanted to open it. Wanted to see him. Wanted to hold him. To tell him it didn’t matter what he looked like, she didn’t care, he was still him, and that’s all that mattered. She loved him.

Her hand fell back to her side.

He didn’t want to see her. Refused to, for weeks.

Maybe his feelings had changed. Maybe . . . maybe he didn’t love her anymore.

She missed him. So damn much.

She sighed, and headed downstairs. He needed to eat, and she would make sure he did.

Even if she had to force her way inside and cram it down his stupid, stubborn throat.

~X~X~X~

Eclipse peeked around the corner of the hallway, watching as his mom tried to talk to Wade through the door. The amount of pain and sadness coming off her churned his stomach. He hated seeing her so upset.

Especially since this was all his fault.

He hadn’t meant for any of this to happen. He’d been riding along with Wade on patrol one day, almost a month ago. It was so exciting! Riding in the police cruiser, just him and Wade. He’d even been allowed to run the lights and siren! So cool!

But then the deer jumped in front of them as they drove through one of the wooded areas. It hit the hood, bouncing back to roll over the top of the car. Wade slammed on the brakes, cranking the wheel hard to the right. They careened off the road, and Eclipse had panicked and teleported out, reappearing a little way down the road behind them. An ear-splitting screech, glass shattering, and then a terrible, horrible, tail-curling cry of pain.

And then . . . silence.

Eclipse stood frozen to the spot for what felt like a long time. The car sat still, tilted over the embankment, front twisted around a tree. The engine ticked as it cooled, and he could hear liquid dripping.

And that’s all he heard.

“Wade?” he called, inching forward. Why wasn’t he getting out? He was wearing his seatbelt, and Mom always said your seatbelt would help keep you safe in an accident. “Wade?”

Alarms rang in Eclipse’s head. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. He briefly considered teleporting away and getting his mom, she would know what to do, when he heard it. A wheezy kind of groan.

“Wade?” Eclipse hurried forward. Maybe Wade had just gotten the wind knocked out of him. The darkling had had that happen to him before, and it sometimes took him a few minutes to recover. Maybe he just needed to help Wade out of the car. Then they’d call Mom and--

The thought snapped off in his mind like a toothpick. Eclipse rounded the front of the car, and found a long branch had punctured the windshield. Directly through the driver’s seat. The glass was shattered and spider-webbed, but he could see hands still clutching the steering wheel.

And red. There was so much red.

At first he couldn’t understand what it was. Paint? Why would Wade have paint in--

A gasp caught in Eclipse’s throat.

Blood. Human blood was red.

Tail flicking in fear and worry, Eclipse hurried to the driver’s door. Wade was slumped forward, and the branch that had pierced the windshield disappeared into this chest. As the darkling watched, Wade pulled in a wet, ragged breath.

“Wade!” Eclipse reached through the broken window, scratching his hand but ignoring it. He grasped the man’s shoulder and gave him a shake. “Wade, wake up! C’mon, you gotta be okay!”

The man gave another pained cry at the jostling, and Eclipse released him with a gasp. More blood oozed from Wade’s mouth, and his breathing was becoming more shallow.

Eclipse realized with a start, he was watching Wade die. He could smell it on him.

Panic gripped the little darkling, and he hurried back to the road. “Help!” he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Somebody help!”

Only the birds answered him, calling and trilling to each other as Wade Whipple sat dying in the police cruiser.

Eclipse curled in on himself. Time was running out. He considered teleporting out to tell someone, but he wasn’t quite sure where they were and didn’t want to run the risk of getting lost on the way back. Wade didn’t have time for that.

He didn’t have much time at all.

“What do I do?” Eclipse whined, hurrying back to the driver’s door. Wade sat slumped, head bowed forward, his breathing wet and slow. “Wade, what do I do? I don’t know what to do!”

He was the ultimate weapon, created to destroy and conquer. He had no idea how to help. How to save a life.

Wait.

His mom talked about helping save people. She donated blood every month, because she said her blood was special (something about a letter? O something? Humans were weird.) and that it could be used to help a lot of people, even if their blood was a different letter. It didn’t really make sense to Eclipse, but his mom usually knew what she was talking about, so he believed her.

Maybe that’s what Wade needed. He was losing a lot of blood, so he needed more.

But Eclipse wasn’t exactly sure how that worked. And he certainly didn’t have access to the special blood that would help Wade. How could he--

A thought struck, and the darkling looked at his hand. A scratch lined the pad on his palm, and green blood oozed out.

His blood was special. His blood let him heal really fast. Maybe, if he gave Wade some of his special blood, Wade could heal, too. Maybe just a little, but it could work to keep him alive long enough for the human doctors to help him.

Wade let out another groan, and Eclipse decided. He reached forward, grabbed hold of Wade’s wrist, and teleported them both away.

The little darkling was pulled from his thoughts when his mom moved away from the door. He waited until she disappeared down the stairs, then crawled forward, slinking on all fours, and stopped in front of what used to be his room. Soft sniffles reached his sensitive ears, and he frowned at the door.

He’d only wanted to help. His mom loved Wade, and Eclipse really liked the man, too. Wade was really nice, and would sometimes bring him and Silver presents, and play on the Switch with them. And he was really fun to roughhouse with, even when Mom yelled at them to stop, you’re gonna break something for crying out loud.

He hadn’t really thought about it before, but he guessed he loved Wade, too. Just like he loved his mom.

And now Wade hated him.

He’d only wanted to help.

~X~X~X~

Silver walked into the kitchen as his mom went through the motions of fixing a few sandwiches. Ham on rye, with Swiss cheese and a dash of mayo. Wade’s favorite.

“Did he let you in?” he asked, and Callie turned as Silver climbed onto a bar stool at the kitchen island.

She sighed. “Not yet.”

Silver hummed. It’d been weeks since he’d seen Wade. It was hard on him, as he really liked playing Switch with the man. He always made funny noises as they played Mario Kart, and was really fun to hang out with. Ever since he and Silver’s mom started dating, it was almost like having a dad, like Sonic did.

But now everything was different. Ever since the accident, Wade stayed upstairs in Eclipse’s room, and wouldn’t come out or let anyone in to see him. Silver could kind of understand, it was probably really hard on Wade being so different, and he tried not to talk about it a lot. Because as sad as Silver was about this whole situation, he figured his mom was a lot sadder.

Now he let out a sigh. “I miss him.”

His mom wiped away a few tears she thought he didn’t see. “Me too.”

Silver watched as she spread mayo on the bread. “I miss Eclipse, too.”

The librarian uttered a laugh, but Silver though it sounded forced. “You just saw him this morning. Your brother didn’t go anywhere. He’s bunking with you, for crying out loud.”

“I know, but . . .” He sighed. “He’s been . . . different.”

Ever since the accident, Eclipse hadn’t been himself. The two were normally thick as thieves (and twice as sneaky, his mom claimed), but ever since Wade . . . changed, Eclipse had been quiet and withdrawn. It had started small, just occasional moments of uncharacteristic quiet thoughtfulness, but it was nearly constant now. It was really weird to see his normally energetic and rambunctious brother acting so subdued.

“I’ll talk to him today, Bug,” his mom said, cutting the sandwiches into triangles. “Maybe he’s just worried about Wade.”

“Maybe.”

Worry wasn’t the word Silver would have used. Well, that’s not entirely true. There did seem to be a type of concern, but Silver didn’t think Eclipse’s current behavior was because he was worried about Wade. Now that they shared a room, Silver heard Eclipse at night. The darkling sometimes spoke in his sleep. His strange behavior did seem to have something to do with Wade, but it seemed to be fueled by guilt more than concern.

Silver wasn’t sure exactly why Eclipse would feel guilty for saving Wade’s life the way he had. Sure, it may not have turned out like he’d hoped, but Wade was alive because of Eclipse. Wasn’t that a good thing?

Callie scooped a handful of potato chips onto the plate, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and gave Silver a little head scratch as she passed on her way back upstairs. He watched her go, and hoped Wade would let her in soon. He hated seeing her so sad.

~X~X~X~

As she mounted the stairs, Callie found her younger son crouched outside the door of his former bedroom, his tail curled around his feet.

“Hey, Monkey,” she called, her voice soft. “Just the boy I wanted to see.” She bent to place the plate and water on the floor by the door, and gave a little knock. “Lunch, Wade.”

Then she turned to Eclipse. “C’mon, you,” she said, lifting the boy into her arms. “Let’s have a little chit-chat.”

Eclipse said nothing, but wrapped his arms around her neck, nuzzling his face into the crook. Callie rubbed his back as they headed downstairs, and she gave Silver a little head tilt to motion for him to join them on the couch.

“Been a while since we’ve had a little family gab session,” she said as she sat and positioned Eclipse in her lap. Silver sat on her left. “Think we all need one.”

An awkward silence settled in the living room, and Eclipse kept his eyes cast down to the hands fiddling in his lap. Silver flicked his amber eyes between his brother and mom. And Callie struggled to find the words to start opening the lines of communication. Normally getting her boys to talk wasn’t a challenge—getting them to shut up was another matter—but then again, they’d never been faced with a situation quite like this before.

“I know it’s been hard lately,” she said, placing her hand over Eclipse’s. His stilled, but he didn’t look up. “We’re all having a lot of big feelings regarding how different everything is. And I am so proud of you two sharing Silver’s room so well. Wade’s having . . . a hard time right now, but I’m sure he’ll be okay and--”

“He hates me,” the darkling said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. Callie looked at him with wide eyes.

“No he doesn’t,” she said, her hand squeezing his.

He nodded. “Yuh huh. He hates me because I made him change.”

“Eclipse—”

“I didn’t know my blood would turn him into a Dark!” he cried, tears trickling down his muzzle. “I didn’t know! I was trying to help! He was dying! He be dead right now if I hadn’t given him some of my blood, and then everyone would be sad, and he wouldn’t be here anymore, and it would’ve been my fault because I didn’t help him! I was just trying to help, and now he hates me!”

“Honey, I’m sure he doesn’t.”

Eclipse snarled, giving her an angry glare. “How do you know? He won’t even talk to you!”

She flinched, and he dropped his gaze back to his lap. He wasn’t wrong. After Wade had recovered from his . . . transformation, he had, understandably, freaked out. He looked pretty much exactly like a larger version of Eclipse, complete with gold-on-black eyes, dark scales, sharp fangs, claws, and a long barbed tail. Speech had been rough for the first few days, but when he was finally able to verbalize his feelings, he’d said some things she really wished Eclipse hadn’t been around to hear. Words like “freak” and “monster” fell from Wade’s newly forked tongue in ample supply, until Callie put a stop to it.

Then he had come home—his mother had taken one look at him and immediately declared he would not set foot in her house again—and retreated to Callie’s garage. She’d only been able to coax him out of there by moving Eclipse into Silver’s room and offering that refuge instead.

That had been over two weeks ago. He hadn’t left that room since. Or allowed anyone else in. He refused to talk to anyone, and only left the room in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.

Change was never easy for Wade, but this had shattered every ounce of control he had over his anxiety. Every coping mechanism went out the window when the trigger event was essentially turning into a giant gremlin.

“It’s just really different for him,” she said, finally finding her tongue. “That’s all.”

Eclipse shook his head. “He hates what he is now, and he hates me for making him that way.” His brow ridge lowered. “He says he’s a monster.” Golden eyes locked with hers. “Does that mean I’m a monster, too? Does . . . does that mean he never really liked me? Because I’m a . . . a freak?”

“No.” Her tone was firm, and a feeling rose in her chest. It wasn’t anger per se, but more of the protective urges she felt when one of her boys needed her. Her Mama Bear instincts. “Absolutely not. Baby, you are not a monster, or a freak, and Wade absolutely adored you.”

“Then why’s he so sad about being like me?” the darkling asked, his voice soft again. “Why does he hate it so much?”

“Being a Dark is really different from being a human,” Silver said. “And he’s been a human for a long time. Maybe it’s kinda scary for him.”

“But being a Dark is so much cooler! He’s stronger, and can teleport, and humans can’t do that!”

“But he’s used to being human,” Silver said, shrugging. “What if you woke up tomorrow and you were suddenly a hedgehog? Wouldn’t that be a little scary?”

Eclipse furrowed his brow ridge as he thought. “I guess? I’d be kinda sad to not be a darkling anymore.”

“Why?” Callie asked. “Your brother’s a hedgehog, and he thinks it’s pretty awesome.” She turned to Silver. “Right?” The gray boy nodded.

“Because they’re not as tough, I guess? They have fur and no sharp teeth and aren’t as cool as Darks.” Eclipse shrugged. “I guess I’d feel a little angry and sad that I was suddenly something different.”

“And maybe that’s how Wade’s feeling?” Callie coaxed, rubbing a knuckle along her little darkling’s muzzle. “He almost died, then he woke up as something completely different. He doesn’t look human anymore, maybe he doesn’t feel completely human, either. It’s probably really scary for him.”

“But it’s been a month!” Eclipse said, tears slipping down his muzzle. “Shouldn’t he be . . . I dunno, used to it by now? He’s still him! But he’s hiding away like he’s ashamed. Like he hates what he is.” He scrubbed at his tears with the heel of a hand. “He’s like me, and if he hates being like me, then he hates me.”

“Oh, baby,” she said, pulling him to her. He tucked his head beneath her chin, clutching her shirt in his fists. “You’re not a monster, or a freak, and Wade is . . .” She sighed. “Not handling this the best way he could, I admit. But sweetie, there is nothing wrong with being a Dark, or a Darkling. I love you, just how you are.”

Eclipse hitched in breath. “Promise?”

“Cross my heart,” she said, pulling him away to lock eyes with him. “Eclipse MacPherson, you are the most adorable little gremlin I’ve ever met in my life, and I love you so, so much. You did such a brave, wonderful thing. You saved Wade’s life! And I, for one, am so grateful to you for acting so quickly.”

The boy ran a hand across his nose. “Wade doesn’t think what I did was so great.”

“Wade can sometimes miss things that are really obvious to others. Sometimes things need to be practically spelled out for him before he understands. I doubt that’s changed just because he looks different.”

“You gonna talk to him, Mom?” Silver asked, leaning closer.

Callie smiled. Her hedgehog boy was always a snuggler, and he was obviously feeling left out while his brother got all the love right now.

“Yeah, Bug. I’m gonna talk to him. But first, I’m gonna have a nice little cuddle session with my boys,” she said, scooping Silver into her lap.

The boys giggled and squirmed to find a comfortable position, then wrapped their arms around her. She squeezed them tight, peppering their foreheads with kisses, and whispering loving words into their ears.

“I love you both, so much,” she said, nuzzling between them as tears ran down her cheeks. “You’ve both been so brave and kind through all this. You help me be brave. I couldn’t ask for better sons.”

“We love you, Mom,” Silver said, wiggling to snuggle closer.

Eclipse nodded against her. “You always help us feel better, no matter what.”

She uttered a soft laugh. “Yeah?” she asked, and they both nodded. “Well, hopefully I’ll be able to use some of that patented Callie Charm on Wade and snap him out of his funk, huh?”

“If anyone can, it’s you,” Silver said, sniffing. “’Cause you’re the best mom ever!”

“Oh, you think so?” Callie laughed, and planted a loud, exaggerated smacker on Silver’s cheek.

The boy giggled, pushing her away to wipe at his muzzle. “Gross!”

Eclipse laughed. “My turn! Do me!” he cried, and turned his cheek toward her. She happily obliged, making his smacker last even longer. He laughed when she finally pulled away, wiping his cheek. “Super gross!”

“Your turn!” Silver said, before both boys leaned forward and did the same to her, each taking a cheek and planting the loudest, wettest, most sweetest and hilarious kisses she’d ever experienced.

“Super duper gross!” she cried, and leaned forward to wipe her cheeks on her boys. They laughed and tried to push her away, but she just held them tighter.

The trio soon calmed, finishing their talk with another group hug.

“Tell you what, guys,” Callie said, pulling back and giving them both a stroke on their muzzles. “I’m gonna call Maddie and see if it’d be okay for you to head over there for the afternoon. I’ll talk to Wade while you’re out, and try to knock some sense into that thick head of his. Sound good?”

The boys nodded, although Eclipse looked apprehensive. She cupped his muzzle, stroking his cheek with her thumb. “Everything will be okay, babydoll. You’ll see.”

He nodded again. “Okay.”

“Okay.” She leaned forward to place another soft kiss on his head. “Run and get your shoes on.”

Her boys hopped down and ran toward the door as she pulled her phone from her back pocket.

As much as she loved Wade, this had to end. Her boys were suffering, she was suffering, Wade was suffering. Being stuck in limbo like this wasn’t doing anyone any favors. The man hiding away upstairs either had to face his new reality and decide to move forward, or . . .

She swallowed hard. She didn’t want to think about the ‘or’.

A quick call to Maddie, and the vet assured Callie her boys were always welcome. She thanked her friend, and placed a quick kiss on their heads before Eclipse took Silver’s hand and teleported them to the Wachowski house.

Once they’d gone, Callie turned to look up the stairs. After a deep breath for strength, she made her way up.

~X~X~X~

Wade sat against the wall, his legs stretched before him. The last bits of the sandwiches Callie had left lay on the plate beside him. Like a man in a dream, he lifted the final half and took a bite, grimacing at the way his mouthful of sharp fangs tore through the bread and meat as though they were tissue paper.

The sandwiches didn’t even taste the same. Different taste buds, he supposed.

He huffed through his nose, closing his eyes as tears tried to escape. He didn’t want to cry. He was sick of crying. It felt like that’s all he’d been doing since the day of the accident. Since his body had changed and become alien to him. Since his entire world was reduced to the four walls around him.

The room was dark. He’d pulled the curtains closed the first day he’d come in here, and hadn’t opened them since. The lamp on the desk against the far wall sat unused. But he could see as clear as day with his new eyes. The tiny bit of light creeping through the crack under the door was more than enough to see by.

His hearing had improved, too. If he concentrated, he could hear everyone in the house. It was easier at night, when everything quieted at bedtime. The boys down the hall would chat quietly after Callie tucked them in. He couldn’t always make out what they were saying, but the tone was subdued. Not like how they acted before . . . this.

Callie’s room was across the hall, and he tried not to listen to her. She cried at night. It was soft, and usually started after the boys had fallen asleep. But Wade heard. Sometimes it was just the occasional sniffle. But sometimes . . . sometimes it was such a gut-wrenching collection of sobs, muffled, as she cried into her pillow. He would clamp his hands over his ears, trying to shut it out. If he listened for too long, it threatened to tear his heart in two.

What was once a home filled with laughter and light, had become muted and dark instead. The whole atmosphere of the house had changed, because of him.

Because he was a monster now.

Callie didn’t like when he said it, and he supposed if he was dating someone who’d changed so drastically, he wouldn’t want to be reminded of that fact either. But that’s what he felt like. That’s what he looked like. A big, terrifying monster, with sharp fangs, and claws, and a barbed tail. Whether she wanted to hear that word or not, it was the only one that fit.

He heaved a sigh, before downing the rest of his water. The angry growl of his empty belly quieted for a while. If he were honest, he didn’t really care. Eating didn’t interest him anymore, and he only did it because Callie wanted him to. He slept a lot. And when he was awake, he listened to the goings on in the house around him.

Sitting in the dark was okay, because it was easier to ignore his new body. He could pretend he was still human for a while, before his new tail gave a flick and shattered that illusion. He could imagine himself shaving again, and shampooing his hair, and standing before the mirror, staring at that fifteen extra pounds he’d never managed to get rid of.

But those extra pounds—along with about twenty more—were gone now. Burned off during his transformation. He supposed it was a pretty effective weight loss program. “Lose weight fast! Just give up your humanity and turn into a giant lizard demon!”

A laugh fluttered through his throat, and he felt like crying again.

He was so lonely. He missed his job, and chatting with Tom every day. He missed his mom, even though she could be frustrating. He missed just walking around town, seeing all the familiar faces and feeling the sun on his skin.

He missed the boys, seeing them run toward him when he stopped by, playing video games with them, and roughhousing with Eclipse. Despite this whole situation and how it came to be, he didn’t hold any ill feelings toward the little darkling. The boy had just been trying to help. He didn’t know this would happen.

And he missed Callie. More than anyone or anything. He missed her smile. He missed feeling her hands on his face. He missed her sarcastic comments during movies, her always on-point observations, her laughter. He missed just talking to her for hours, about their deepest fears, their secret dreams, or about nothing in particular. They’d once stayed up until midnight debating the theory that all Pixar movies were connected. They had gotten really into it, creating diagrams and line charts and everything. It’s one of his favorite memories with her.

He missed feeling her hand in his. He missed holding her close. He missed kissing her. The quick little pecks on the cheek when the boys were around, and the longer, softer ones on the lips when they weren’t.

He closed his eyes. Don’t think about kissing her. You’ll likely never kiss her again. Not like this.

Tears slipped out, and he roughly wiped them away.

She was his rock. The one person in all his life who saw him for who he was, and accepted him. Despite his anxiety. Despite his easy confusion. Despite his own feelings of insecurity. She didn’t care about any of that. She looked at Wade and said, “Yep. He’s the one I want.”

Not begrudgingly. Not as a last resort. Not until something better came along. She stood by him and helped him through . . . well, everything.

Because she loved him.

Well. She did. Before.

But now? How could she?

He still loved her. More than he thought possible. His heart ached for her. It was like a part of him was missing.

But things had changed. He had changed. And now everything was different. Everything was wrong.

He should leave.

Callie didn’t deserve to have this burden on her shoulders. She was so kind, and generous, and wonderful, and she could—should—have anything she wanted. Anyone she wanted. What was he now? An anchor around her neck. Dead weight. A monster who used to be a man.

Late at night, when everyone else was asleep, he sometimes crept downstairs and went to the kitchen door. His (claw) hand hovered over the handle, and he stared out into the darkness, his alien eyes allowing him to see into the black.

He could just go. Leave what used to be his life behind, and spend the rest of his days alone, hiding in the forest. Sonic had. The boy had lived 10 years out there, all alone.

If he disappeared, Callie could move on with her life. She could be happy again.

Sometimes his hand would actually rest on the handle. But he couldn’t make himself open it. No matter how many times he told himself that Callie would be better off without him, he couldn’t open the door.

His hand would fall back to his side, every time. He’d turn and walk back upstairs, every time. And he’d promise himself that next time he came down, he’d actually go through with it. Every. Time.

Wade sighed, resting his head against the wall. He’d heard Callie gather up Eclipse when she’d dropped off the sandwiches earlier, and then she and the boys chatted on the couch for a while. Eclipse had gotten upset, but Wade had tuned them out at that point—eavesdropping didn’t sit well with him, even now.

Now the house was quiet again. Maybe they’d all gone out for the afternoon.

Footsteps drew his attention then, and he furrowed his brow ridge. They were Callie’s, he could tell by the gait, but they fell in a more rapid, agitated tempo than normal. She sounded angry. What could have--

His thought broke off as the bedroom door burst open, and a pissed off redhead stormed in.

“Okay, this has gone on long enough,” she said as she crossed the room to the window. With a well-practiced flick, she flung the curtains open, letting bright sunlight in.

Wade hissed, shielding his eyes and turning away. His large, serrated pupils had dilated in the darkness, and now the bright sunlight threatened to blind him. “Callie! What the--”

She turned to him, pointing to the door. “Get out.”

His stomach clenched. Had her goodwill run out? “What?”

“I’m not running a charity here, bucko,” she said, her brows drawn down. “And I’m also not in the habit of harboring dangerous monsters. So get out.”

Wade’s jaw dropped open, his brain taking a moment to process what she’d just said. “I . . . what??”

She crossed her arms. “You heard me.”

“Yeah,” he said, pushing himself to his feet. His eyes had adjusted to the light, and he looked at her in confusion. “I did. But you . . . you think I’m a monster?”

“Isn’t that what you keep calling yourself? Even now?”

He dropped his eyes, and could swear his face . . . muzzle felt hotter. “I . . . uh . . .”

“Uh huh,” she said, nodding. “That’s what I thought. If you’re a monster, you’re not welcome here. Go find yourself a nice cave to live in, monster.”

Wade flinched. She spat the word out at him with such venom, it made his heart twist. “Stop it.”

“Stop what, monster?” she asked, her voice adopting a sharp, snarky tone. “Am I hurting your wittle feelings, monster? You gonna rip me apart and chew on my bones, monster?”

“Stop it!” He covered his ear holes with his hands. Calling himself a monster was one thing, but hearing it from the lips of the woman he loved was like a dagger in his heart. “Stop calling me that!”

“It’s what you are, isn’t it?” The snark cranked up, and she stepped toward him, her face twisted in disgust. “A big, lumbering, monster? A horrible freak? Nothing but a disgusting creature with no feelings or rational thought?”

“Stop it!” Wade dropped his hands and curled them into fists. “Shut up!”

“Why don’t you make me, monster?” Callie’s teeth gritted as she hissed the words out. “Come on! Tear my throat out. Claw my face off. Pull my arm off and beat me with it. That’s what monsters do, isn’t it? So do it. C’mon, monster!”

“No!”

“DO IT!”

“NO!” he shouted, lip curled up in a snarl. A growl grew in his throat. “Stop it! I’m not a monster!”

And just like that, her face cleared. Her brow smoothed, shoulders relaxed, and eyes regained their usual kindness. Tears brimmed in them now, and she pulled her lips together tightly.

“No,” she said, her voice soft and quiet. “You’re not.”

Wade’s anger dissipated, and now he stood still, just staring at her. It was the first time he’d seen her in weeks, and with the sunlight backlighting her, it turned her red hair into a halo of fire.

He thought she never looked so beautiful.

Sorrow burrowed into his heart when he remembered what he looked like. His face pinched in pain and he turned away, lowering himself to sit on the floor with his arms resting on bent knees.

“That was mean,” he said, his voice soft.

“It was the only way I could think of to get you to talk to me,” she said, going to her knees beside him. “To understand.”

They sat silent for a moment, and Wade could hear her heart race near him. His own sped up, seemingly eager to match pace with it. She was looking at him, he could feel it, and he turned his head away. He couldn’t face her. Not now.

“Wade,” she said, her voice soft in the silence. “I know this isn’t ideal. I know this is hard for you, it’s hard for all of us, but--”

“You’re still you,” he said, turning to her, his brow drawn low. “You’re still who you’ve always been. I’m . . . damnit, look at me! I don’t even know who I am anymore! Am I still me? Or am I something else? Someone else? I just . . .” He let out a long sigh, turning away. “I don’t know. And . . . I’m scared.”

Silence returned for a long moment, and Callie swallowed hard. Wade was starting to regret saying anything, when she spoke again.

“Do you remember the first time you took me ice skating?”

The question caught him off-guard, and he turned back to her. She wasn’t looking at him, her focus instead on the hands in her lap.

“I’d never been, and you seemed to think that was some sort of horrible travesty. ‘Saturday,’ you’d said. ‘You and me and the boys. We’re all going.’” Now she looked up at him. “Remember?”

He locked eyes with her, and a warmth in his chest grew. He nodded. “You were terrible.”

A small laugh escaped her, and a tingle traveled up his spine at the sound. “I was. Spent more time on my butt than my feet.”

He smiled, the memory making him feel warm and comfortable. “I helped you. You took my hands, and I kept you steady.”

She nodded. “You did. Do you remember what you said to me then?”

He did. His throat threatened to close around the words, not letting them escape. “I said I wouldn’t let go. I’d be there for as long as you needed me.”

Another nod, and she scooted closer. “That’s right. But you know what?”

Wade unconsciously leaned closer. “What?”

“That goes both ways. I’m not letting you go. I’m here, and will be for as long as you need me.”

His breath caught in his throat, and he forgot to breathe for the next few seconds. “Are you sure that’s what you want? I’m not . . . you know, too different?”

She gave him a little smirk. “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it. You should know that.”

He did know that. But he needed to hear it. To be sure. “Tell me anyway. Please.”

Callie’s brow furrowed slightly, and she reached forward to lay a hand on his arm. His skin . . . scales burned at her touch, and his whole arm thrummed with her warmth.

“Wade Whipple, I can safely say that there’s no one on Earth I’d rather be with, than you. No matter what you look like, you’re still you. And that’s all that matters to me.”

The world fell away in that moment, and all Wade could see were her blue-green eyes, locked with his. All he could feel was her hand on his arm. Her heartbeat echoed in his ears, and he could smell her—lavender and strawberries, from her shampoo and fabric softener—and all these things and a hundred more combined to make him feel real again. Normal.

He blinked, breaking the spell and turned to focus on his hand. Three fingers instead of five. Each tipped with a sharp claw. He flexed it, tightening it into a fist. “I’m not human.”

Callie sat silent for a moment. “No. You’re not.”

He sighed, tilting his head back to look up at the ceiling. “I’m not a monster.”

“No. You’re not.” Her response came faster this time.

Silence settled between them for a long moment, before he turned to her. “Then what am I?”

She looked him in the eyes for a few seconds, before a smile curled her lips. Wade’s heart pounded faster at the sight of it.

“You’re a Dark,” she said, with a small shrug. “An older version of my second son.” The smile spread, offering warmth and love.

“You are also Wade Whipple,” she said, and fresh tears appeared in her eyes. “A kind, gentle, sweet, wonderful man, who loves his town, loves his boys, and would never harm a single soul.”

The first tear ran down her cheek, and Wade followed it with his eyes. He wanted to reach forward and brush it away. To touch her soft skin, and feel her warmth.

He clenched his hand into another fist instead.

“You also happen to be the man . . .” She paused, biting her lip as if afraid to continue. “The man I love.”

His eyes flicked back to hers. Had he misheard? “Love? Like . . . still?”

She nodded, that smile still on her lips. “Still. Present tense. Right now. Never stopped.”

Shock stunned him silent for a moment. “But I’m--”

“Wade, if you call yourself a monster again, I’m gonna deck you. I swear to God.”

That drew a little laugh out of him. “No . . . I was gonna say I’m not exactly in any shape to really be . . . boyfriend material. I’m so . . . different.”

Callie seemed to study him for a moment, as though this were the first time she’d seen him. And he realized it kind of was. He’d kept himself hidden from her—from everyone, really—ever since he discovered what he was, and this was the first time they’d actually sat and talked since before the accident. Her eyes traveled up and down his frame, lingering on his claws and tail, before finally returning to his eyes.

“There are things I’ll miss,” she said, her voice soft and sad. “Running my fingers through your soft brown hair as we watch movies at night. Feeling your warm arms, hugging me from behind. Watching that blush run up from your neck to your ears when you’re really embarrassed. Lacing our fingers together as we hold hands. Your big blue eyes . . . and that sweet smile that always made me feel so warm.” She sighed, and more tears ran down her cheeks. “Yeah. I’ll really miss that.”

He ducked his head, his own tears threatening to fall. Her voice held so much sadness, he cursed his new form for causing her such pain.

A hand appeared as she tucked a knuckle under his chin, and lifted his eyes back to her. The tears were still on her cheeks, but she was smiling again.

“But,” she said, and ran a thumb over his muzzle. “I already love someone with gold-on-black eyes. And those scales aren’t as hard and cold and it would seem. That crooked, fanged smile is actually really adorable. And honestly? I’m kinda jealous of the tail. I’ve always thought it’d be neat to have one.”

He chuckled at that, and she reached forward to take his hand into hers.

“And look at that. This hand still fits pretty darn well in mine.”

Wade looked down at their hands curled around each other. She gave him a squeeze, her soft skin warm, comfortable, and familiar. His heart hammered in his chest.

“You . . .” he started, his voice soft and shaky. “You really still want me? Really?

She nodded. “Really really.” She reached forward to cup his muzzle with her other hand. His breath hitched in his throat at her touch, and he leaned into her without thinking. “You’re still you, Wade. Do you think I’m so shallow I’d stop loving you just because you look different?”

Wade’s brain nearly stopped working. He did think that. Why wouldn’t he? He wasn’t human anymore. It wasn’t like they could have any type of normal relationship. Well, romantic relationship, anyway. He supposed they could go back to being good friends, even if the idea caused a pain in his chest. Now that he knew how it felt to be in love, to have her love, the possibility of not having that anymore felt like torture. More painful than anything he could imagine.

But that’s all they could be, now. Right? They were too different for anything more. It would just be weird if they were to kiss. Right?

Damnit. He shouldn’t have thought about kissing her. Now that’s all he wanted to do.

“You cry at night,” he said instead, pulling her hand from his face. The feel of her against him sent his heart racing. “I hear you. I . . . I thought it was because you hated what I turned into.”

She shook her head, sending more tears down her cheeks. “I missed you,” she said, her voice a harsh whisper. “So much. I wanted to help you, but you wouldn’t let me. It felt like . . . like you didn’t want me anymore. You shut me out.”

Wade dropped his eyes back to their hands, still locked together. He gave hers a squeeze.

“I . . .” he said, his voice soft. “I felt like a burden. This . . . this whole thing is so hard. I’m still me, I guess, but I’m not. I don’t know where I fit anymore. Well, I didn’t really fit anywhere before, but at least I looked like everyone else. Now . . .” He shrugged. “I’m all alone.”

“I see your complete obliviousness is still intact,” she said, a little laugh in her throat. He looked up, an eyebrow ridge raised. “Wade Whipple, honestly. Have you forgotten about the five alien children currently living in Green Hills? Are you seriously suggesting that you, a recently transformed alien gremlin, are completely and utterly unique and alone on this planet? Seriously?”

He pulled his lips tight, his tail giving an embarrassed flick behind him. “That does seem kinda dumb, huh?”

“Just a tad, Bear,” she said, her mouth pulling into a smirk. Wade felt a tingle move up his spine at the sound of her nickname for him, and he uttered a small laugh in his throat.

“Guess I’ll need a new nickname,” he said, a smile curling his own lips. “Not your big teddy bear anymore, am I?”

Her smile changed to one a little softer, and she shook her head. “Nah. You’ll always be my Bear. I’m really glad I have a second chance to be with you.”

The tingle from before wrapped around his chest, and squeezed his heart. He loved her, he always loved her, even in his darkest moments in this room, the moments that left him wondering if even staying alive was worthwhile, he loved her.

And now, with her hand still cradled in his, and her blue-green eyes locked with his gold, he loved her. She was here, she still loved him, and things seemed so much better than just a short while ago.

Maybe things would be okay. Maybe he could adjust and learn to accept his new body. Maybe he could have a life again.

As long as she stood with him, as long as she loved him, he could be happy.

And now, Wade Whipple, former human, reached forward and pulled the woman he loved—and who loved him back!--into a strong hug. He wrapped his new arms around her, holding her tight, and buried his face into her neck. Tears trailed down his muzzle, wetting her, and he blurted out apologies, gratitude, and declarations of his love for her.

And then her arms snaked around him, to hold him tight against her. She was crying too, sniffling softly in his ear, telling him she loved him over and over again.

They sat like that for a few long moments, hugging and crying and enjoying their reunion. The missing part of each other had been found, returned to make them both whole again.

Finally they pulled apart, and got to work wiping the tears from each other’s faces. Task done, they leaned forward to rest their foreheads together, their hands intertwined in his lap.

“I love you so much,” Wade said, his tail curling around to encircle her waist. “I’m sorry I was being such a dork.”

“You’ve always been a dork, Bear,” Callie said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. “I’m sorry it took me so long to have the guts to talk to you.”

They pulled apart, and Wade untangled one of his hands to wipe the fresh tears trailing down her cheeks. “I wasn’t exactly in the right mood to listen. I was kinda hating . . . well, everything.”

Callie’s face changed, as though just remembering something. “That reminds me, you need to talk to Eclipse. He thinks you hate him.”

Wade’s heart skipped. “What? Why?” She gave him a look and he flinched. “Oh. Right.”

“He’s been really upset about it.”

“I never blamed him for this. But I’ll talk to him. Make sure he knows he’s still my little buddy.”

“Good.”

Silence settled, this time more comfortable than before, and Wade was again struck with the urge to kiss her. He shouldn’t, he wasn’t human, it would be weird, so weird, but holy crap was it hard to stop himself from imagining just reaching forward and grabbing her shoulders, pulling her to him and pressing their lips together--

Which is exactly what Callie did. She cupped his face instead of his shoulders, but she brought him to her before he could register what was happening, and pressed her lips against his. He froze for a few seconds before kissing her back, and it was nice, so nice, so absolutely wonderful to feel her, to smell her, to wrap his hands around her waist to pull her against him.

This kiss was new and familiar, strange and wonderful, weird and oh-so-needed.

And when it was over, they pulled apart, wiping at yet more tears that had fallen. Callie took his head in her hands, locking their eyes together.

“I love you, Wade Whipple,” she whispered, and planted another kiss on his forehead. “No matter what you look like. Never doubt that for a second.”

Wade smiled, thumbing the tears from her cheeks. “I love you, Callie MacPherson. And I always will.”

They shared another kiss before Callie stood, pulling him up next to her.

“C’mon, ya gremlin,” she said, leading him into the hallway by the hand. “I have a phone call to make. There are a couple kids who would love to see you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Wade said, a smile on his lips and warmth in his heart.

Maybe things were going to be okay after all.

~~~~~

Ugh, you don’t know how long I agonized over adding that kiss. Like, is that too weird? They’re both sentient, consenting adults, and it’s not like they were making out or anything, but would that freak people out?

Then I thought “Who cares, it’s my story and they would totally kiss after going through his very emotional moment, because they love each other so very much” and left it in. The end.

Oh, and in typical Mama Q fashion, I already have ideas for Wade’s talk with Eclipse. That might come later.

Curse you and your Darkling Wade brainrot, @stillafanofsonic and @doomfox! CURSE YOU!!!

~~~

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#my writing #qwertyverse #darkling wade #eclipse the darkling #silver the hedgehog #callie macpherson #sonic fanfiction #wade whipple #sonic the hedgehog fanfiction

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