Disclaimer- I don't own Sonic and co.

Uh...let's just pretend it's still Sonic's birthday. I tried to get it out on time. I really did.

The sudden bright light was blinding, considering the time he'd spent in darkness.

Sonic blinked his eyes to adjust, them widening to their fullest at vibrant green hills and a clear blue sky. A gentle breeze caressed his face, the rays from the high sun above warming him up.

Shocked emerald irises absorbed the landscape before settling on the tabletop in front of him. He was sitting at a table decorated with balloons, party hats, and confetti that had miraculously not floated off in the wind.

Resting in the center of the colorful surface was a large cake with blue icing, inviting him to take a slice and just go to town. There was intricate writing on the dessert that said-

"Happy birthday!"

Sonic nearly jumped out of his skin at the boisterous shouts behind him. He peered over his shoulder, and his breath caught in his throat.

Everyone was there. Tails was beaming at him, holding up a tattered blindfold, Knuckles was standing beside him with a wide grin, Amy was there giggling, and the Chaotix were cheering along with Cream and Vanilla, and even Rouge and Shadow and Silver and Blaze were there and…

Sonic felt his heart swell in his chest without his permission. His voice was shakier than he ever remembered. "Guys…You…"

"Remembered?" Tails snickered as he tossed the blindfold off to the side, giving Sonic a hug that he couldn't help but to lean into. It was over too quickly as the kit went over and donned a party hat. "Of course we remembered! What do you take us for?"

Sonic barely got his voice to work, watching as the rest of his friends gathered around the table. Some put on the hats, and some bypassed them altogether to claim seats. "I just…"

"Okay, yeah." Knuckles took the spot beside him, adjusting his hat. "I know you're probably surprised because some people took more convincing than others." His glance over at Shadow wasn't missed, and the striped hedgehog rolled his eyes as he ignored the hats. "But everyone showed up!"

"Yep!" Amy chirped as she settled. "I wouldn't miss it for the world!" She gestured to the delicious looking cake. "Now you better cut a slice before I get the first piece! It looks great!"

Vector held his nose high. "I picked out the best one available! Y'all are lucky that I didn't decide to save a buck!"

"But you did!" Charmy opposed, hovering around. "Espio had to convince you that - mmff!" Vector covered the bee's mouth with a twitching smile, and Espio simply shook his head in jest.

Sonic cracked a smile, it feeling foreign on his muzzle. He didn't care though because they were here. They were with him; he was with them.

"But seriously though." Silver was eyeing the cake, visibly trying to hold himself back. "It'll literally take a second to cut a piece myself, so you better get to slicing, Sonic!"

Blaze sighed, though her small grin didn't completely fade. "And I thought you had more self-control than that, Silver."

"I do! It's just...cake!"

Rouge's chuckle was audible. "I understand that completely. Cake is the one thing I won't count calories for."

Shadow scoffed. "And ice cream, and brownies, and cookies, and-"

"No one asked you, mister."

"That's partially why I brought it up."

Sonic was silent watching all of their interactions, yearning to be part of them again. Every fiber within him ached. Oh did he ache.

"Mr. Sonic?" Cream's voice snapped him out of his painful thoughts, and Sonic looked over to see both the bunny and Cheese gazing at him quizzically. "Are you alright?"

Sonic hesitated to answer. It didn't matter if he lied or not. "Yeah, I...I'm fine."

"Are you sure, Sonic?" Tails — everyone — was frowning at him now, their concern nearly palpable. Smothering.

Though his mouth felt like cotton, he managed to swallow anyway. "I'll just...get to cutting the cake, yeah?" He didn't like the way they looked at him. He wanted the smiles back. He needed them to last so he could remember what they looked like. Remember what happiness sounded like.

Sonic reached for the blunt knife beside the cake with one hand, but one couldn't go without the other. He stared down at his wrists, them frozen midair and refusing to separate.

Sonic attempted to tug them apart, but it was like they were tied together by invisible rope. Desperation set in as he tried harder to peel his wrists apart. He needed everyone to be happy, he needed to get the first piece, he needed to eat because he didn't know the next time he'd be given the chance-!

"Sonic, calm down!" Sonic only realized that he was panting when Tails covered his hands with his own. The kit looks down at the parts of his wrist that had been rubbed raw, both new and old. "I can just do it for you. Is that okay?"

The blue hedgehog shook his head, wrists still straining under the fox's hold. "No, I just...I just want all of you to be happy…" But he knew they weren't because he'd been a failure. He had lost when it had counted, and who knew what they were doing right now. How they were doing. If they weren't already dea...

No, he shouldn't think like that. Things were alright. Everyone was alive and fighting without him. They had to be.

Tails shared a worried glance with everyone else before smiling at him once more. "Of course we're happy, Sonic! You're with us, so why wouldn't we be?"

But I'm not. I'm here, and you're…

When the green hills, clear sky, and familiar faces dissolved into nothing but fleeting memories, Sonic fought hard to keep himself together.

The hedgehog couldn't control the everlasting shivering as he gritted his teeth, fingers clenched in a way that was borderline painful.

He felt the eyes on him, the eyes gazing through metal bars to observe his unkempt form. Sonic ignored them, focused more on not giving the other the satisfaction of breaking him.

Having a cell constantly damp at freezing temperatures, having water whenever the wardens felt like it, and having food even less often with a fast metabolism that makes every day torture would eventually get to people.

Sonic was going to fight to his last breath to prolong that eventually.

His groan unconsciously escaped his throat when he felt a hunger pang, his stomach making itself known with an unhappy gurgle. Sonic sucked in a breath at the emptiness within him, at the pain of his stomach trying to digest itself.

Sonic wrapped his arms around his torso and refused to acknowledge the other's existence. Though, that didn't prevent that grating voice from reaching his ears.

"The doctor informed me that it was your birthday." Sonic withheld a flinch when a sharp noise echoed around his cell. "Here's your meal a day early."

A day early meant nothing if he'd been starving for weeks at a time.

Sonic lifted his head and saw the tray of unidentifiable slop sitting at his feet. He almost gagged looking at it, but it being his only source of energy had forced him to get used to the rancid smell and lumpy texture.

"How nice…" Sonic rasped, finally meeting the one-eyed gaze. That single yellow iris was trained on him, laughing, taunting, reminding him that he had lost. He was too tired to smirk. "You gave me the one thing I need to keep kicking; the one thing you need to keep rubbing all of this in my face. How thoughtful."

The other didn't move, and Sonic hated that mask because he couldn't determine any emotions. Also, he wouldn't be able to get a direct punch to the face either if...when given the chance.

"Do you want to die then, savior?" Sonic's breath stuttered at that question. "Because I can easily take our one generosity away from you."

The blue hedgehog exhaled heavily, it trembling like his cold and matted body. "Well, since it's my birthday and all, could you at least let me eat in peace? Or is that too much to ask?"

Apparently it was, for the masked one kept going like he hadn't spoken. "It would not make an ounce of difference if you died here." A clawed hand wrapped around one of the bars, and he leaned in closer. "The doctor would get over it, and your acquaintances already believe that you're dead."

No one's coming for you.

The other readjusted his mask, two red cubes fading into existence beside him. "So what's keeping me from killing you right now?"

Sonic's glare was laughably weak he knew, but it was the only thing he could do. "If you do, you won't have anyone to monologue to."

The fiend hummed, his bushy tail flicking behind him. "True." That yellow eye roamed his bound body. "And seeing you deteriorate into nothing is an added bonus."

Sonic resisted the urge to cough as his stomach grew angrier. "I'm glad you're liking the show." Why couldn't he just leave? "But don't you have anything better to do than watch me eat like a weirdo?" Just go.

The masked one tiled his head at him as the red cubes disappeared. The clawed hand let go of the bar and went up to his ear. Sonic heard a mumbling voice, but he couldn't decipher it. He had a good guess to who it was though.

"Tell Egghead I said hi," Sonic called out; he wasn't as loud as he wanted because his throat was dry as sandpaper.

The other disregarded his words altogether. After a moment, he lowered his hand. "Looks like I'm needed. I have a chance to thin out this so-called 'resistance'" He took a step away from the cell, and Sonic desired to reach out to him, to keep him from going after his friends, to let them live happily without being subjected to this or worse.

But the thing was, Sonic had no idea if they already were.

"Enjoy your gift."

Sonic couldn't do anything as he walked off, his arms and feet bound together by glowing restraints that sapped his energy, drive, sanity, freedom…

He choked back a sob because he couldn't let them hear.

Sonic swallowed as he shakily positioned himself on his raw knees, the metallic floor not being easy on them.

His quills felt heavy as he bent down, ignoring the intense disgust that traveled to his core. He went to take a bite, but the tray disappeared from right under him.

Sonic didn't stop his forehead from colliding with the cold floor, the sharp pain nothing compared to the crushing disappointment and the uncomfortable twist in his gut.

He screwed his eyes shut. Even though there was nothing in his system, he fought the urge to throw up.

He'd been in here for too long.

Way too long.

Happy birthday to me.

Everyone was quiet today, and Gadget didn't know what to make of it.

He noticed as soon as he had gotten up that the atmosphere around the base was...off. The wolf wasn't the only one who confused by it, the rest of the recruits unable to answer the question of why.

They had jobs to do though, so they split off from their cabins, the wolf heading toward the main room of the base.

Entering it, the only core member who caught his arrival was Silver. The hedgehog gave a curt wave, and Gadget returned the gesture. He approached the psychic, his footsteps and whirling of machinery the only noises in the room.

Knuckles had his back to him, looking up at a massive map that Amy was controlling with her fingers. Gadget could tell the echidna was tense even from behind, and he frowned when he realized that the pinkette's eyes were glossier than normal.

Vector, Espio, and Charmy were on the other side of the room, looking on as the other two worked. They were somber. Yes, Gadget knew a crises like this wouldn't draw out many positive feelings, but even Charmy was…

Gadget barely managed to open his mouth before Silver's stare filled with so many clashing emotions took his breath away.

"It's…" Silver's whisper was so low that the wolf strained to hear. "It's best not to ask."

Gadget wasn't sure if he wanted to be in the loop anymore. "You know what's going on?" he questioned just as lowly, but he couldn't help to feel like his voice thundered around the space.

Silver nodded, and Gadget waited for the explanation. It never came. Silver has stopped paying attention to him, lost in his thoughts.

Gadget furrowed his brow; he took the other's advice though and dropped the subject. If he was meant to know, they would tell him.

He glanced around the occupied room once more, wanting the break the heavy silence but hesitant to do so. He felt like he was intruding on something; however, at the same time, war didn't care about awkward silences or the lack of explanations.

Gadget stepped forward until he was a respectable distance away from Knuckles, who hadn't responded to his presence yet. He felt multiple pairs of eyes on him.

The wolf adjusted his glasses, steeling himself. "Is there anything I could do right now, Commander?"

"I told you not to call me that." Knuckles sighed out, giving Gadget a pointed look over his shoulder. The wolf hastily apologized as the echidna refocused in the screen. "You're on stand-by for now. I've already sent Blaze and her team out early for supplies."

A befuddled frown grew on his muzzle. He had signed up for that mission. "Wasn't I supposed to be-"

"Yeah, you were, but I figured that you needed the rest after the surprise attack on the squad you were on last night."

Gadget absently rubbed the bandages around his torso. He barely felt the gash anymore, Cream's stitching holding it together nicely. "I...Thanks."

Knuckles locked eyes with him again and nodded.

It was quiet again. The wolf fidgeted in his spot for a moment before deciding to head back to his room. However, Amy's soft voice made him pause. "I'll be right back, Knuckles. I'm going to show him."

Surprise etched in Gadget's features at the unexpected statement. What was she going to show him? He was about to voice the question, but Amy and Knuckles were interlocked in a silent conversation. Green and purple irises were communicating, and there was no chance of him understanding.

Gadget glimpsed behind for some help. The Chaotix were engaged in a hushed conversation of their own, and Silver just sent a small smile.

"Alright." Gadget whipped his head back around when Knuckles conceded. The echidna spared him a fleeting glance before taking Amy's spot, fingers gliding across the map. "Just hurry and come back because I want to plan a reconnaissance mission and everyone should pitch in."

"Where do you have in mind?" Espio queried.

"Have no clue." Gadget just now noticed how tired Knuckles' eyes were. But then again, who wasn't exhausted from long nights, stress, and endless fighting? "That's why I want everyone's opinion."

"Want me to fetch Dawn and Lake?" Silver proposed. It was a good idea. Although they were the newest recruits, their history in the depleting police force helped with these kinds of things.

"Yeah, grab them if they aren't busy."

Silver flew out of the room the next second, and even though Gadget had been around for while, the use of telekinesis was still nothing short of amazing.

A pat on his arm broke him out of his reverie. Amy gave a half-smile. "Come on, you heard him." They strolled out of the room, and Gadget was on her heels. There was muffled conversation when they left, but he couldn't make it out.

If Amy noticed, she didn't care.

It was silent as they traversed the base, and it wasn't long before Gadget realized that they were heading toward the bedrooms.

The duo had passed Silver, a cheetah, and a rhino along the way. Amy waved at the two former officers and addressed Silver with an ambiguous, "It's definitely on."

Silver understood what she meant if his relieved expression was anything to go by, and Gadget wondered if there was a secret friend code he was missing out on. "Yeah, I figured."

The cheetah, Lake, rose his brow curiously at Gadget, but he had no other answer but a shrug.

Amy led Gadget on. By then, he was inquisitive enough to ask, "Whose room are we going to?"

"Mine." Before the wolf could question that even more, Amy slowed down a bit so they were walking side-by-side. She looked up at him, her greens dull yet keen. "You're...a big fan of Sonic's, right?"

Gadget didn't know how to answer at first, confused to why this topic was brought up out of nowhere. "Who wasn't?" he eventually answered because yeah, he had admired the hedgehog's spunk and tenacity. All he ever heard and seen of Sonic was taking every challenge head on with a sure smile, like he knew the outcome to every fight.

Then, it was a shock to the system to be told that Sonic lost his life fighting for what he believed in: freedom and peace.

He never had gotten to meet him, so he was sure his death had devastated his friends.

He knew that they were still dealing with the aftershocks. Eggman's forces were hitting hard, people on the outside were getting targeted, and Tails — Sonic's right hand — was nowhere to be found.

Gadget's train of thought derailed when Amy looked away, biting her lip. The wolf mentally rewound what he said and chastised himself for not thinking. Obviously, not everyone had been a fan of Sonic.

"Sorry," he fought to bring her mood back up, though it hadn't been very high in the first place. "I should've-"

"No no, I just…" Amy took a deep breath, and she had regathered herself somewhat. She tried to smile again; it fell short. "Th-The reason I was asking because you know enough about him to…" She paused in her stride, making Gadget do the same. "It makes sense to not mourn him too much, right? Like even though it feels like a hole had been ripped out of my chest, he would want us to be happy?"

Gadget did not know Sonic enough to answer in confidence, but from everything that he's seen, he had a good guess. "He cared a lot about you all, I know for sure. So, I believe that he would've wanted you as happy as you could be." He rubbed his arm, venturing, "What...brought this on?"

Amy managed to smile this time, and Gadget felt better, despite not exactly knowing what he'd done. "Let's just go. It'll all make sense in a bit."

She continued walking, and he fell into step beside her. The base wasn't big, so they reached the pinkette's room within the minute.

They entered, and Gadget zeroed in on the two empty beds packed in the room. Cream and Vanilla must be already in the infirmary. Amy shuffled between her and Cream's beds to reach a dresser by the wall.

She gestured him to get closer, and he peered over her shoulder, it being not enough room to stand at her side.

His breath caught in his throat when she pulled out a drawer, revealing a half empty packet of colorful balloons, blue streamers, and a couple of unused candles. They were worse-for-wear, but still very usable.

And it was the use for them that got everything to click.

Air was sucked out of his lungs like someone had stomped on his chest. "It's his birthday today?" The words felt heavy on his tongue.

Amy shifted through the stuff, a shallow sniff escaping her. "Yeah, this was all I managed to gather, but it's more than enough."

Gadget was speechless. It was Sonic's birthday, and they still were engaged in a raging war.

"Sorry that it was all weird when you walked in earlier," Amy said sincerely, rolling a balloon between her fingers. "It's just that Knuckles didn't want to celebrate it, and we got into a little argument."

"He was against it?" Gadget couldn't fathom why. It would be in remembrance of Sonic, and it didn't matter if there was the possibility of an attack, the absence of peace, the constant threat hanging over their heads-

Wait…

His hesitation must've shown on his face, for Amy sighed. "You're probably thinking about all of the things Knuckles told me. I know the timing's wrong and that having a party isn't the best, but just letting the day pass just feels wrong. And...And we don't know when we'll get the chance to celebrate it." Her voice was wavering. "Knuckles probably won't stop us now if we put something together…"

Amy picked up the streamers with trembling fingers, and Gadget's stomach sunk at the sob that bubbled up out of her. She curled the decorations in her hands and let the tears flow.

"H-He would've loved meeting you, and e-everybody else. He…"

Gadget stood there awkwardly, unsure on what to do to calm her down. He did the first thing that came to mind, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. The wolf was stunned when she turned around and hugged him tightly, but he didn't fight her.

He returned the embrace as she cried against his chest. Her words were barely comprehensible. "I-I miss him s-so much!"

Gadget held her tighter, knowing that she needed this. They all did. Comfort. Security. They've been fighting for so long now, and well, a party might be the thing that got them through this.

And eventually, they would win this war.

That was the only present they could give to Sonic — to the world — and they were going to fight their damnedest to send it gift-wrapped.

Idk what this was, maybe a slice of life one-shot? Anyway, I wanted to get something out for Sonic's bday, and at first I was going to write something happy and cute. But then the question 'was it possible for Sonic to be trapped in space on his birthday?' popped in my head, and the rest was history.

And I wanted to try writing Gadget, since I haven't before.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Happy birthday Sonic! Sorry about what I did to you, buddy.