I'm sorry. I do it all for your safety and happiness, but, I can't let you know.

I wish I could tell you to your face how much I've always loved you. From the second that I ran into you on Little Planet, I always admired how happy and cheerful you were. Then, when I ran into you in Station Square, all grown up into the stunning young lady you've become, it was over; I fell for you. Hard. But, back then, what with all the talk about wanting to marry me, I was scared of you. Really scared. But, we both have grown up since then; not just physically, but, mentally, too. I wish I could just tell you, but, I can't. For your safety, I can't let you know.

It's been over 20 years since that whole Little Planet thing, though, and I look at you in a very different way, now. You're not just some stalker fangirl. You're madly in love with me, and for all the right reasons: You love the kind of person I am instead of just the hero status I have, and I've always admired you for that. I don't know why you still love me after all the shit I've put you through, but, for some reason, you still only have eyes for me. You've always been there with me through all the good times and all the bad, and because of it, I obsess over you almost as much as you obsess over me. I wish I could repay you in the ways you dream about, but, regretfully, I can't let you know.

If you saved my life as much as I've saved yours, I guess I'd obsess over you, too. The names they call you: 'Crazy'. 'Insane'. A 'stalker'. A 'fangirl'. It pisses me off to no end. I've stopped counting how many times I've had to hold myself back from going apeshit on people who talk about you like that. That's how I know I love you. To death. Always have, always will. But, still, I can't let you know.

You have to see the side of me that 'wants to be free'. The side of me that 'loves to run'. The side that only wants to be your friend. It's a lie. All of it. I wanna be more. Much more. I wanna be able to love you like the beautiful Rose that you are. But, I can't tell you that; I can't let you know.

If you saw the true side of me...it'd be the death of us both. I'd always have to worry about that fat bastard, Egghead using you just to get to me. Hell, he already did, back on the ARK. When I saw him pointing that gun at your head, it took everything in me not to run over there and crack his damn skull, and he'd come for you again and again if he had the slightest hint that I care for you as much as I really do. I can't give him the chance; I can't let you know.

It wouldn't just be him. Hell, everyone that sees me as a threat to their master world-domination plan would see you as the key to getting rid of me. We've battled forces way bigger than Eggman; Chaos, that Biolizard freak, Metal Sonic, the Black Arms, Eggman Nega, the list goes on. Some evil...something will see you as my weakness and seek you out. For both our sakes, I can't let that happen. I can't let you know.

It's not because I'm afraid of giving my life to protect you. I'd do that every day of the week, and twice on Sundays. I can't let you be with me because of what my death would do to you. It'd only be a matter of time before something breaks us up. For good. Plus, I'm also scared of losing you forever. I'd rather take the chance of losing you as the love of my life than to take the chance of losing you permanently. I can't let you know.

It's not just our enemies, either. It's funny how many people I call 'friend': Knuckles, Sticks, Espio, Charmy, Vector, Cream, Big, Shadow, Rouge...NONE of them know. Not one of them. Not even Tails. Tails is basically my little brother; we tell each other everything. Everything. The only thing I haven't told him about is how much I care about you. We have too many mutual friends for me to tell anyone about how I truly feel about you; no doubt that the word would spread, and Eggman would find out sooner or later. I can't let them accidentally put the most gorgeous Rose I've ever known in danger. I can't let them know, either.

So, I have to put up the facade and the wall and the fortress so that you think I'm scared of you, or don't like you, or think that you're creeping me out, and it's all bullshit. I lie to you every second, every minute and every hour that I look at you. I know that I hurt you with every running step I take away from you when you chase me like the strong-willed young woman you've become, but, I can't let you catch me, though. I can't let you get hurt. I can't let you know.

I wish I could tell you the words, "I love you, too, Amy". I wish I could take you to Twinkle Park for a date like you always wanted (I checked: cute couples still get in free). I wish that I didn't have to run away from you whenever you start getting 'too close' to me. I wish I could hug you back while you BEAR-hug me to death. I wish that you would smother me from head to toe with your kisses, your hugs and your love. I wish that we could be together, not just as best friends, but, as lovers. But, for your safety, that can't happen. I can't let you know.

When I sleep at night, I dream about doing things both WITH you and TO you all the time: Talking to you, walking with you, training with you, calling you, telling you that I've always loved you, kissing you, hugging you, making out with you, holding you, squeezing you, touching you, feeling you, exploring you, devouring you, burying myself in you, making you moan my name in sexual bliss, marrying you, having kids with you, growing old with you...I dream of doing it all (and so much more) with you, and only you. You deserve it all, too, because you've always been so damn good to me, but, I can't give it to you. Not because I don't want to, but because of what will happen BEFORE I can give it all to you. I can't lose you forever. I can't let you know.

I love you to death. I'd kill over you. I'd die for you. But, I love you too much to let someone hurt you. Maybe if Eggman finally croaks, and the world can police itself (for once), We can settle down together and have the life you've always begged me for, but, in the meantime, I have to keep you safe. No matter how much it hurts the both of us, no matter how much I drive you crazy, and no matter what regrets I have, I have to protect you, for both my sake, and yours.

I'm sorry. I do it all for your safety and happiness, but, I can't let you know.

I'm actually pretty proud of how this [my first fanfiction, EVER] turned out. A very good friend of mine helped me realize that since I'm starting off as a writer, it'd be better to test myself with some one-shots and see if I'm capable of writing a good CHAPTER, before I get ahead of myself trying to write a good STORY.

I'd like to give a special shout-out TO said friend, for her encouragement and wisdom. Her FF name is "Pamf"-check her out when you get a chance.

Also, please feel free to let me know what you think of my first creation. Fair warning, though: flames will be hunted and exterminated by my army of super-intelligent robots. x)

Thanks for reading [and reviewing],

Michael Anonymous.