This cannot be happening.

I cannot believe this is happening.

Where the hell is she!

Sonic found himself running faster than he ever had in his life. Usually he was carefree even in the face of danger, but not now. Now he found himself tormented by his thoughts and racing in his despair to find her. It was all because of Amy Rose.

As he accelerated through the city, Sonic's mind raced through what had occurred over the past few months. Amy had always chased him and she adamantly said nothing could keep her from their destiny together. Sonic thought this fate could never change, though most of the time he wanted it to. Until he noticed his doting obsessor had found something else to preoccupy her time. At first no thought was given to it- he enjoyed the weeks of freedom from her overbearing presence. Until he realized he started to miss it, but only a little and mostly because of the lack of attention.

Then he found out what had indeed preoccupied her- it was him. At some point Shadow had confessed his love to the pink hedgehog, and though she hadn't consented to being his, their friendship had started to bloom into something more. That was quite obvious to Sonic when he saw the two quite content sitting together in the park, paying no mind to anything or anyone around them. It was okay- after all- they were good friends. Amy needed someone besides Sonic to fill her demanding need for affection, and Shadow needed someone to talk to that would listen to his problems. As far as Sonic was concerned that was all they could ever give to each other. Amy would never forget her crush, and Shadow could never really love someone. The guy never showed much in emotions and there was no way his perky, happy Amy could find love in an indifferent, calloused Shadow.

Then the morning came when everything about that idea changed.

When Knuckles happened to mention their friendship was no friendship but in fact a very serious and about to be extremely committed relationship, Sonic knew he had to do something.

As he ran through the city streets, his thoughts scanned the memories of that morning, tying to gather any additional information on the pink hedgehog's whereabouts…

Sonic was at Knuckles and Rouges home on the floating island, stopping by for a visit with his guardian friend. While they casually talked, Sonic noticed a mouth watering smell wafting in from the kitchen.

"WOW! When did Rouge learn how to cook!" Sonic demanded, sniffing at the air.

"Oh, it's the same simple meals we always eat, but Shadow brought that over yesterday."

"Shadow can cook? Now I know you're lying!" Sonic said with a look of disbelief.

"Serious! Since him and Amy started dating, he's really gotten into making tons of stuff! In fact, when the two came over yesterday-"

Sonic felt a sting in his gut. They really were dating. It wasn't just a misunderstood suggestion. It was now a fact and the idea of Amy being with someone else put a tinge on his appetite that the wonderful smells had encouraged.

"-Shadow made extra for all of us. We wanted to ask you to come, but it's never easy to get a hold of you. With you always on the move and all…"

"Heh, yeah." Sonic responded with a little less gusto than usual. He was not enjoying where this conversation had headed, but he needed to know what had been going on- just to satisfy his curiosity. After all, he did care for Amy and someone else dating his crusher was not acceptable.

But the worst was yet to come.

Knuckles face got serious. "Sonic, you would not believe how much those two have changed. Amy is actually calm and not as much of a spaz as she used to be. And Shadow- that guy did a huge 360! He talks, and I don't mean as in 'yes', 'no', 'chaos control'. We have conversations. He isn't so hostile all the time where you'd want to avoid him. I actually like it when the guy shows up at the door! In fact I'd say he's become a pretty good friend, all in all. The best part is he actually seems genuinely happy with her. Seeing as he's gonna take it all the way today-"

Sonic thought his mind had run out the door without him.

"WHAT!"

Knuckles was completely shocked by Sonic's overreaction. Everyone thought he could care less about Amy being with anyone else, seeing as he never wanted her. After all, what guy shows his love by running from the girl that is trying to give him affection?

"Uh, you okay?"

Sonic faked a laugh, and his smile was a bit too harshly strained to cover the fact he found something wrong with what he had heard.

"HAHAHA! Yeah! Why would anything be wrong Knux? But yeah, I forgot I have to…. Well, I just gotta go. I have something REALLY IMPORTANT to deal with." He stammered with a rough stressed tone in his voice. "Check ya later buddy!"

After Sonic flew out the door faster than Knuckles had ever seen him move he looked to his confused girlfriend Rouge and said completely bewildered "What's gotten into him?"

Nothing. Nothing new he could think of to help him in his search.

'I have got to find her soon. It's the early evening and I have a bad feeling I'm running out of time.'

Sonic had run everywhere he could think of- her workplace, the park, the mall, everywhere but-'That's it! Her house! If she's not there I can at least wait for them to show up!' he finally thought to himself. He found his feet moved quickly over the various running surfaces faster and faster as he neared her home. He could almost feel her and for some reason, though it was just past midday, something was telling him to rush even faster.

When he finally arrived at her residence he didn't even bother to knock, dashing through the unlocked door into her home. 'How strange that Amy would leave the door unlocked.' he couldn't help but think, looking around the kitchen for some clue as to where she might be. He felt she was close and his finely tuned ears picked up some sounds coming from upstairs. Instantly speeding faster than he ever had in his life, Sonic flew up the stairs towards the source of the noise. He dashed to Amy's bedroom door, flying through the entryway so quickly that it was hard for even Sonic himself to judge objects before they came into view.

In the half second it took to cross the room Sonic felt his heart shatter.

There were Shadow and Amy Rose, under the sheets having intercourse. Sonic couldn't bear the fact the Amy's face showed the pleasure of their intimacy while it was Shadow over her, instead of himself, completely unaware of his rival's intrusion on their moment of rapture. Sonic grabbed Shadow and with all his strength hurled him at the wall, leaving Amy mortified at the site before her. She found herself grasping for the sheets to cover her body after the bedding and warmth of her lover were ripped away. Shadow was slammed hard into the wall leaving a full body indentation and shaking the whole houses' foundation.

"You fucking bastard! Who the hell do you think you are!" Sonic bellowed as Shadow recovered from his impact.

Shadow's eyes flashed to Amy checking to see that she was alright and sharply glared at Sonic. "I should be asking you that faker!"

"How DARE you! You had no right! Amy is MINE you son of a bitch and you KNEW it!" Sonic balked at the onyx and crimson hedgehog squatted before him.

Amy cried, "Sonic, NO!"

Shadow scoffed and gave Sonic a spiteful sneer "She was NEVER yours Sonic! Everyone knows that! YOU even made it clear yourself! She just needed to realize it too, and once she did, she moved on. She's happier here with me than she has ever been with you!"

Sonic felt all his blood rush to his head and, in a complete rage, roared as he launched himself at Shadow who quickly responded to the attack. A constant barrage of punches, jabs, kicks, and hits were aimed at each other, occasionally making their full impact. As the two males paused for a moment it was clear that neither was about to back down and most of the damage to each other was minor abrasions. Sonic wiped the blood from his chest and upper arm taking note of the gash in his bicep, as Shadow passed his arm over his forehead, removing the blood from his swelling eyebrow. Shadow touched his fingers to his lower lip checking for blood, and removed the last of it with the back of his hand in a thrust of his arm past his face to show his lack of appreciation for the encounter.

"Get out."

Sonic shifted to look behind him. Amy stood there utterly distraught, wrapped up in her sheets with her whole arm pointing to the door with a look of defiance emanating from her.

"but-"

"How DARE YOU! You had all this time to show me you loved me, but it's too late now Sonic! So- GET OUT NOW!" Amy screamed at him. He had never seen her upset like this before. But what hurt him the most was the lack of love for him in her eyes.

Sonic opened his mouth to say something but instead pulled his gaping jaw back into place. He slowly walked to the door with a look of remorse, but then turned back to say something before he left.

"Amy, I-"Sonic couldn't finish. He saw her anxiously looking to her lover with concern, checking over his cuts and bruises with her gaze. He could see in her eyes the emotions she carried for Shadow that at one time had been for him. Sonic hung his head and muttered almost incoherently "-I never meant for it to be this way."

Slowly Sonic walked out of the bedroom, and after a short pause, sped out of the house faster than when he had upon his arrival.

'It was never supposed to be like this.' He thought to himself in his own pity. The usual confidence and self- assurance was lost to him as he ran with no direction in mind except away from the scene of his distress. The internalized anger was then pressed outward as his thoughts raced over his recent crisis.

"Damnit! Amy Rose, I am NOT about to lose you!" he demanded to himself as his feet continued their haste to get away.

Amy meekly sat back onto the bed, where they had been so rudely interrupted, pulling herself into the middle of the mattress by the headboard. Shadow plumped himself onto the edge of the bed placing his head in his hands and heaved a deep sigh of disappointment. Amy looked to her lover with empathy and crawled across the bed to him. She placed one hand on his shoulder and pressed herself against him while she stroked his back quills with her fingers consolingly.

"It's ok Shadow."

Shadow looked to her in anguish, removing one of his hands and letting it fall to his side. "Every time I get a chance at happiness- it gets ripped away from me."

Amy pulled his face towards her to look directly at him and waited for his eyes to meet with hers.

"Shadow… I'm still here and you haven't lost me." She said softly and added with a mischievous smile and lowered eyelids in flirtation, "And I don't think you could, even if you wanted to at this point. So why don't we let all this go and get back to where we were?"

Shadow returned the look she had had given him with his even more seductive grin and leaned into her lips embrace once again. Amy's arms clasped around Shadow's neck as he grasped her body, and drew her firmly against him once more.

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PG13 version of this chapter is on DA (see my main page for the link)