If you haven't read Stop and Listen, then I recommend that you do. You're not going to be majorly confused if you don't read it, but this chapter does have spoilers. It's a one-shot so it doesn't take more than five minutes to read.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic or Knuckles. They belong to Sega.

1.

A Decision Made

"Are you sure you wanna do it?" Knuckles inquired.

"Positive," answered Sonic. He lay back against the steps leading up to the master emerald, tucked his hands behind his head and crossed one leg over the other. A warm breeze played in the hedgehog's hair and he closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling.

"I mean, you've been with her for two years," Knuckles continued. "You can't just break off the relationship just because you're twenty and she's seventeen! That's just stupid! What about your feelings? What about the love?" He stared up at the stars on the dark sky, completely oblivious to Sonic's now-open left eye scrutinizing him.

Sonic burst out laughing. "Spending all your time with Rouge?" he teased." Knuckie?" Sonic made kissy-lips at him.

"Shut up! I didn't mean that last part! I just, um, wanted to see what you would say," he finished lamely." I'm not in love with Batty!" His muzzle turned pink as he noticed his slip.

Sonic laughed even harder. "Batty?"

Knuckles's eye twitched. "Shut up or I'll make you!" He stood threateningly and waved his gloved fist in the air.

"Cool down Knuckles, I was just teasing. Admit it, you like Rouge." Sonic snickered and looked up at Knuckles.

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

They glared at each other, but Sonic was having a hard time keeping a straight face. A cricket chirped in the distance and Sonic burst into laughter again.

"What now?"

"I'm sorry. I just can't help it!" He wiped a tear from his eye.

"Anyway, we were talking about your breakup with Amy. Is it really just because of age difference?" He stared at a flower by his foot.

Sonic immediately went back to seriousness. "Well, not so much about age, though it's part of it. She's seventeen and I'm twenty."

"And? It ain't much of an age difference, if you ask me."

"I'm an adult and she's not."

"What about when you were eighteen and she was fifteen? You weren't complaining then. Actually, that was when you asked her out."

Sonic frowned. "That's different. We were both teenagers. Now, I'm an adult and she's still a teen."

She won't be a teen anymore in three years. And by that time, you can get married and have lots of babies." Knuckles raised his eyebrows at his speedy friend. Where all this lovey-dovey, mushy talk was coming from, he honestly had no clue.

The Blue Blur, however, didn't even bat an eyelash. "Marriage and babies? Ha! Knuckles, I don't even think that kind of life is for me. I'm a free-like-the-wind type of guy! Besides, like you said, it's in three years." He glanced at the pacing Knuckles.

"So?"

"It's a long time."

Knuckles sighed. "What are your other reasons?"

"I'm beginning to notice that she's attaching herself too much to me. She wants to spend all of her time with me." Sonic stared into the distant trees.
"Isn't that the point of being in a relationship?"

"How would you know?"

"Don't start. Amy is a special girl. She cares about you. She's sweet, funny and she has a delicious talent for cooking." He sat down next to Sonic.
"Sounds as if you were in love with Amy."

"You know I think of her as a sister. A sister that I don't want to see get hurt. Especially by you. To tell you the truth, I never thought you were good enough for her. You're too cocky, arrogant and self-centered."

Sonic wasn't bothered by Knuckles' comments. "That's another thing. I'm not the right guy for her. She deserves someone who would be a better fit for her than I am. Someone who can take her on long, romantic dates, spend a lot of time with her without having reporters buzzing around like flies, ya know? I'm a famous celebrity, I have duties to attend to and the world to save. I don't really have time for romance. I don't want to see her get hurt as much as you don't."

"And there you go, proving the point I just made! Cocky and arrogant! If only Amy would focus on those aspects of you. She's going to get hurt anyway when you break up with her," Knuckles objected. "Whether I like it or not, that girl loves you. And you just remember what I told you when you started dating her. If she sheds one tear for you, ONE TEAR," Knuckles held up a fist. "I'll come beat the shit out of you."He crushed the boulder next to him for emphasis.

"I remember perfectly well, Knuckles. Like I said, I don't want to see her get hurt. I don't love her back. I like her, but I don't love her.

Knuckles shook his head. "You're lying to yourself again, Sonic. Just like when you were fifteen and didn't want to accept it. I see the way you look at her. Besides, why would you go out with her if you didn't love her?"

Sonic pondered that for a moment. He was right. He was acting like his fifteen-year-old self. But he was pretty sure that he didn't love Amy. "You see those roses over there?" He pointed to a rosebush a few feet away from them. "Every rose has its thorn. Amy is very pretty, well, actually she's beautiful, but her temper hasn't exactly disappeared over the years. She still carries around that silly hammer and she is very jealous. I can't even look at a girl without having her accusing me of checking out other girls."

"Hm, that's pretty tough. But I still think those are lame excuses. "He flung a pebble into the rosebush."Remember all the times you had with her? Your twentieth birthday? She made you a delicious cake and chili dogs. You ate all of them, you hog. Then, she gave you a massage and you slept peacefully. She loves you. You love her. It's perfect."

Sonic thought about it. He remembered four years ago when Amy had come to him, saying it was okay if he only wanted to be friends with her and felt nothing towards her at all. He remembered feeling extremely nervous, then accidentally blurting out that he did, in fact, like her. Then he had held her tenderly against him. He recalled with annoyance the paparazzi that had snapped a picture of them at that exact moment. It had been on the paper for months. He finally remembered when he asked her to be his girlfriend two years ago. "Beautiful memories that will stay with me for the duration of my lifetime."

Knuckles then turned looked Sonic dead in the eye and said, "Sonic, think for once in your life about your decisions before rushing to do them. Is this really what you want, or are you just running away from yourself again? Do you want to be 'free', as you put it, or are you scared of commitment? Scared of having true, serious feelings for someone instead of acknowledging them? Are you sure you're not scared of changing your life from the way it is now? Are you sure not being with Amy is the kind of freedom that you want?"

"I am a world-known hero, Knuckles. I'm afraid of very few things in this world, or any. I'm a free hedgehog, I can do what I want. Thanks for the advice, Knuckie, but it's not going to change my mind."

Knuckles shrugged. "Well, I can see that your mind is made up. You'll learn from your own mistakes, eventually."

Sonic shook his head. "This ain't no mistake, trust me. Huh, Knuckie, who knew you could give pretty good advice?"

"Stop calling me that. I have hidden talents you couldn't even dream of."

"Really?" Sonic raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Well, I'm off. I have a hard day tomorrow. Wish me luck." He stood up and brushed the dirt off his bottom.

"Good luck, idiot. I really hope you don't end up regretting your choice."

Sonic laughed and sped off, Knuckles' last words still ringing in his ears.

Thanks for reading!