Shadow looked at the Commander with a frown, feeling slightly insulted. "You want me to rescue, then guard, this.... Honey the Cat? She's a mechanic, what is her importance?" The Commander glared at him.

"Agent Shadow, this information is not required, you will find out later. Possibly." Shadow nodded curtly.

"Fine."

"Alright then, off you go. She's in one of Eggman's bases." Shadow gave the Commander one of his coldest looks.

"I am not a dumb robot Commander." And with that, he walked out.

***

Rouge grinned at him., "Cold words with the G.C. eh? Good for you." Shadow huffed and continued striding down the hallway. Rouge soared silently beside him. "So... who have you been assigned to? I'm supposed to spy on this dude called Fang the Weasel... or Nack." Shadow glanced at her, then replied.

"I have been assigned to Honey the Cat as a rescuer, then temporary protecter." Rouge winced sympathetically.

"I've heard she's only a mechanic.... and I don't really know whether or not she has any real talents." Shadow was now interested.

"Oh? I'd have expected you at least to know." The white bat chuckled.

"Thanks for the flattery, but she hasn't really turned up as an important figure before now." Shadow nodded. Some soldiers paused and saluted, he was superior in rank to them after all. He just nodded curtly, whereas Rouge decided it was necessary to flutter her eyelashes and wave at them. Then blow kisses. The two soldiers promptly fainted. Shadow gave her an incredulous look. "What?"

"Was that really necessary?"

"No, but you have to admit it was amusing." Shadow just shook his head with a small smile.

***

Shadow was bored as he blew up robots. "Same thing every day... blow up robots, rescue some girl for GUN... and of course... it's boring." The last robot blew up. Shadow dusted some metal off himself. "Yup, definitely boring." He could hear Eggman's crazed laughter, so he sped up a little. As soon as he burst through the door, Eggman cut off the laugh.

"Oh you're finally here Shadow."

"That laugh was completely fake."

"Yes it was." Said Eggman conversationally. Shadow sighed.

"You know I'm here to kick your butt right?"

"Yes."

"Then what are you going to do about it?" Eggman smiled, as if he'd been waiting years to tell Shadow what he was going to.

"I am going to have my robots blow you to bits, then I am going to incinerate you, then I am going to watch you regenerate and do it again." Shadow shook his head at this decleration.

"Alright, try it." Eggman sent in his robots, who were tossing bombs at him. Shadow disappeared. In three seconds, he'd destroyed them. After twenty minutes of destroying robots, he advanced towards Eggman, the mad doctor darted into an escape capsule. Shadow quickly opened the lock on the cage that the cat he assumed was Honey was in. "Get out of here to somewhere safe, and wait." Then he took of after the mad scientist. Running along thin walkways suspended high above lava was not something everyone would have done, he knew that some would have preferred to let the evil scientist go, rather than do that. But he had to try to get Eggman... he had to. Times like these were ones he just couldn't explain. He saw Eggman's escape capsule up ahead, suddenly hands pushed down on his shoulders, and the cat leapfrogged over him! She ran down the walkway, then delivered a downward kick to the capsule, sending it into the acid basins... but what really made Shadow pause was what she yelled.

"THIS IS SPARTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" As the escape pod hit the acid, a smaller escape pod within it shot out, with Eggman in it.

"I WILL HAVE REVENGE!"

"YOU CAN'T RUN FROM SPARTA!" Yelled Honey. Shadow stared at her. She looked at him. "Oh, sorry, too many movies you see." He shook his head.

"Where too now then?" She looked slightly incredulous.

"What do you mean what now then? I go home and you go off to whatever you're supposed to be doing... right?" Shadow shook his head, wishing he could.

"No, I'm supposed to act as a bodyguard to you for awhile." She looked confused.

"Why would I need a bodyguard?"

"I honestly don't know. Let's go then."

***

Shadow looked at Honey's house, it was small, but comfortable looking. What really caught his attention though, was the huge garage beside it, heck, it was taller than her house! He glanced at her, she caught the look. "Like it?" He made no reply. She rolled her eyes. "You know, if you're supposed to guard me I'd like to get to know a little more about you."

"My job is to guard you, I am not here for social interaction." Honey blew out a sigh of frustration. She was very pretty, she had black hair which fell around her face, not going too far past her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep navy blue. She had long white wings on her back, her fur was yellow except for the black tuft on her tail, and the white parts on her ears which had once looked like her star hat, which she'd worn behind them, but now had discarded. She wore black and red goggles with clear ice blue lenses, black sleeves with red straps near her shoulders to keep them on, a sleeveless tank top shirt which exposed her stomach, white gloves with red squares on the back, a red skirt with a black ring around the top, and a long bit of black cloth extending down to around her knees. Then she wore baggy leggings with a triangle of red at the top, then white bellow it with a black stripe which spread out slightly at the bottom, Her shoes were red, with two yellow squares at the heel, grey soles, and black stripes on the toe, the top of the toe, and a stripe which seemed to connect to the one on her leggings, it spread out to touch the stripe on the top of the toe of the shoe, and was shaped like an arrow.

"Alright guard boy, well if you want anything, let me know." Shadow's eye twitched at the "guard boy" nickname, but he didn't say anything. He just followed her inside, then stationed himself by the door. She looked at him then went to the kitchen. "Hey guard boy, you look either emo or gothic... I can't seem to place the style... which one would you be?" Shadow growled slightly.

"I would be neither."

"Well goody for you. Does my outfit look emo... or gothic?" Shadow glanced at her outfit, then shrugged.

"I would not know, seeing as I do not really look at such styles, but I think it does not." Honey smiled.

"Well that's nice. Seeing as it's almost night time now, you can sit on the porch if you want, there's a nice view of the sun setting." Shadow shrugged again and went outside. Honey started making dinner.

The sunset did look very beautiful. Honey's house was set in the middle of a forest at the end of a long, trailing road with two paths beside it. Pine trees surrounded it, and gave a lovely, fresh, smell to the area. Crows cawed, but it all seemed to form a harmony with the natural sounds. A river was nearby, and frogs too, dragonflies flitted through the shadows, and distantly, a wolf howled. It was all very strange... very... old, in the feel. The air seemed fresher, but that was probably because no gas was polluting it. Shadow watched the sun descend through the sky, and finally slip bellow the treetops, and the sky darken in it's wake, as the smell's of Honey's cooking started to weave their way into the evening smells of the forest. It had rained recently, because the air had the extra smell of greenery on it, and the paths and road were slightly muddy. "Hey, guard boy?" Called Honey, Shadow didn't even turn.

"What?"

"Well I was going to ask you if you wanted some stew, but now I'm not so sure, seeing as you're being so rude."

"What makes you think I need food?" He asked, before turning back to watching and listening for anything unusual. Honey snorted and went inside... then came back outside. "What do you want n..." She dumped the contents of a bowl over his head.

"Seeing as you didn't want stew, I figured you didn't want it in a bowl. Well it's not in a bowl now, it's in your fur, so you can lick it off yourself while I go eat my dinner out of a bowl, the way civilized people eat their food." And with that, the yellow cat went indoors, leaving a surprised Shadow to go to the river and clean himself, and get the beef chunks and carrot chunks off himself. He licked some of the mess off his arm before cleaning it, and was surprised that it actually tasted good. When he came back from washing himself, he found another bowl of stew, sending up a faint trail of steam into the air, sitting on the porch.

***

Shadow was walking around Honey's house, owls were hooting as his thoughts whirled around in a jumbled heap. Why had she dumped a bowl of stew over his head.... only to set out another one for him? He looked up at the sky, so full of stars, and decided that women were just weird that way. He chuckled as he thought of what Rouge would say to that. "So you actually laugh do you?" His head shot up sharply. Honey giggled. She was leaning out of her window, her nightgown was red, and more like a robe, there was a cloth belt tied around her waist, holding it closer. Shadow raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. "What were you laughing about?"

"It's none of your business." Honey sighed.

"You're not a man of many words are you?"

"No." Honey stared at him a moment longer, then tossed something at him, out of reflex, he caught it.

"Nice job with catching 'em. Anyway, those are the spare keys I have for the house and garage. If you're hungry just let yourself in, or if you want to store a car or motorcycle in the garage for as long as you stay here that's fine by me. Goodnight." And with that, she closed the window. Shadow decided then that women were even weirder than he'd first thought.

Honey yawned and stretched, then recoiled in shock as she was met with Shadow's red eyes... seemingly an angry shade of red, according to her. "Wh... what do you want?" She asked, trying to appear composed. Shadow just looked at her strangely, then shrugged.

"Someone is on the phone for you." Honey was surprised that Shadow would have answered the phone for her.

"Thank you." She headed downstairs. "Hello?"

"Honey! Who was that guy on the phone? He sounded hot." Honey grinned.

"Hey Amy! That was Shadow, he's been assigned to guard me by someone, I think." Amy's voice conveyed dismissal.

"Oh, that must have been GUN. They've been sending him on weird missions lately, but only to rescue girls, I don't fully understand it. Anyhow, Mina, Rouge, Blaze and I were going to go shopping today! We wondered if you wanted to join us? There's a shop with cool gadgets in it that Rouge wants to check out." Honey looked thoughtful, then shrugged.

"Alright, what time? I'll be there whenever."

"How about in thirty minutes?" After Amy had given Honey directions, the yellow cat raced upstairs and into her bedroom. Throwing the window open for fresh air, and drawing the curtains shut. Then she turned and was about to get changed for a shower when she noticed Shadow leaning in the doorway.

"What do you want now?" She asked, frowning slightly. Shadow shrugged.

"Do you want breakfast?" She blinked. Feeling slightly silly.

"Um.... no I'll buy it for us on the way. You should go get ready or something..."

"Where are we going?" He asked, frowning.

"To the mall, Amy invited me." Shadow raised an eyebrow.

"Only Amy is going to be there?"

"No, Rouge, Blaze and Mina are going to be there too. Why, is that a problem? They aren't assassins you know." Honey put her hands on her hips, and pursed her lips, making them thin lines of disapproval. Shadow smirked.

"No it isn't, especially seeing as Rouge is a friend of mine, and I've been assigned to protect Mina at a point." Honey blinked then raised an eyebrow.

"Really. Well go busy yourself somewhere else while I get ready." Shadow shrugged and left the room while she got ready. She didn't like washing her hair in a shower, or in a bath, so she had a shower first, then washed her hair over the side of the bathtub, in the way she liked. Toweling her hair dry, she looked at herself in the mirror. "Am I pretty?" She asked herself out loud, looking at herself. She'd never really cared about beauty at the level Mina or Rouge did, but she did have some vanity, liking to look relatively pretty... in a tomboyish way.

"In certain terms: very." She shrieked in surprise as Shadow appeared.

"Do you mind?! Get out!" Shadow smirked and disappeared.

"You have been thirty minutes on your shower and hair alone." She paled.

"Oh god........ I have to hurry!"

"I could help you out."

"Oh yeah? How?" She asked, glaring at him. Shadow smirked.

"I could slow down time."

"Then do it already." Saying so, she turned and rushed around getting ready.

***

Amy glanced at her watch, slightly irritated. "Honey should have been here already!" She said, pouting in a particularly girly way.

"I am." Amy jumped and turned, Honey was walking towards her with Shadow trailing behind. Amy grinned.

"Hey Honey!" Honey was hugged by Amy, Rouge and Mina, Blaze formally shook her hand. To Shadow's horror, Amy hugged him too, one of her god damn awful bone crushing hugs... he hated those...... he liked her gentler ones.... but then again, anyone would like the gentler ones if they were in the bone crushing ones. And when it came down to it, Shadow didn't like getting hugged at all....... he'd only enjoyed hugs from Maria, or Professor Gerald, they had felt like family to him.... no one else had, and he only felt okay with people who felt like family, others...... no. Just no.

"Nice to see you too." Said Rouge, amused, as she looked at Shadow.

"So you really know him then?" Asked Honey.

"Why? He told you otherwise?"

"No, it's just I didn't completely believe him..."

"And how have you found him?" As Honey talked of meeting Shadow, and her interactions with Shadow since then, Shadow had a frown on, and he was feeling slightly sour. Did the cat need to humiliate him by telling Rouge about the stew incident? Apparently she did. Rouge and the other girls laughed, except Blaze, who only glanced at Shadow, as if trying to imagine him with stew dripping from his head. "Oh Honey look at this!" They dragged the two female cats in the group to a window with wedding dresses in it. Shadow just hung around the fringes of their group, looking bored. "Hmm... I wonder what I'll wear when I finally get Knuckles to marry me...?" Asked Rouge. She wouldn't have said this in front of anyone else, but she knew that these girls (and guy) wouldn't tell... first of all, the girls loved planning surprises to spring on the guys, or their boyfriends, Honey didn't really care, and Shadow didn't talk much to any of Sonic's friends.

"Rouge, would you explain to me why you want to make Knuckles marry you?"

"Well first of all Shaddie, I have to get Knuckles to go out with me..... I know he likes me, I can see it every time we meet. Also, once we're going out, I just have to wait for him to propose." Shadow stared at her.

"Rouge..... are you quite sure that'll work? Knuckles isn't that bright sometimes."

"True, but if he sees someone else do it........ it might work." Rouge grinned at him.

"And who would he see proposing?"

"You." Shadow frowned.

"Rouge, I'm not in love with anyone."

"True, but you'll fall in love with someone soon... I can tell. Besides, you've got plenty of pretty fangirls. Mostly emos or goths sure but pretty nonetheless." Shadow glared.

"I am not emo.... or gothic. And I don't care how pretty they are."

"Unless they're your Maria." Shadow growled and stormed off, far enough so he wouldn't be able to hear what they said, but keep them in sight.

"Who's Maria?" Asked Honey as they went into Winners. Rouge explained while Amy and Mina browsed through the dresses, and Blaze browsed through the leather jackets. Shadow was lurking around the leather jackets too.... but the mens leather jackets, while he watched the girls. Honey looked slightly regretful. "I can't believe I was mean to him... if only I'd known this sooner, I would have been nicer." Rouge shrugged.

"Shadow doesn't like pity, in fact, he hates it. Or even being reminded he was helpless to save Maria."

"It was not my choice to leave her behind." Hissed Shadow, who was behind Rouge. The bat rolled her eyes.

"We know that Shadow, but we also know that whether you wanted to leave her behind or not, you were helpless." Shadow glared at the pretty bat with fire in his eyes.

"You've never lost anyone Rouge, if you had, you wouldn't be talking like you are, about such a matter."

"No... I'm pretty sure I'd be talking about it in a much more carefree manner." Shadow stalked off, while Honey looked concerned.

"Rouge... are you sure that was wise? It's not nice to add insult to injury... and if I understand you correctly, it's a pretty old injury that still bleeds." Rouge looked at Honey.

"You're feeling sorry for him? When he was rude to you? I thought you just felt sympathetic about his situation..." Honey sighed, Rouge would never get it. That was simply the way things were.

Shadow was moody through the rest of the trip, even Rouge apologizing did nothing to fix it. Shadow drove Honey and himself back to her house in silence. He'd found out where they were going and parked his motorcycle nearby, before going to pick take Honey. She had her arms wrapped around his waist as they drove, in silence. "Shadow?" She asked. No response. "Guard boy!" That worked.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry about what happened back there."

"Don't be." He sounded resigned.

"Why not?"

"Rouge always has that argument with me whenever she explains about my past to someone... she has an annoying habit of doing it when I'm in the room." Honey tightened her arms into a hug, not giving too much pressure, then she whispered in his ear.

"I'm still sorry about it... Shadow." They were quiet for the rest of the day. There was no repeat of the stew event from the previous night. They had burgers instead.

Okay..... thanks to Solar Tonatiuh for actually making me interested enough in Honey to go and check out her character, and thanks to Sar the Hedgehog for reading most of it before I uploaded it! ^_^ Now I have two best friends on here.... Sar, and ShadowRuler55. ^_^