New and Improved! I decided that I wasn't doing my best, and replanned this story out to try and make it more enjoyable for you guys. So here is the better version of chapter one. Yeah, I know a lot of it is the same, but there is a little more added and edited. I'm working on the other chapters like majorly too so I can try and get them up as soon as possible!

I know POV's change around a lot; I meant it to be that way. Sorry if it gets confusing...

Anyway, here we go! Thanks you guys for so many reviews, and for baring with me for being so new!

And as always, read and review or leave me constructive criticism.

Now on to Chapter One: Reach the Goal!

It started with pleading and rapid pounding on the door.

"H-Hey! Let me in! I need a place tah hide! Come on Shadow! Please! I'm beggin' yah!"

And in the middle of his shower too.

Grumbling about being disturbed, said ebony hedgehog walked out of his bathroom and swung open the door roughly to stop the source of the banging. And there was Sonic, his fists paused in mid pounding, and fear written all over his face.

Shadow regarded him for a moment with a cold stare, before cocking an eyebrow as Sonic's look and posture remained unchanged. "Hide from what?" He finally asked. Despite how he hated admitting it, he was actually curious.

"SONIC! WHERE ARE YOU!" Came the cry that answered, echoing off the building and clawing at his ears. Shadow's eye ticked.

"That!" Sonic whipped around to look for the source of the sound, letting out a panicked squeak. Shadow followed his gaze, seeing the pink hedgehog at the same time Sonic did. Shadow didn't think he'd ever seen Sonic grow so pale or for his quills to become so bristled. "GAH! Let me in Shads! Before she gets me!"

Sonic fell to his knees and held his paws up in a praying like manner. His desperation, which Shadow thought was fake since he had never seen Sonic mind Amy's antics so much before, was almost funny. Shadow listened to Amy call for the blue hedgehog again, before sighing heavily and stepping aside. A tacit signal that Sonic could come in. And the cry of relief and the rush of wind that rattled his quills confirmed that Sonic really had been that desperate.

And in all honesty, the last person Shadow would expect to be in his house was his rival. Shadow also didn't expect for himself to be in a semi-tolerable enough mood to allow his counterpart the refuge. Then again, though impartial to his rival, he would not wish anyone the fate that Sonic had with that infuriating pink hog. So perhaps, it really wasn't extraordinarily surprising that he let the other in.

The door slammed shut behind Sonic as he whirled over to the nearest window. It was comical how he crouched and peeked over the sill with his shoulders tense. Shadow rolled his eyes and moved to finish drying his fur from the shower he had been taking, tossing it in the hamper and pulling on his fresh clean gloves as well. When he turned back to the hedgehog, he had to think the coast was clear, since Sonic was standing now and facing him with a lazy smile on his face.

"Thanks for letting me hide in here! That was way past cool!"

Shadow's eye twitched as Sonic gave him the trademark thumbs up. How moronic. "Good, now leave."

The cost was clear, and though Shadow was no longer Sonic's sworn enemy he was still a rival. He took pity and offered shelter for the annoying blue whirlwind against that even more annoying pink hurricane, but had not invited Sonic in for a chat and tea.

It went unheard though. Sonic had sat down on Shadow's couch, crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and rested his arms behind his head.

Shadow's eye twitched with more force. "I said out!"

Instead of complying, Sonic simple opened one of his green eyes. Shadow watched them take in his bare abode with very badly hidden interest, his glare increasing ten fold.

"Man. Don't you feel gloomy in a place so bare?" Leave it to Sonic to become completely distracted and annoying. "… and cramped?"

The obvious look of Sonic's disgust in Shadow's tastes was both unnecessary and infuriating to the black hedgehog. Shadow crossed his arms defiantly, the red orbs in his eyes smoldering like hot coals. "I like it this way."

"Ugh… well you need some serious renovations, buddy!"

Buddy! Come to think of it, hadn't Sonic called him Shads too? Since when were they friends! Red eyes glared daggers at twinkling emerald ones. He was pretty sure Sonic was just trying to rile him up though. After all, he was always challenging his rival to races and fights, so he never surprised Shadow when he tried to rile him up. Shadow closed his eyes and calmed, allowing the fire to burn away in his chest and keep his brain thinking clearly.

Something Sonic should really work on, by the way.

Let's see. Amy had to have some inner Sonic tracking device. She could find him anywhere, which was alarming. "You should leave before she come's knocking," Shadow finally decided to reply with. He seriously doubted that Amy wouldn't think to check in his place the longer Sonic stayed.

Sonic's tension came back almost immediately at the mention of her knocking on the door to find him. Shadow could spot his quills bristling a second time.

"I need to get her to stop chasing me once and for all!" The statement was followed by Sonic glancing back at the window above his head fretfully. Shadow could almost imagine him biting his nails in his apprehension.

Sonic took longer to think and stall, than to move. Shadow felt his temper getting the best of him and slowly rising as Sonic continued to stare fitfully at the window. Then he sighed heavily and crossed his arms, realizing that unless he said something, he would have to shove Sonic out of here. Which would turn into a brawl, and since Rouge had so nicely given this place to him, Shadow thought it would be best not to invoke her rage and avoid the predictable destruction.

"Say you're taken. Get a pretend girlfriend." There. That was a good plan. Now Sonic could work on it far away from his house. "Now get out!"

Sonic snapped his head down at Shadow now, but had yet to move his feet, much to Shadow's dismay. "Yeah!" And now Shadow could practically see the gears turning in his little blue brain now. "Though… it has a good chance of becoming a battle royale, so I might have to try a different tactic."

The black hedgehog felt dread creeping up his spine as Sonic scratched his chin and observed the ceiling. When he snapped his fingers and smiled like a fool, Shadow realized with a sinking feeling that the light bulb he instinctually knew he wouldn't like had went off. "I know! I'll say you're my boyfriend! That'll work!"

"WHA-!" Shadow's arms dropped as he choked and spluttered suddenly, red eyes wide and staring at Sonic as though he had three heads. He couldn't even tell if he was angry or embarrassed, or if he even wanted to yell. It was such an idiotic statement that he found himself choked into silence with shock.

"Yah need to get out more anyway, Shads! It'll be good for you! So, I say that we go over the deets tomorrow at the park!"

Shadow could not believe this at all. He opened his mouth and closed it a few times, while Sonic jut remained grinning away. At least until his eyes widened and he punched his open palm. "Oh yeah! I promised Tails I'd meet up with him!"

"Gotta run!" Sonic finally announced as he rolled on to his feet. He checked the windows for the coast to still be clear, gave Shadow a wink and then in the blink of an eye the door had slammed shut and Sonic was gone.

And all Shadow could think to say was, "Don't call me Shad's!"

"I asked Shadow to pretend to be my boyfriend."

It was so nonchalant that Tails almost thought it was a joke. When the word's meaning finally sunk in past the wires he was working on, Tails jerked up so hard he slammed his head against the metal. Still, shock kept him moving despite the ache in his head now. "What? Why?"

Sonic's green eyes had flashed with worry, but upon seeing his buddy alright, he was now smiling and playing with his apple again, leaning on Tails' desk with one leg bent behind the other. Completely relaxed. "To get Amy to stop chasing me of course!"

Tails wasn't sure he knew how to feel about that. He knew his friend Amy really cared about Sonic, so this kind of scheme really didn't strike him as good. In fact, he had a pretty good feeling this plan would fail… horribly.

Sonic must of taken Tails' odd look and silence as a need to talk. "I need to get her to realize I don't like her that way."

Dead panning, Tails now sighed. "Why don't you just tell her?" Why go through the trouble of a weird scheme?

"I think she has selective hearing," the blue hedgehog retorted.

Tails watched him bite into his apple for a minute. Sonic was a stubborn character, he knew. He could tell that Sonic was not interested in fighting him, and that what he said was final by the way the speedster closed his eyes and looked away now. It was kind of like how he worked on his machines, Tails would get the idea in his head to better the Tornado, and nothing would ever stop it.

He just wished the conversation had stayed on finding Chaos Emeralds…

"Why do you need my help?" The fox finally asked. After all, Sonic usually worked alone despite having so many friends, and considering the plan would work better with the advantage of no one knowing it, it was obvious Sonic wasn't just telling him to make conversations.

"I need tah convince Shadow to help me, so I need some supersonic brainstormin'!"

"He didn't even say yes?" Tails could have face-palmed.

"Not yet!" Sonic corrected, giving his little buddy a wink.

Tails just stared at his big brother figure. Then he sighed in defeat and put his tools down, shutting the compartment of the Tornado. He had wanted to finish making the Tornado faster, one of the many modifications that he had planned, but Tails supposed it would have to wait until tomorrow now.

His brain raked through possible solutions, scratching his chin as he brought his toolbox over to the table Sonic was leaning on. He barely noticed his hero staring at him with silent curiosity, the apple forgotten in his paw.

Suddenly an idea came to him. He gasped before looking up at Sonic. "I got it!" Now the fox jogged further into his workshop and Sonic followed eagerly. "The last time you were caught by Eggman's, I found a fantastic Super Nova Model 1275 EX in one of the rooms when I went in to help you. I hacked into the mainframe easily and found-"

"You stopped to look at a fancy computer while I was caught?" Sonic had leaned on the back of Tails' chair, and was now looking down at the fox with a cocked eyebrow.

"Heh… can't help myself sometimes." Tails shrugged it off and continued on bringing up the files that contained what he was looking for. "I found these files on it. Considering the circumstances, I figured I should download them."

Sonic's dismay seemed to make him even more impatient than usual. "And…?"

"Well. These files are all open, which means Eggman probably already hacked them." Tails moved his mouse over, and the next set of files prompted immediately for a passkey. "These aren't open though. This means Eggman hasn't hacked them, and that they are still intact."

The blue speedster got it immediately. "Oh." For a moment, there was silence, before he grinned wildly. "Tails! You're way past cool, bud!"

Tails hardly had time to grow bashful before Sonic grabbed his bud's hand and turned quickly for the door. "Wah! Wha- Sonic?"

His fur bristled in some alarm as he was practically dragged out his workshop door, before his tails remembered to spin quickly. Sonic let his paw go once Tails was steadily keeping up with the speedsters easy pace.

"We gotta go tell Shads the good news." Sonic replied mockingly.

"R-right now?" Tails didn't understand the hurry. When he saw that excited glint in Sonic's eye though, he knew his response would only be the dust from Sonic's sudden burst in speed. So Tails just resigned himself to his fate and did his best to spin his tails faster and keep up with his idol.

A full twelve hours from when Sonic had told them they could meet, Shadow arrived at the park. He was standing with his back leaning on a tree, covered in dying leaves and surrounded by yellowing grass. He closed his eyes and ignored the sound of children playing, just feeling the wind on his fur and doing his damn best to keep his anger in check. He had every intention of telling the blue hedgehog the idea was ridiculous and planned to beat him up for even offering it, and didn't want the kids being on the receiving end if Sonic was too late to receive the full frontal assault of his anger.

It really was a stupid idea. They were arch enemies, not lovers. Like hell Shadow would ever go out with the faker, and like hell anyone would believe their sudden change of heart. Especially Amy!

Yet, when, Sonic came charging up with Tails in tow, he spoke again before Shadow could even start. "Tails knows about the plan! He's gonna help!"

"Y-yeah," Tails quickly added.

Shadow glared burning lasers at the two of them. It was satisfying to see the fox flinch under his gaze. "I will not be part of this scheme! It's what I came here to tell you! Find someone else to be your gay lover!"

"Aw Shads…" Sonic's pout did nothing for him. "Come on! Just long enough to keep her from grabbin' me all th' time!"

"Absolutely not!" Honestly, the black hedgehog did not care for the other's predicament. Amy could chase him all the way to Timbuktu and back, and he still wouldn't care. "Use you're butt buddy fox if you have too, but I am not doing this."

Everyone seemed to ignore Tail's mortified spluttering, which Shadow couldn't help but inwardly smirk at. Sonic looked lost, which Shadow rather liked, and interperting that as the sign the argument was over and he had won, Shadow turned to start walking purposefully away.

He misjudged Sonic's level of stupid. "… I'll make it worth you're while."

With dismay, Shadow's ears caught Sonic's words and brought him up short. Damn, that blue hedgehog knew exactly how to invoke his curiosity, and he hated how Sonic knew it, judging by the obvious sly note in Sonic's voice. Once again, despite knowing better, he gave Sonic the little victory, and glanced over his shoulder distastefully at the other hedgehog. What can he possible think is affordable payment for this?

Sonic rubbed his nose and smirked, probably smug about Shadow reluctant questioning glance. Shadow seriously wanted to punch him for it.

"I'll help yah get the lost files from Colony ARK."

Oh! Sonic had him by the quills now!

It was so obvious by the shocked look on Shadow's face. Actually, he was sure there was more under that icy exterior Shadow put on, but he was so good at masking his emotions that Sonic only saw shock. Like Shadow his curiosity was spiked, but unlike Shadow it was all the time. Sonic could never figure out what Shadow was thinking, and that made him more frightening than Eggman could ever try to be.

"I'll get them myself."

Ah. There was that rage Sonic also knew. It was obvious that Shadow hated the idea of lost files of his past being anywhere but in his possession. Honestly, Sonic couldn't blame him, for he was the kind of guy that liked privacy too.

Well, except when it could be used to his advantage.

"Nah, ah, ah~!" He wagged his finger at Shadow, smug about the other's scowl that it earned him. "Only Tails an' I know where it is!"

Silence stretched across the park, while a ruffle of wind fluttered the grass between the three characters. Sonic could see Shadow's rage ever increasing inside crimson eyes, and Sonic tried to increase his smirk to match it. Green orbs challenged the black hedghog while the silence stretched, and the speedster tried to ignore Tails' fur starting to fluff out in alarm beside him. Not even the passing leaf that tumbled in the wind between the line of fire was able to stop the staring match between the two hedgehogs.

Finally Shadow blinked and looked away first. "Hmph. Didn't think blackmail was your style, Faker."

Sonic watched Shadow cross his arms. He had lost this battle, and Sonic could imagine Shadow was not very happy about it. "Well, I'm desperate," he replied casually. The blue hedgehog watched his little buddy relax beside him once the signs of impending doom dissipated into a cloud of smoke, and gave him a wink. Everything was ok, just like he promised it would be.

On to business. "So! Let's go over the details of our agreement!" Sonic grinned as he walked over to his sour double. He stilled when he realized there were no footsteps following him though, and glanced back at Tails with a little questioning look. Seeing the other look so uncertain of Shadow was a little unsettling. After all, it's not like Shadow was a vampire about to suck his blood or anything. Besides, if Shadow decided to fight, Sonic would step in long before Tails got in the middle of the fray, so he had nothing to worry about with him around.

"Come on Tails!" He motioned for his buddy to come with him when Tails lingered for a bit too long. He smile came back when Tails reluctantly jogged to catch up with his hero and join the two of them.

The fox gave Shadow an uncomfortable stare when he got closer, and Sonic turned to meet the glowering rage of the hedgehog full on. It was so blood thirsty, he even had the weird notion to step in front of Tails and shield him from it.

No wonder the little kit was so uninterested in joining them.

Like always, Sonic didn't stay shocked about anything for too long. "Ah! Probably wonderin' why Tails is in on it? Well, Amy likes to contact him a lot to find out where I am, so…!"

He trailed off when Shadow's glower continued to impale him. Guess he misread Shadow's anger as being directed at Sonic for letting other people know about his plan.

In all honesty, Sonic had no idea where the plan had come from or if it would even work. Nothing was for certain until it was tried though, and Sonic would be damned if he didn't at least put this unorthodox plan into action. Besides, the look on Knuckles' face would be well worth any other result that came from this.

Knuckles wouldn't be let in to the plan because he wasn't the brightest bulb in the bunch (this coming from another dim bulb), and he would probably be the first to believe it knowing how gullible he was.

Tails had said earlier it would work in Sonic's favor to have him believe; Sonic just thought it would be the best prank ever.

"I resent everything about this," Shadow finally growled.

"Aw lighten up! It won't be that bad to get out of that gloomy basement you call a house will it?"

Sonic almost laughed at the look Shadow gave him as he started walking. He always felt better with his legs moving, and just like his legs he was about to keep his plan moving too. He rested his hands behind his head lazily and listened to the foot steps of his double eventually joining him and Tails in his steady pace.

Tails didn't seem all that relaxed like Sonic was. With Shadow sending out waves of pure hate at the hedgehog for holding such a valuable thing over his head, Sonic could see why. Unfortunately for Shadow, Sonic found this just as fun as riling up said red echidna.

Of course, he wasn't evil or cold hearted, and Sonic did feel guilty for how he was going about this. He never held regrets though! Sonic wasn't about to give up just because Shadow was being a sore loser and his morals now that he had it started.

"Y-you're going to have to hold hands…," the fox suddenly mumbled, breaking Sonic from his thoughts. "… p-probably have to be… seen out in the public too." And Sonic noticed that his normally confident about his plans little buddy wasn't all that confident. In fact Tails was nervously playing with his fur and addressing mostly him.

He decided that his buddy probably needed some rescuing.

"So, we'll go on a 'date'" Sonic made air quotes here, "get a few pictures taken of us, and then we tell Amy in person. Then we'll break it off, break the law, and get those files. Piece of cake!" Optimistic as usual, Sonic grinned and gave a thumbs up to the gloomy Shadow beside him.

Tails face palmed, while Shadow continued to glare death at the ground and the blue hedgehogs back without answering. "I doubt it will be that easy…" Sonic heard his buddy mumble. The speedster just shrugged. He could just wing it if problems came up, like he always did.

Armed with an outline of what they would be doing, Sonic was now convinced that no other conversation about his plan was needed. He had other secret agendas too. Like how he was serious about getting Shadow out of his little gloomy house. Ever since the ARK incident, where he had been depressed and grouchy, Sonic had figured he would have come to terms with whatever it was that made him so… moody.

After being found again, Sonic realized Shadow was the same, and he refused to believe that anyone could be so… dank on the inside. Being the hero that he was, Sonic wanted to try and see if there was anything he could do to help him. Shadow might even just be shy? Who knew? Introducing him to his friends, like Tails, couldn't hurt!

It can't possibly be healthy for him to be scowling all the time.

"Now that the boring part is taken care of, I challenge you to a race Shads!" Sonic announced suddenly. He smirked as his mind started turning faster than his feet. He knew what always cheered him up, and since Shadow and Sonic were so alike in a few ways, he had to think it would work for his double too.

He could see that anger in the other hedgehogs eyes become a burning determination. Shadow was probably begging to take out his anger at his helpless situation. Not only was his idea genius, but he didn't even really think about how running would help. Sonic guessed he was even more genius then he first thought he was!

Seeing Shadow was intrigued, Sonic jerked into motion, taking off in a long line of blue and swaying the grass around the area with the wind he caused. Shadow and Tails were left staring in some shock, before Shadow growled and took off after him in an orange streak.

Tails called after his hero, but was left standing with his hand stretched out and a worried look on his face. "B-but… we weren't finished yet…."