A/N: Karin's point of view during Living Pains. Before Shadow's story, and a little bit during.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Living Pains: Karin

Chapter 1: Intrusion

"Karin!" The yellow hedgehog cringed as her boss yelled her name. He stood with his hands on his hips, leaning towards her to show how serious he was.

"Yes sir?" He frowned at her less-than-respectful tone.

"We need more help upfront." He pointed to the register. With a sigh she walked to the indicated machine. She hated using the register; it never seemed to work for her. Why doesn't he hire someone else? She thought in annoyance. However, since he could easily fire her, she did as she was told.

After she had stood there for several minutes without a single customer, she decided her boss simply wanted to annoy her. She began to contemplate taking another break when Amy walked into the store, wearing her uniform. Thank goodness. She thought, relieved at her friends presence. At least I won't be bored now.

"Amy! Join Karin at the register!" Their boss seemed to take pity on the poor hedgehog. Amy waved to Karin when she reached the counter.

"Hey Karin!" She called cheerfully.

"Amy." They chatted for several minutes until the subject turned to the pink hedgehog's upcoming sleepover.

"You are coming right?" She pleaded.

"I don't know." Karin was not into the whole 'sleepover' thing.

"Please, please, pleeeease?!" Amy whined, easily wearing down Karin's resolve.

"Alright, alright." She smiled. "No boys right?"

"Yep! Shadow won't even be there." She said cheerfully as she checked the change for a customer.

"Shadow? Who's that?" Karin could not remember her ever talking about him.

"My housemate." She straightened her skirt. She noticed her friends puzzled look. "What?"

"You live with a guy?" Was he her boyfriend? I thought she was obsessed with that Sonic guy.

"Not like that! He's just a really good friend. My heart belongs to Sonic!" Her eyes shone with joy. "Oh! That reminds me." She pulled he phone out and entered a number. After a few rings an angry voice answered.

"What?! Rose is that you? Call me back later. Hey drop the turkey or lose your hand!" There was the sound of a scuffle and then a yelp. "Alright, much better. Now what did you need?" There was more noise on the other end. Karin shot Amy an alarmed look that she waved off. "Make it quick Rose; this jerk keeps trying to steal our Thanksgiving dinner out of the cart."

"Shadow the sleepover's tonight so don't forget!" She called into the phone. There was some noise they couldn't make out then the guy yelled something about a clever and someone's innards. Amy finally hung up in frustration.

"Was that?"

"Yeah. I think he's having a bad day." She said as she turned to help another customer.

After work the girls went to Amy's house for the sleepover. As they waited for the others to show up Amy gave Karin a tour of the apartment. It was cleaner than she expected since a guy lived there. She spotted a room off to the side which she questioned Amy about.

"That's Shadow's room. You wanna see?" She skipped over to the door and opened it. Inside it was all black and red, with a darkly colored wooden bookcase and desk. "I picked the colors out myself." She proclaimed happily. Karin blinked at her surprised. All she ever wore was bright colors, mostly pink, red, and blue.

"Why?"

"He would have left it the way it was." She laughed to herself. "I couldn't make him sleep in a pink room." The yellow hedgehog raised an eyebrow. "Come here." She walked to the desk where a few pictures stood. She handed Karin one. In it were three hedgehogs, an old, grey hedgehog with a large mustache and dark blue eyes. I doubt that's him. The next was a black hedgehog with red stripes on his head quills and cold crimson eyes. Yeah that's probably him. She looked at the last figure in the picture. She was a beautiful, pale yellow hedgehog with large, pure blue eyes that sparkled.

"Who're those two?" Karin pointed to the old guy and the girl. Amy smiled sadly.

"The old guy is Shadow's grandfather."

"And the girl?" Karin asked tapping the picture lightly. She shook her head.

"I shouldn't talk about her, it's personal." She set the picture back on the dresser carefully. "Now come on! Tonight isn't about sad stories." She pulled Karin out of the room by the hand before she could ask the 'sad stories'.

At one a.m. the girls decided to go to bed. Karin and Amy set the blankets and pillows out. They lay down and put a romance movie on. Amy just couldn't sleep without watching at least one. When the movie was about half over Rouge said she heard a noise. They muted the TV and waited. When a large silhouette walked into the room next to Karin, she screamed.

"Robber! Call the cops!" She yelled as the lights flipped on. She grabbed a nearby chair and swung it into the intruder's head. Looking down at him she realized it was the younger guy from the picture.

"Shadow! Are you okay?" Amy asked kneeling next to him.

"Rose." He glared at her. "This is the third time this month I've been knocked to the ground walking into my own home." He growled, climbing to his feet unsteadily.

"You didn't answer my question." She said sounding slightly annoyed. He looked past her at us. He's kinda cute. Karin thought to herself.

"Who are all these people?" He glared at Rouge. "And why is she here?"

"We're having a slumber party remember? I called to remind you like eight times today." Karin didn't remember her calling him more than once at work. He looked at her, seeming for all the world to have just solved some great mystery of life.

"Oh, that's what you were trying to say." He said nodding. "Okay, I'll bunk with Knuckles for the night." He said walking out the door. "Goodnight Rose."

"Jerk!" Amy yelled as the door closed. Karin looked at the floor to see several bags of groceries.

"I'll just put these away." She said grabbing them. Amy grabbed some from her and together we started putting them away in the kitchen. "Hey Amy?" Karin ventured when we finished, the others having gone back to the movie.

"Yeah?" She asked from the fridge as she looked for something to drink.

"That was Shadow right?"

"Yeah." She said absentmindedly.

"He's kinda cute." The yellow hedgehog said quietly. She squeaked and dropped the milk jug to the floor. Luckily it didn't open up.

"What was that?" She said smiling.

"Never mind." She said quickly, realizing her mistake. Amy Rose was a world class gossip.

"You think Shadow's cute! I can't wait to tell him!" She practically cackled with glee.

"Promise me you won't." Karin was horrified by the idea of her telling him that.

"If doesn't have a girlfriend by his birthday, which you are now invited to by the way, I'm telling him a girl thinks he's cute." She grinned. "If he's interested, then I'll tell him it's you." Karin thought this over before nodding. She figured a guy that cute would definitely have a girlfriend in no time.

"Just, don't tell him I hit him with a chair." Amy laughed at that. Karin didn't see what was so funny.

"Don't worry, he's used to it." Amt giggled to herself. The two girls made their way back to the living room and settled down for the night.

A/N: Lifted almost directly from Karin's Diary, which will be deleted. And I might just add the Alternate Ending onto Living pains. Neat.