Hello again! ^_^ Ugh, all of this typing, and barely ANY reviews! Come on- I know that there are some readers out there who aren't reviewing! (points out) Yes, I'm talking to YOU ! It's not that hard to review! I'm practically BEGGING all of you to review! If that means you have to review again, PLEASE JUST DO IT! I'M BEGGIN' YA! (ahem) Okay here's the next chapter! It's going to be VERY intense so…be ready! Here's the next Chapter! God bless y'all! ^_^


You love me but you don't know who I am

I'm torn between this life I lead and where I stand

You love me, but you don't know who I am

So let me go

Let me Go

- Let Me Go, 3 Doors Down

Amy let out a large breath as she stood back and gazed at her creation. There were platters of her homemade potato salad, her green bean casserole, and a berry-licious salad! She actually borrowed that recipe from Cream's mom, Vanilla, and she was sure that it'd taste delicious! And in the middle of the table were her special homemade chili dogs dripping with her secret chili. Amy beamed contently at her creations. "And that's that!" She said at ease "Not bad for a girl who only had half hour to do it!" Amy took off her apron and hung it up on a small hook on the refrigerator and looked up at the clock above her sink.

"6:26." She noted as she made sure she looked appropriate. She was wearing long grey sweat pants and a green T-shirt that said "Dare to be Different". Her nose wrinkled at the thought of Sonic coming over to eat a big dinner and her looking like a slob. She looked back at the clock. It just turned another minute. Amy gasped.

"I have plenty of time!"

Amy ran off to her room, shutting the door shut behind her. She quickly ran to her closet and swung it open. She searched her closet and pulled out the perfect dress. She pulled it out. It was short and pink, but was silky and sparkled like diamonds. She laid the dress out on the bed and ran to her bathroom, and quickly washed her face and pulled her quills up into a bun. She ran out of the bathroom and threw off her sweats and the T-shirt and slipped on the dress. She looked in her full-length mirror and smiled. But slowly, her smile disappeared into a frown. She looked at herself again.

"Who'm I kidding?" She asked herself as she took down her quills and just let them hang. "I just got done telling Cream that I'm done. And here I am-throwing on a dress and doing myself up like I'm going to a ball." Amy slipped off the dress and threw it on the ground. She slipped back on her sweats and her T-shirt. "I'm Sonic's friend…" Amy told herself as she picked up the sparkling dress and hung it up back in her closet. "He doesn't want to be anything more." She felt her heart ache slightly as tears began as she looked at herself in the mirror again. "This is who I am. I'm Sonic's friend, no matter how I truly feel about him."

Amy, on the verge of tears, closed the door to her closet. She walked to the bathroom and grabbed a piece of toilet paper. She dried her eyes and blew her nose before discarding the tissue. She looked in the bathroom mirror, her eyes slightly red.

He's coming over to have dinner. We're going to talk and hang out as friends. She told herself as she turned the lights off in the bathroom and room. She opened the door to her bedroom and walked out.

"Oh!"

Amy squealed as she turned to see Sonic standing in the doorway, a handful of wild flowers I his hand. She placed a hand over her racing heart as Sonic chuckled slightly.

"Sorry to invite myself in," he apologized, rubbing the back of his head. "You didn't answer the door when I knocked, so I invited myself in. I thought at first that you had forgotten that we had dinner plans but…" he motioned the full of food. "I guess you were just getting ready."

"N-no," Amy corrected as she walked over to Sonic, smiling slightly. "I was just um…washing my face."

"I can see that," Sonic noted as he looked at Amy's eyes. "Your eyes are red. Get some soap in your eyes?"

Amy chuckled slightly and nodded. "Ya." Liar! Amy looked out the window, frowning slightly. "Wow. I thought earlier today was bad. Then it was just showering, but it's POURING out there now!"

Sonic nodded. Amy looked back at Sonic, and then at his hand at the flowers he was holding. "Those for me?"

Sonic nodded as he handed them to her. "Here." He beamed proudly as Amy took a long inhale of the wild flowers, and pulled back with her eyes wide in curiosity. "Smell good?"

Amy nodded as she breathed in the wonderful smell again. "These are beautiful! Thank you so much!" She walked to the kitchen and reached under the sink, pulling out a small painted vase. She filled the vase with lukewarm water and placed the flowers in. "They're absolutely wonderful!" She placed them beside her stove and walked over to Sonic. "So…shall we?"

Sonic nodded, his eyes fixed on the chili dogs. Amy giggled.

"You want a tissue?"

"For what?"

"All the drool that's dripping out the corner of your mouth."

Sonic and Amy seated themselves and started dishing out food. Sonic dove immediately into the chili dogs and Amy started out on the salad. It was a mix of greens with oranges, strawberries, feta cheese, candied walnuts, and a certain vinegeraete. She took one bite and sighed happily. "You need to try this salad, Sonic." Amy told him as she took another bite. "It's so good!"

Sonic was too busy in his chili dogs to notice the salad. He reached over and served himself a small portion. But he was going to have his full of Amy's chili dogs first! He ate two so far and still had room for more! Amy giggled.

"So…where'd you go for the time being?"

Sonic looked up. He reached for a napkin and wiped his mouth before he spoke. "I went to hang with Knuckles. Apparently there's something coming."

Amy's eyes widened. "What exactly?"

Sonic shrugged as he reached for his cola. "I'm not sure," He said as he took a long gulp. He set it down and went back to his food. "He said something's in the air. Even the Master Emerald is disturbed by what's coming."

Amy frowned at Sonic's typical indifference for incoming warnings of danger. "So…you're not worried about it? Even though the Master Emerald can't tell what's wrong?"

Sonic shrugged again. "Like I said, I'm not sure. Maybe the rock's just losing some of its spark or something. All I know is that it's not a Chaos Emerald causing any of the issues. It must be something else…"

"Is that all you guys talked about?" Amy asked as she reached for another spoonful of bean casserole.

Sonic's eyes widened, a faint color of pink started to spread across his cheeks. He turned his face away, as if trying to hide his expression. "We talked about…other things." Change the subject! He turned to Amy, who merely shrugged and went back to eating. "How was the museum?"

Amy smiled. "It was very nice. Cream and I got to walk around the museum and look at some really nice paintings and ancient pottery and whatnot. I can't believe it's been three years since it had opened. If I would've known of all of the wonderful history in there, I would've gone sooner."

"That good, huh?"

Amy nodded as she ate a spoonful of potato salad. "It was amazing. I wouldn't mind going and seeing more museums and dedication buildings of ancient history."

"Why go to a museum when you can just go to ancient civilizations and see REAL history yourself?" Sonic asked.

Amy laughed as her emerald eyes met his. "I can't run at super speed, Sonic. I can't go wherever I want to go whenever I want to. I have two jobs to hold up and bills to pay for. You're a world famous hero and people would be glad to give things to you and let you stay places free. I'm not a world renowned hero. I have a normal life."

Sonic's nose wrinkled at that last sentence. She has a normal life? Sonic asked himself. She's my friend and she lives a normal life. Well, if I think about it again, Tails builds planes and is known across the world for being my best buddy and helper. Knuckles isn't known very well but to people who do know him, he's known as the emerald guardian. Heck! Shadow and Rouge aren't even my friends and they're known as the fake hedgehog and the famous ex-jewel thief! But Amy…I never thought of her as being…normal. I mean, she used to run around telling everyone she was my girlfriend but…she doesn't do that anymore. So…she thinks she's just a normal girl in the world?

Amy looked up at Sonic, whose eyes were looking down at his plate, soft and in wonder. Amy snapped her fingers, causing Sonic to snap his neck up. She looked at him, concerned. "You okay?"

Sonic nodded slightly. "Ya I just…" He was silent for a minute. "Never mind," he said, waving it off. "Just forget I even said anything."

Amy looked back down at her food and started to finish.

During the whole hour Sonic was sitting in front of her, she longed to ask him. She longed to ask him what he thought of her. She longed to ask him if their relationship would ever grow, go to the next level, or if she could just drop her feelings for him and move on. She felt her heart race as she took a last bite of salad. I can't do this anymore! She put down her fork, and wiped her mouth with a napkin. She felt her cheeks heat up as she opened her mouth.

"S…S…Sonic?"

Sonic looked up from his plate. "Ya?"

"I um…I…" Ask him! "I just…wanted to know if…" Go ahead! Ask him! "I just wanted to know if…if…you wanted something to drink!"

Sonic blinked a few times before reaching over to his cola can. He picked it up and shook it a bit. There were only a few drops swishing around. He smiled at her. "Sure. Another cola would be nice."

Amy nodded as she rose from the table and walked to the kitchen. She cursed at herself as she reached into the fridge and pulled out another cola. She closed the door and walked over to Sonic, and placed the cold soda in front of him and walked back to her seat, and sat back down. Her heart was racing still, but her stomach was now in knots.

"Amy?"

Amy looked up. "Yes?"

Sonic placed his chili dog down and looked up at Amy, his hands folded and placed in front of him. His eyes were very solemn, so solemn it scared Amy.

"We're…friends, right?"

Amy nodded hastily. "Yes! Of course we are!"

"But…that's it, right?"

Amy's heart froze. How could she respond to this? Of course they were friends! That was not a lie! But…that's not what she wanted it to be. She knew it. She knew that she wanted her relationship with Sonic to go to the next level. She wanted her blue hero. But…she knew she could never truly have him. Amy knew it and it saddened her deeply. But she knew that it wasn't all about her anymore. It was about Sonic too.

"Sonic…you're my good friend." Amy whispered, trying to keep the sadness out of her tone. "You're the spark of my day and the happiness of my life and…even though our relationship may never be exactly what I want it to be…I'm just glad that you're my friend."

She couldn't raise her face to meet her eyes with Sonic. She couldn't do it. She strained herself to keep her eyes focused on her lap.

"So…" Sonic started, breaking the silence. "You…still like me?"

See? She still LIKES you!

Why are you making it sound like it's a great thing? Don't you understand what this means?

Maybe that she feels the same as you do!

I don't WANT her to!

Amy's face turned a deep red. She turned her face away from Sonic, not bearing to see the look on his face. "I do…in a sense that…I'm willing to be your friend, and not trying to pressure you into a relationship."

Sonic's eyes widened. "So…after all of this time, you still haven't let go of me?" Sonic narrowed his eyes. "I should've known…"

What! Why are you getting so angry? This is what you wanted!

I don't want Amy to like me! I'm just going to hurt her!

You're hurting her by pushing her away! You know that you have feelings for her!

The thing is that I CAN'T have feelings for her! I CAN'T!

Amy was silent.

Sonic rose to his feet. He looked everywhere else: his feet, his plate of unfinished food, the carpet, the ceiling…anything but her eyes. If he looked into her eyes…he wouldn't know if he could hold it in.

"Ames…you need to let me go." He said softly, trying to be as nice as possible. "It's the best for the both of us. I can't take care of you the way you want me to, and you can't possibly…" Want someone like me to spend the rest of their life beside someone as kind and loving as you? Sonic finally looked at Amy, who still was refusing to look at him. Sonic sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her and he was doing it right now. He ran a hand through his quills.

"Look Ames…I like it that we're friends. That we're not in a relationship. I like it that we can go places and hang out and not have those types of heart ties." Liar.

Amy's eyes shot daggers at Sonic.

"Maybe for you. But they really meant a lot to me." She rose to her feet, her hands slamming down on the table.

Sonic's eyes widened at Amy's bold anger. He watched her as she lowered her head, her bangs covering her eyes. He watched her entire body, her whole frame, start to shake. He couldn't tell if it was of anger or sadness, but his heart ached for the young woman in front of him.

"My feelings for you…have never changed." Amy said a hint of both anger and sadness in her voice. "I have always had certain feelings for you that I thought that we had something special…but now I see…that no matter what I change, whether it be my hair, clothes, or my habits…I can never make you happy enough to fall in love with me."

Sonic felt a pain in his chest as Amy raised her head, the sparkle in Amy's eyes, gone. "Nor can you ever have feelings for someone else."

Sonic's eyes widened in furry. "What?" Sonic cried, his compassion for Amy fading away fast. "You sayin' I can't feel?" He shouted. "That I can't feel emotions towards another person that could lead to a potential relationship?"

"That's EXACTLY what I'm saying!" Amy cried back as she slammed her fist on to her table again. "You're so wrapped up in yourself that you don't care about other people and their feelings!"

Not wanting to hear another word, Sonic angrily shoved his plate away and walked towards the door, swung it open and stomped out, slamming it behind him. Amy stood there, frozen for a moment, pondering what she should do.

What are you doing, sitting there like an idiot? Go after him!

But I-

No buts! You love him, right? Then get outta yourself and go after him!

Amy sat there for a moment before standing to her feet and ran out the door. I forgot my shoes! Oh well-that's not important! Amy ran down the stairs until she reached outside, where it was pouring outside. Amy ran out into the rain, soaking the second she stepped out. She looked around, hastily to find Sonic. She caught a blur of blue in the blurry rain walking down the sidewalk towards the train station. Amy quickly ran across the street, avoiding speeding cars. Amy hurried onto the sidewalk, shivering and soaked, and chased after her hero.

"Sonic! Stop!"

Sonic turned slowly. His eyes widened in surprise first, seeing Amy run out into the blistering rain barefoot and without an umbrella. But then his eyes narrowed in anger.

"Whaddya want?" he snapped irritably.

Amy ran up to him, catching her breath. "I didn't mean…it like that…that you couldn't feel."

Sonic scoffed as he started to turn to walk away. Amy snatched his arm, causing him to stop.

"I didn't mean it like that…" Amy breathed. "I promise, I just…let my emotions get the best of me. I swear that I didn't mean it like that, Sonic. I mean, would I be out here in the soaking rain without shoes and an umbrella if I didn't?"

Sonic's eyes were dark towards her, and it scared her. He turned towards her, slapping her hand away from his arm. "You think that I don't want to start a relationship because I'm too selfish!" He shouted, trying to shout over the beating rain. "You think that I only care about myself and what people can do for me! And about my image! I do what I do because I care about people! I told you you were my friend, didn't I?"

"Yes but-!"

"So that should be enough to let you know that I care about you!" Sonic cried, cutting Amy off. "But I'm not done! I just can't start a relationship, Amy! I can't do it! And you're better off meeting someone else who'll take care of you and love you just as much as you love me!"

Amy's eyes narrowed in anger. She brushed her wet quills away from her face and shouted, trying to yell over the rain. "You're so stupid Sonic! I don't want anyone else! You're the only person I care about like this! I cannot let you go Sonic! I just can't! Just give me a chance! Give US a chance!"

"There is no US!" Sonic cried, as much as it hurt him to say it. "I can't start anything with you! The world will always need me! The world will always need Sonic the Hedgehog!"

Amy shook her head, angry tears forming in her eyes. "No Sonic. It's not that the world will never need you. There won't be a day when you will never need Sonic the Hedgehog!"

Sonic growled in annoyance. "I AM Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"The Sonic the Hedgehog I'm talking about is the image! The world renowned hero!" Amy cried as the tears now willingly fell down her cheeks. "I've always been myself Sonic! Even though I've gone through extreme measures to make you comfortable with me, I've always been me! ME! I've changed so much for you that I don't even know why I love you anymore!"

"Then don't love me anymore!" Sonic cried, even though he regretted the very words he had said. The look on Amy's face made Sonic regret he had ever said those five words. Amy's face was full of hurt, hate, sadness and love all at the same time. Sonic reached for Amy, but Amy stepped back, away from him.

"Alright Sonic." Amy turned and started to walk away. Sonic's eyes widened as he started to walk after the pink hedgehog.

"Ames wait-!"

"NO!" Amy screamed at Sonic, causing Sonic to leap back. "I'm tired of waiting! I've always been waiting for you! ALWAYS! And I have done nothing but good things for you! I've been waiting for you for so long! I've tried so hard for so many years to make you happy! I've done everything I could! But I've had enough Sonic! I cannot take it anymore! My HEART cannot take this from you anymore! You want me to stop loving you, FINE!"

Amy turned towards the city and ran. She kept her head down and ran as fast as she could. She kept her head down as she ran as hard and as fast as she could. She ran until she could no longer hear Sonic's cries of him calling her name. She ran hard. She pushed herself through fatigue and exhaustion and continued to run. She didn't care anymore. She had to get away from this place. From Sonic. From herself. She needed to talk to someone, someone who'd know what to do.

I know!

Amy raised her head. The rain pounded against her but she kept going. She looked around to see where she was. Baker Street. Only a few more blocks. Amy noted as she pushed herself to run faster. Her heart never ached so badly before. She felt as if her heart was going to snap in two. Hot tears formed in her eyes and spilled, both rain and tears now spilling freely from her cheeks. She turned a corner of a building and ran hard and fast towards the end of this block. She crossed the street ahead and took a sharp left at the building at her right. She looked up at the tall building in front of her.

Here it is…

Amy hurried up the apartment complex up a few flights of stairs and stopped at apartment 4. She knocked on the door and waited for a moment.

"Hold on a sec!" a familiar voice cried from inside.

Amy waited, shivering; from the rain and from the sudden rejection. The door opened a moment later to a tall white bat with black wings and gentle cyan eyes standing there in a large dark scarlet bathrobe. Her cyan eyes widened at the sight of a small pink hedgehog, soaked from head to toe, shivering with tears streaming down her face.

"Amy!" Rouge cried in shock. "What happened to you?"

Amy sniffed as she looked down at herself. She shuffled her foot for a minute before looking up. "I…I…(sob) I really…need someone to…(sob) to talk to. And I thought (sob) that you-,"

"Sonic?"

Amy painfully nodded and let out a shaky sob. The bat smiled understandingly and put an arm around her pink friend and let her inside her apartment, closing the door behind them.

END OF CHAPTER THREE

Song Inspirations for Chapter Three:

Let Me Go – 3 Doors Down

Short Hair – Mulan OST


Corina: (dodging flying tomatoes and lettuce) "I'M SORRY! I know that this chapter was long, lame and cheesy! I know you're all looking for action but my stories start out LONG, LAME AND CHEESY and slowly start to grow! I know it's boring right now but I promise it'll get better!"

Sonic: "Why'd you make me scream at Amy? I WOULD NEVER DO THAT!"

Amy: "Hey at least you didn't get soaked out in the rain and get your heart torn out."

Sonic: "Mine DID!"

(all others impatiently tapping their feet at Corina)

Corina: (sweatdrop) "Look! I don't want to cram a whole bunch of characters into one chapter, okay? I wanna take my time, okay?"

All: "NO!"

Corina: (slaps head) "God help me."

Rouge: "Psh I'm just glad I showed up in the last few seconds of this chapter. Good thing I finally got an appearance sooner than everyone else!"

All others: (glare)

Corina: (smiles proudly) "I'm just glad that I got more done in this past week than I have in a while!"

All: "It's no good if you can't add more characters in."

Corina: (scoffs) "If readers don't mind waiting, then that's great for me!" (looks at readers with pleading eyes) "Though I am begging you to please be patient with me!"

Shadow: "Hnn. Pathetic."

Rouge: (hits Shadow in side) "Oh cheer up emo-jerk head! You'll show up soon!"

Shadow: "Enough with the emo-jerk stuff. I'm serious. I'm not emo."

Corina: "Who wants to do the disclaimer?"

Rouge: "I will! Corina doesn't own Sonic or the characters! We belong to SEGA, but Corina owns this story and her characters, which will make an appearance soon!"

Corina: (nod) "Now I'm going to bed! Goodnight!"

All: "Goodnight!"

Knuckles: (turns to screen) "God bless!"