The inside of the house was no less impressive than the outside. Beige colored walls went well with the bunt orange carpet. The couch where shadow sits is in the center of the living room, opposing another couch with a coffee table between them.

Amy walks over with the newly made coffee. "How do you like your's?" she asks. Her jacket is off, revealing a forest green sweater, as are her shoes showing her white socks.

"Black, please." Shadow says, fiddling with his hat in his hand.

"Black?" Amy said, cringing her face. "Ew…" she says quietly as she lays down on the couch opposite to Shadow. Sipping from her coffee in a very etiquette manner, Amy starts up the conversation. "Alright, so… we're here. Tell me about what's been happening."

Shadow begins without any hesitation. "Well, I've been dreaming about her a lot. I've been seeing her quite a bit too."

"Seeing her?"

"Yeah… kind of like hallucinations." Shadow sighs into his coffee. "I guess that sounds a little… odd."

Amy adjust her position in the couch. 'Well… not really." she says.

Shadow takes a quick sip of his coffee. "What do you mean?"

"Well… as much as you may not want to admit it, you really are a… well, a machine." She hesitates to continue, knowing full well that her theory may test Shadow's temper. "You were made for a purpose. Maybe… when Maria died… that purpose was lost, or got altered." She sees Shadow's eyes, slightly red and puffy. She moves in closer to him, sitting up. "Shadow, I've never seen anything provoke the kind of emotion that the very mention of Maria can. I think, and correct me if I'm out of line, but I think that you were made to protect Maria. To be there for her." She notices a teardrop escape from his eye. "You see… this is what I'm talking about."

"But…" He hears his voice crack, causing him to swear under his breath as he wipes his eyes. "But how can I do something about this… you're supposed to move on when a loved one dies, so why can't I?" The waters start to flood up again.

"I…" she begins, unsure of herself. "I don't know how to help you, Shadow. You don't think Tails could work some of that hardware in your skull?"

"Tails is a mechanic. A brilliant, inventive mechanic, but still a mechanic." He looks up. "I'm bio-mechanical. He can't help me."

"Well…" she pushes her pink bangs out of her face with a sigh. "I don't know what to tell you then."

"You don't think…"

"Think what?" Amy says.

"That the doctor can help me?" Shadow knows what's about to come to him.

Amy puts down her coffee like a judge slams down his hammer. "No." She commands.

His expression turns solid. "But he might be able to help me…after all it was his grandfather that created me." he wipes his eyes again, this time calmly.

"Shadow," Amy says, getting up from the couch, pacing. "He killed my cousin, he almost killed Knuckles, he half killed bunny, what the hell do you think he'll do to you?"

"I have to try." He says into himself. "It's the only chance I have right now."

Amy continues to pace furiously. "Shadow, making you forget Maria would mean reprogramming your purpose, right?" He nods his head. "Well, what do think a control freak like him would do if he got the opportunity, the clear and obvious opportunity, to fuck with your programming."

"But Amy…"

"Shadow, I'm not gonna let you become another one of Robotnik's goons." She puts her hand over her head. "I get that you want the memories and the images to stop but…" she sits back on the couch. "Relying on the enemy isn't the way to go."

"Well what other ways are there?!" his voice becomes firm and defensive.

"You…" Amy sighs as she rests her head on her hands. "You may just have to deal with it Shadow." She sees Shadow about to retaliate, so she cuts him off. "And I know it's hard Shadow…"

"You don't know what this is like… don't even say you can even relate." Shadow grumbles.

"You forget that I lost everyone." Amy says, looking up at a very angry Shadow. "I didn't just lose my best friend. I lost my parents, my siblings, most of my friends…" She sighs painfully. "And my cousin was killed right in front of me." Shadow looks down with a tight jaw. "I know what it's like to watch helplessly, safe and protected, while someone you care about is butchered. So don't tell me I can't relate…the only difference…" She picks up her coffee. "is that I don't dwell on the past like you do." She sits back with the most serious of faces on.

Shadow doesn't look at her. "I don't need your lectures." He mumbles.

"But you did want my help." Their eyes meet. Amy pulls out a post-it and writes on it with a nearby pen. "Alright…this isn't the best of solutions, nor a sure fire way of helping you, but it might do something…" She hands him the post-it, "It worked for me when my cousin died."

Shadow takes the note and looks at it. "Dr. Lespiena, Kinder avenue?"

"He's an excellent therapist, and he's the only available solution for now." Amy sighs, knowing that Shadow won't like this.

"I'm not going to therapy, Amy." He says plainly.

"Why not?"

"Therapy's for drug addicts, psychos, and suicidal people." He puts the post-it note down on the coffee table. "I'm none of those."

"It's for people who can't handle things mentally and need help." She picks up the note and tosses it to him. "You need this Shadow, whether you want it or not." It lands on his lap.

Shadow looks back up at Amy. "I don't think this is gonna work."

"Well, give it a try… you were willing to go as far as to say 'Robotnik', so your obviously ready to try anything else, why not this?"

"And if it doesn't work?"

"Then we're back to the drawing board." She lays on her elbow. "So you'd better hope it does."

Shadow looks at the note one more time. "I think I'll take my chances with Robotnik." He tightens his jaw and sips his coffee. "Domineering control freak or no, he's still the only one who knows my programming."

Amy's jaw muscles visibly tense as a sigh escaped her small black nose. "I can't control you Shadow. Just cause I think you're wrong doesn't mean I can do anything about it." She whips her pink bangs back. "Just promise you'll be careful."

Shadow walks out of the house without another word, the door gently closing behind him.

"This is crazy." She says to herself. "Fuck, this is so stupid…" her bright green eyes shoot up to the door.