by neorenamon

This is my first fanfiction based on Sonic Boom. All right, properties and characters of the Sonic Franchise including Sonic Boom belong to SEGA and all other appropriate parties. Thank you.

Rated M for nudity, awkward situations and later sex scenes. Includes lesbian, bisexual and hetero relations as well as F/F, M/F and M/F/F sex. This is a strange story and you've been warned now. Thank you.

Chapter IV: A Rose by any other name...

After getting Stones redressed, the two of them went out to meet up with Amy for lunch over at the Meh Burger with Sonic and the boys. Tails was staying behind so he could analyze the memory chip that was stuffed up her birth canal in the anti-magnetic electrically isolated container. Seeing the cyborg Echidnae once more seemed to make the villagers rather nervous even though they were assured by Sticks herself that Stones was no Eggman robotic monster sent to destroy them like the ones that came before.

"Ever have a Meh Burger before?" asked Sticks as she looked up to Stone's eye level.

"I do not recall being there before," she replied.

"Well you're in for a treat, sweetie," she replied as she held Stone's hand once more, "Your burger is on me."

"Thank you. You are too kind."

"I'm just glad you're here to protect me from Eggman," she sighed, "While I'm used to being alone, he's never come so close to taking me as a hostage before."

"I shall protect you from him with my very life."

"Well," she sighed as she looked down, "Let's hope... it doesn't come to that..."

The Meh Burger soon came into view with its open air seating and it's small square tables. Sticks noted that Sonic and Knuckles were waiting for them at one table while Amy was sitting at another by herself. While Sonic and Amy waived at the two of them, Knuckles appeared to be more interested in his burger.

"So should I bring anything from my hut?" asked Sticks as she approached Amy's table, "Security systems? Bear traps? Picks and shovels?"

"No no," replied Amy awkwardly as she rubbed the back of her head, "I'm sure you won't be living with me long enough for that to matter."

"Okay then."

Stones pulled out a chair for Sticks as Sonic raised an eyebrow, and then pushed it in again once the badger had sat down in it. After that, she went a quarter of the way around the table to seat herself. She was now sitting across the table from Amy with her back to the service counter.

"Just show up whenever you're ready to move in," said Amy cheerfully, "I've already cleaned up so it doesn't look too bad right now."

"I am sure the residence appears adequate."

"I'm sure it looks good, too," added Sticks.

"Well... you have been there before," said Amy.

"That's how I know for sure!"

"Hey Amy!" called Sonic from his table.

"Yes?" she replied as she looked back.

"How about a little welcome party for our new friend Stones?"

"That would be great!" replied Sticks.

"Well I haven't had time to plan anything," said Amy nervously.

"Oh, I'm sure whatever you throw together will be just fine," he replied as he glanced over at Knuckles.

Knuckles was looking at Stones from the corner of his eye as if the hills in the distance were what he was really staring at.

"Hey!" said Sticks, "I'm sure Stones and I would love to help you set up a party!"

"You're the guests," said Amy, "You shouldn't have to..."

"I would be glad to assist a friend of Sticks."

"See?" replied Sticks as she gestured to Stones, "How can you say 'no' to sincerity like that?"

Meanwhile, Dave the Intern made his way over to their table from behind his counter. "Can I take your order today?" asked the blue nutria with his buck teeth and braces.

"Yes," replied Amy as she looked Dave in the eyes, "Gimme... uh... three number three combos."

"What kind of drink do you want?" he asked as he looked over the cyborg.

"Oh... make it three extra-large diet drinks," she replied as she looked from Sticks to Stones.

"Make my Meh Burger with extra pickle, mustard and onion, but no ketchup or coconut," added Sticks.

"Make mine with extra garlic, cheese and tomato, but no poppy seeds or mayonnaise," said Amy.

Then they both looked at Stone's silence before Amy added, "Just gives Stones here everything on hers."

Stones nodded.

After Dave returned to the counter, Sticks leaned closer to Stones and whispered, "I don't know why we bother to special order anything. He never gets our orders right anyways."

"I figure one day, he will," added Amy.

"Understood," she replied as she suddenly stood up. Sticks and Amy watched blinking as she hopped over behind the counter. Sonic was watching with his eyebrow raised as well.

"Hey!" protested Dave, "Customers aren't allowed back here!"

"The customer is always correct," she said as she grabbed Dave by the collar and sat him on the counter.

"But regulations!.." he protested.

"I must override regulations that interfere with my ability to protect Sticks," she interrupted as she began examining the stove and preparation areas.

"Huh?!" he asked.

"As long as you're back there," called Sonic, "Make two more with double everything!"

"Very well."

"This is highly irregular," protested Dave, "I'm going to have to report this to the restaurant manager!"

"Dave," sighed Amy, "You ARE the manager here. You're also the only employee here."

"Oh... that's right," he replied softly.

"Kitchen sanitation is not adequate," she said as she began cleaning off the stovetop.

"Hey!" he protested, "It's as clean as regulations require!"

"Then your regulations are not adequate," she replied evenly.

"You really should clean off the stovetop more than once a day," agreed Sonic.

"Hey!" he protested more, "I'm the one who works here! I should know what's adequate!"

"One would think," said Amy under her breath.

Dave was sweating as Sticks noted, "Worried that she's gonna take over your job?"

"No way!" he said loudly, but then added softly, "As long as no one reports this back up to corporate HQ."

"I have no interest in the fast food industry as a chef or manager."

Dave sighed in relief.

"I wouldn't mind having a hot looking boss like her," sighed Knuckles.

"What was that?" asked Sticks as she raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing!"

Amy winked at Sticks as Knuckles just blushed and looked quickly away from Stones.

Dave grumbled under his breath as Stones walked back out to the dining area carrying five combos on two different trays. One tray had all the burgers while the other had three drinks and three sets of fries. Stopping by Sonic's table, she dropped off two of the burgers before she returned to her original table.

Sonic bit into his burger before he said, "Hey! This burger is perfect!"

Knuckles on the other hand simply stared at his burger as if he wasn't sure it was really his.

Then Stones laid out the other combos around the table for Amy and Sticks before she set out her own combo.

Dave slid off the counter and returned to his work station as he looked over his shoulder at Stones.

"By the way," whispered Sticks, "You should know that Dave the Intern is..."

"A low level villainous threat. I shall keep an eye on him in case he attempts something evil. He is generally considered to be incompetent as a villain... according to his file."

"I heard that!" he called from behind the counter.

"Well it looks like your files are pretty darn accurate," said Sonic with a chuckle.

"I... need a refill," said Knuckles as he stood and walked over to the counter. Once he got there, he held out his glass as he said, "Give the same, easy ice."

Dave nodded as he took the cup, but while Knuckles was looking back at Stones, he added a lot of ice and not much drink. He nodded sort of in Dave's direction as he started walking back. Amy and Sticks watched him as he walked over to their table and sat himself next to Stones.

Amy and Sticks cleared their throats, but Knuckles was too busy looking into Stone's eyes.

"Weren't you sitting over there with Sonic?" asked Amy suspiciously.

"Huh?" he asked as if he heard her for the first time, "Oh... uh... The view from this table... is better!"

"You can come up with a better excuse than that," mumbled Sonic.

"No, he can't," replied Sticks.

Knuckles laughed nervously as he leaned over to Stones and asked, "So... how's your Meh Burger?" His gaze was aimed at a point beneath her face.

"It is acceptable."

"Her eyes aren't down there," muttered Amy.

Sticks nodded in agreement.

"Besides," she added, "Your burger is back at..."

A blue of blue, and suddenly Knuckles' burger was in front of him.

"...your table," she sighed. Then she looked at Sonic as she said, "You aren't helping."

He shrugged from his seat.

Stones was looking off into the hills at some point well beyond the edge of the village.

Sticks picked up on her 1,000 yard stare as she asked, "You see something?"

While she was distracted, Knuckles laid his hand on top of hers as it lay on the table.

"I believe we are under surveillance," she said evenly.

"Who?" asked Sonic.

Using her cybereye, she projected a three-dimensional image of a certain black hedgehog onto the table.

"Shadow?!" called Sonic, "He's here?!"

"He vanished as soon as he realized I had spotted him."

"Blast," he replied, "If Shadow's watching us, it can't be anything good."

"Yes," she replied, "He is extremely powerful and a high level threat to Sticks."

"He's probably working alone," mused Amy, "After the last time he teamed up with Doctor Eggman."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," replied Sonic.

"Me neither," said Sticks.

"I better warn Tails about this," he added as he vanished in a blue blur. His burger vanished along with him, but they couldn't tell if he took it with him or just ate it that quickly. "See you tonight for the party!" he called as he ran off.