Typical isn't it? I write this story on the basis Amy never met Shadow in the Boom cartoon, and he's now going to appear in the final two episodes. I doubt much will happen that mean I need to edit this story, but just keep this in mind if you are reading this once those final episodes have aired.

Anyway, the setting I have made up on my own. Originally I was going to base the location on one of the original game levels, but it didn't play out as I hoped, so it's my own work.

Amy's hammer frustrated me to write about, because I wasn't sure if in the Boom universe she can call it out of nothing like she can elsewhere. But as that seems to be the canon, it is used here.

But the characters, they belong to Sega, the Boom team et al.

"You, you pervert!" she screamed, staggering to her feet, the shame of being sick so suddenly paling in comparison to realising it was Shadow she had nearly succumbed to that night. She called her Piko hammer to hand, and had already swung her arm before realising her palm was still empty. Screaming in frustration she tried again but still her hammer failed to appear. As he walked towards her she swung a fist instead but it fell short.

"Get away you..." she started, but lost her balance and fell flat on her back.

"Well that was quite a show. Are we done?"

He was looking down at her, and for all the blind rage that was building up she was also still shamefully aroused by the whole situation. He looked so powerful from her angle, and in her minds eye she could see him lying down in the grass beside her...

"What do you...want to do with me?" she sighed, kicking herself for her less than subtle wording.

"Finish patching up that wound in your leg," he replied, indicating down her body. Unable to lift her head she lifted her leg in to view, blood pouring down from her calf and down her thigh. He grabbed on to her ankle, and under the assurance of his tight grip she passed out.

She came to some hours later. Enough time must have passed, for the room she was in was dark and eerily quiet, but it had been morning when they first arrived. She was in a spacious bed, and though the quilts were soft she felt little comfort. On first instinct she threw back the covers to check her leg, finding the wound neatly patched up and the dried blood cleaned off.

She felt a chill and wrapped the covers back around herself. She was dressed in the clothing she had worn in her forest, but a vest and shorts no longer matched her current surroundings. Picking up the covers with her she walked over to the window and looked out to this new world she found herself in. There was a large grassed area immediately outside the building, the odd firefly dancing over the ground providing little light. Beyond the clearing were woods, but they were not the ones she knew. The darkness was so absolute she could barely make out the outline of the first line of trees, and beyond that the forest was enveloped in the night. The thought of venturing in to them filled her with a childish fear, and she backed away from the shadows.

The room around her was plain, but it was no prison. There was a small table with a lamp and a glass of water to one side of the bed, and in the far corner a small chair by which her shoes stood. Had she been wearing them when they arrived?

There was no door, so carefully she felt her way along the wall until she could crane her head enough around the corner to look beyond her position. As her eyes adjusted to the dark she could see far enough to make out a small kitchen area and a table with one lonely chair. Much like her room though there were no creature comforts it was a perfectly functional area. Taking very careful steps she ventured further in to the alien surroundings.

It was here she detected two feint glows. Her nose finally picked up the scent of the dying embers she saw before her, tucked in the far end of the room. Next to the fire was a television, playing some old black and white film silently to itself. Without the sound it aided to the unnerving feeling the house was giving her and she walked around the sofa to turn it off and perhaps get the fire going again.

With a jolt of surprise it was then she noticed, finally, she wasn't alone. Flat on his back, one knee raised and one hand flopped behind his head, lay Shadow. His shoes and gloves were removed and his eyes were tightly shut, and she let out a quiet whoosh of breath.

For a minute, perhaps more, she silently watched him sleep. Even in this state he seemed to be frowning, but in his slumber it looked like he was in pain more than in a temper. His fur was so stark against the pale fabric of his makeshift bed, and even in this light the shock of fur on his chest was snowy white. Apart from their colouring it was one of the most distinguishing differences between him and Sonic. Lastly her eyes traced along the red streaks that dashed his limbs. Unusual markings for a hedgehog but somehow befitting him, the crimson faded to black along the back of his hands and his ankles.

In the absolute silence of the night she found herself drawn to her captor; the gentle rise and fall of his chest in time with the delicate sound of his sleepy breathing brought her the sign of life she so desired in the deafening silence. Worst of all, she could feel her more physical urges rising again and her laboured breathing echoed loudly in her ears. Before she could do something foolish she gently hopped across the room and leapt back in to the generous bed. Buried under the covers she tried in vain to block out the images of the two of them entwined and concentrate instead of the fact he had kidnapped her!

But that only added to the excitement of it all.

She only got a few hours sleep before she heard him calling her from outside, and not by her name. She was too groggy to respond properly and of all mistakes to make, she told "Sonic" to shut up and let her sleep.

If she were to hazard a guess, she would assume Shadow didn't take too well to being called by his nemesis name, as she found herself thrown over his shoulder, carried outside, and dumped on the damp morning grass. She called him a barrage of names as she got to her feet, the romantic images of the night before brushed away in a flick of her middle finger.

"Very childish, wouldn't the name Rose suggest a delicate flower?"

"Wouldn't the name Shadow suggest you're just an outline of someone else?"

"No, but it might mean I'm always behind you."

In a flash of light he vanished from sight, but in a second he reappeared directly behind her and with a swift kick sent her flying. Amy had become used to such impacts from years of fighting against Eggman and she was quickly on her feet and charging head back at the onyx fiend. When she tried again to call her hammer to her she found once more it was useless, but this time she was prepared and she aimed a high kick at his head. Without flinching he deflected the blow with his arm. Grabbing her vest with his other hand he flung her sideways and she landed with a painful thud.

"Wha...what is with you?" she cried, getting back to her feet, "isn't it enough you square up to Sonic every time you see him? What did I ever do to you?"

This time when he popped up behind her, he held her like he had that night. One hand carefully slid around her slender neck while the other knotted his fingers in to hers.

"You didn't resist," he replied, and she felt his breath hot against the back of her neck, "you want me, rosebud."

Amy was pent up, but this time there was no sexual desire burning through her; this time she was nothing but thorns. With her free hand she reached to the side of his head and grabbed a handful of quills, pulling them toward her. He growled in pain, and had she not been so enraged she may have been empathetic, but the red mist had thoroughly descended. She kept her strangle hold as he let go, and she used this rare upper hand to pull him down until he was bent over backward, only being held up by resting on her arm. She had always been stronger than she looked.

"You keep thinking that," she breathed through bared teeth, and she dropped him on his back and walked toward the forest. Even in the daylight it was black but she would not be deterred this time.

"Wait," he cried, "I wouldn't try going any further."

She carried on regardless but called back, "You can't stop me. I'm going back."

"Even if I can't, they will."

She halted. As she stared in to the darkness she realised what she thought were shadows were actually alive. Black silhouettes moved about between the trees, and though they had no eyes she could feel they were all looking at her. Even in the light of day she suddenly felt very cold and she slowly backed away. Shadows hands were upon her shoulders, but it was a gentle grip of reassurance and her anger and fear subsided.

"What are they?" she asked, trying to stifle the quake in her voice.

"You will figure it out on your own. Once you have trained here for a while, you can face them."

She turned to look at him. His red eyes softened as they made contact with hers and she felt very weary again.

"Trained?"

"There are bigger things in this world to fight, Rosebud. If you stay here I will help you learn to fight more than just machines and man."

"What more is there?"

He looked over her shoulder and in to the woods, unable at that time to tell her what he could see. Monsters came in all forms, she would need to learn to not see him as one if they were to progress further.

"Why would you stay in a place surrounded by those things?"

"You can't get out, and nothing can get in. Unless you're me. I have to go. Stay in the house, gather your strength, I want to really see what this Bud is capable of."

Their first official training session didn't end too well. Amy had sat in the middle of Shadow's house not knowing what to do with herself. She had approached the forest that surrounded them on all sides from every angle, and each time she got close she felt the hidden eyes fall upon her. They would scuttle in between the trees and whisper to each other, scrutinizing her and discussing her amongst themselves. She felt there was no possible way they were on a natural plain of existence any more and her isolation was terrifying.

She had time to think too, and that was even worse. She had been kidnapped by this virtual stranger but the scorching heat of her overbearing lust made it hard to focus on the negatives. She was away from Sonic and that was a good thing, but Shadow wasn't a far cry from her blue hero, and if he was a loner as they all assumed then maybe he couldn't control his passions either. Could she if he was offering himself to her?

He reappeared in a flash of light late in the afternoon. Amy was a bundle of nerves and anger and frustration and she blindly charged at him, unsure if she was going to kill or kiss him. Taken off guard he hadn't prepared for an attack and she floored him, literally. Flat on his back, Amy pounded at his chest and screamed at him for taking her away. He grabbed both her wrists and held her arms crossed in front of her. She couldn't pull free and screamed and writhed until she began to burn out. She was a complete mess and he didn't know how to handle her.

"Why am I here? Why do you think I need training?"

"I won this fight already," he pointed out.

"I could still take you if I wanted to," she snarled.

He flashed a very quick grin and pulled her hands to lay flat on either side of his head. Her shocked face was now close to his and he heard her emit a pitiful little whimper. He let go of her wrists and with the very tips of his fingers he gently stroked one hand up her arm. She blushed playfully and her face lowered closer to his.

Inbetween her shoulder blades was her weak spot. While male hedgehogs had spines on their back, females had a small patch of slightly thicker fur and skin, virtually invisible to the naked eye. With one tight pinch Amy drooped like a wilted flower and he was able to easily drop her on her side. He kept a tight grip until he was on his feet, pulling her up with him, like a dog with a disobedient pup. When he let go she fell right back to her knees and she took in a deep gulp of air and she tried to breath. She gasped and coughed as if she had been holding her breath. When he heard her sob a couple of times he stepped back in surprise. She wasn't meant to be doing that.

"What is wrong with you?" he snapped.

"Couldn't...fight," she gasped, "flashbacks...Lyric!"

He grimaced. He too had been under the control of Lyrics device, but while he was used to battle, Amy had been caught in Lyrics lair. She had fought well at the time, so he hadn't thought anything about stirring up those memories. An apology would not be coming, not in as many words anyway.

"You want to be stronger than this? Spend some time here and you will be able to fight inside and outside. Don't be so weak!"

Still gasping, but finally calming down, Amy rose to her feet and looked squarely at him.

"Where do I sign?"