A/N: Sorry guys, but I've been suffering from a complete lack of motivation lately. The onslaught of schoolwork hasn't helped. I'm back, anyway, at least for now. Here's the latest installment for Woman, which I worked pretty hard on. You know the drill - read, and review. :3

Knuckles was started awake by the insistent ringing of his bedside phone.

"Nnn.." he groaned, groping wildly for the source of noise, face still buried into his pillow. Finally, his bulbous hands took hold of the handle, causing the infuriating noise to stop mid-ring. "What?"

"Good morning!" chirped the line. Amy Rose's voice was like candy ribbon. Knuckles grunted.

"I called you earlier," he said sleepily. Straddling the phone between his shoulder and the side of his face, he pushed himself up on his elbows. "Oh, really?" Amy said. She paused a moment, as if trying to recall. "I guess I missed it."

"Guess you did," he mumbled, pushing some of his unkempt dreadlocks from his face. He blinked a few times.

"Did you leave a message?"

"No." The conversation lapsed into silence. Knuckles, finally having gained some sense of study consciousness, sat up and swung his legs over the side of his hotel bed. He stared down down at his toes, wiggling them a few times. There was a slightly unpleasant, tingling sensation as the blood rushed into them. Amy Rose, he thought, seemed strangely distracted. "Why'd you call?"

"Why did YOU call?" Amy Rose mirrored, sounding curious.

"I..." Knuckles faltered, fumbling with his words. "I wanted to see how you were doing," he finished lamely.

"Oh..." Amy didn't believe him, and Knuckles didn't blame her. He didn't even believe himself. "Well, uhmm... I'm doing great, thanks."

"That's good," Knuckles found himself honestly at a loss of words. After having finally caught some semblence of sleep, his unexplainable urge to express his growing devotion for Amy had subsided - at least for now. He scratched the back of his head. "So uh, why did you call?" He felt it was safe to ask now.

"Oh!" His words brought the life back into Amy's cheerful voice. "I was wondering if you want to go to breakfast, sleepy face." She laughed a charming little laugh. "Or should I let you get some more beauty rest, hmmm?"

"The very thought is a threat to my masculinity," Knuckles said darkly. "No, I'm awake now. Where do you want to go?"

She gave him the name and address of some little diner in Station Square that Knuckles had never been to before. Knuckles nodded as she spoke, feeling stupid afterwards because he knew she couldn't see him. "Alright, sounds fine," he said, and couldn't help but yawn. "I need to find my shoes. When do you want to go?"

"Well..." she giggled, "there's no time better then the present."

"Sheesh, Amy," he growled. "Now you've got to make me rush."

Conversation at lunch had been light. Several times they had fell into silence, though Knuckles had the distinct instinct that Amy had something to say. He kept waiting patiently for her to speak, but she never did. Several times he found himself struggling to find topics of conversation himself, which was very unusual for him. Usually Amy was the talkative one.

He simply stared at her over his empty bowl of oatmeal. Amy had long since finished her omlet herself, and was simply staring back, a smile tugging on the verge of her pretty mouth. She looked him directly in the eye, and yet, seemed somehow far beyond it, looking into space. It made Knuckles slighly uncomfortable and wildly curious.

The check came, and Knuckles paid it without comment, despite the flurry of protests from the little pink hedgehog. It was the most she had said since he arrived. When he got his recipt and complimentry mint, Amy Rose made no noise that seemed to suggest she was ready to leave. Knuckles lingered, but he could take the silence no longer.

"So, what're you doing after this?" Knuckles inquired, searching desperately for a line of conversation that he could hook her with. Amy's lack of communication with him was very unsettling.

"I'm going shopping for clothes," she said predictably. If Knuckles had only learned one thing from his vacation in Station Square, it was that Amy loved to shop, and loved to do it constantly.

"So soon?" he said, smirking a little. "But didn't I just go shopping with you a few days ago."

"Well, yes, but those were for my summer clothes," Amy Rose explained. "I need an actual dinner dress for tonight."

"Oh?" Knuckles was surprised she hadn't informed him earlier. "Where are we going?"
Amy Rose's smile broadened, but she did not eleborate. Instead, she moved to stand.

"C'mon, Knuxie," she said. "Let's take a walk."

Fifteen minutes later found them making their way leisurely down the boardwalk at Emerald Beach. The sun was beginning to set high in the sky, beating down on them - even though it was still early on, Knuckles knew the day was going to be hotter than heck.

They milled past scores of families and happy couples, strolling in relative silence. Knuckles found his mind drifting, watching children run by in interest. As the last of his kind, he had never had a real childhood, nor probably had the ability to raise children of his own. Fleetingly he wondered what it was like to be apart of a family, or have a family of his own - and he looked towards the sky.

"Knuckles," Amy's voice brought him out of his stupor. He looked toward her. "I just wanted to thank you." And she kissed him.

The kiss was actually quite short, but to Knuckles it was a lifetime. Amy's mouth was lovely and soft, and so close to him she smelled distinctly of strawberries and suntan lotion. Her hand had settled on his wrist, the small gesture leaving him suddenly warm and flushed all over. Knuckles startled, eyes fluttering closed, but it was over as soon as it began and Amy Rose had pulled away, smiling.

Knuckles found himself breathing harshly, and all those feeling from the night before came back in a hurricane, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. He stepped back, and then forward, trying to catch his balance. "Amy..."

"I just wanted to thank you," she said, her voice a half-whisper. Knuckles leaned in, captivated and enchanted. "You're everything I could have hoped for."

"Oh, yeah?" Knuckles asked, a little sheepish. He knew his cheeks were burning, but he was beyond the point of caring. He felt smug and shy and completely head over heels in adoration, all at the same time. "And.. how is that?"

Amy simply smiled, twirling away from him. Knuckles laughed and stepped forward after her as she spun out of his reach. Finally, she turned to face him again, face alight with joy. "It worked, Knuckles!" she said, laughing musically. "It worked! Sonic asked me out, and we're going to dinner tonight! I'm Sonic's girlfriend!"

Knuckles' heart shattered.