Here I am! I've returned from the dead! And with good news. I'm continuing the story till it's end for this week! (Only because this thing's haunting at me to finish it.) You may notice some improvements in my story-telling, you may see some things that hasn't changed since then So without further ado here's Chapter 11!

You know the drill...

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, they belong to Sega and Sonic Team!

Remember to R&R and enjoy the story!~

My ears then began to flicker along with Sonic's and Tails'. It was then I heard hard mechanical footsteps being made. I guess the time has come huh? To be captured or to stop this madman…? That's a good question.

I felt weird inside. It was as if my heart just slowed down to the point where my blood ran cold. Everything began to slow down. Still motioned pictures played in front of me. A rushing blue blur made his way out the threshold as the orange blur grabbed my arm.

"Cream, I know the chao being packed into those robots was upsetting… But… If we don't move quick, Eggman will imprison us along with the chao and no one would be able to save them…"

He was right. As usual… I would follow, but the feeling grew stronger… I couldn't move. "I know Tails… I-I know…"

My vision began to blur. I still saw the orange blob in front of me. It was a good thing that I couldn't see his face. That would just make the pain inside even worse. My throat had knots in it. Major knots. I wanted to say something in response, but all that came out were sobs. It all came out. Sobs, tears… everything. I honestly don't feel like a detective now. I feel like a child that was far away from home and without a very close friend. A friend that always floated beside me… I want him back…

My thoughts were broken in by loud crashing sounds.

"Tails! You gotta get Cream out of here! Looks like ol' Eggy just called in some back up. You gotta find Cheese from here… I'll hold 'em off long enough for you to find him and get out of here. This… is where the fireworks truly begin." I could only imagine the blue figure's trademark smirk. He always seemed so confident in these things. Calm and cool under pressure. …I envied that about him.

I then felt weightless. I was raised up from what I can tell, and then cradled to fit the arms of the young fox. I could tell that was him because I hugged him numerous times ever since we became close friends. It felt weird. Not the same weird I felt before but… something different.

"Don't worry Cream. I promise I'll find Cheese. But since you know and sense chao better than I do, you're gonna have to lead the way… Ok?" The kitsune took a hand and gently pulled my face up to meet his before wiping away my tears.

My face grew hot. Looking at his face put me at ease, at the same time I felt uneasy. Why must I be so hard to figure out? I know myself better than others, so why this feeling all of the sudden?

I mustered up a simple "Ok..."

"Er, do you want to walk or… should I carry you?"

Whatever makes things easier… Wish I could say something to respond but nothing… I sensed uneasiness in his voice, so obviously he seemed to be at a loss as to what to do now.

"Well, don't just stand there and have a moment!" Sonic intervened our conversation. "Get out of here and get Cheese!"

Tails nodded and carried me off anyway without hearing my empty reply.

I just notice though… He's a lot stronger than I thought. I seemed light to the two-tailed fox and he carried with such ease. It felt as if we were two puzzle pieces… finally put together to form one. I wanted this feeling to last for a long time…

"Cream? Where to now? I can't keep wandering the halls forever; we're in danger here!"

I mused at that. I tried focusing my thoughts on the chao. As if on cue, several cries of chao reverberated the long metallic hallways. One sounded a lot like… Cheese! Those chao must be brainwashed before being stuffed into those robots.

My feelings of sadness transformed into fits of rage.

"Cheese!" I trembled. Whatever could be happening to him can't be good… And I know it.

"Where!"

I pointed northwest of us in response. I can tell the voice came from the second door which was merely 20 feet away from us.

"Alright! Hang on tight!" His tails began to wind up quickly. "This'll be a bit of a quick ride…"

His pace began to quicken as he practically flew the room with me in tow. I felt the warm safety of his arms as well as the adrenaline build up with such intensity that it was hard to control myself. I gave a slight squeal of excitement as we nearly collided with enemy robots just up ahead.

My companion quickly dropped to his feet gently as his tails began to slow down. He gave a bone chilling glare at the mechanical prisons for chao in front of us. He seemed just as mad as I was at them.

"Alright, you mechanical menaces, what did you do with our chao? "

He gently put me down to my feet. "Tails… our chao could either be in the container in front of us, the robots or the container we left behind…"

He nodded at me. "Right and there's only one way to find out…" Before the robots could make a move toward him, he hopped atop one of them. "To see what it's made of!" The cunning fox made work of the robot by pulling off part of its hard exterior to reveal wires and a small capsule inside where the chao supposedly resides to power and control the robot.

"Chao-chao!" It made its cry. It sounded upset for being trapped in there by the cruel man himself. Then again, anyone would be mad for someone placing them into a robot out of their will.

"We meet again, little guy…" a smile grew on his muzzle as he plucked the familiar-looking chao from the robot.

Weird sounds were made as I looked around. As my eyes rested on the source of those sounds, the robot just finished its charge of energy needed to fire it at the two before I could warn them…

The beam of light fired at the two. It was too late to call for them to dodge it. I couldn't think of what else I could do as the image played in slow motion once again. My brain couldn't react along with my body for some reason… It was as if my feet had minds of their own as the light grew larger and larger until… I sacrificed myself for them.

"No! Cream! Why did you block it, I could have dodged in time! Please be ok…please…" his pleas began to fade with my sight as everything blanked out into darkness. Excruciating pain flowed through my body from head to toe. It hurts… It hurts so badly… But it was worth it, to save my friend from harm…

I couldn't hear much else from him. And the pain faded away moments later. I can't tell if it was minutes, hours, or days. I was able to twitch slightly out of involuntary action, so I think I'm still alive. Voices began to play once again over the sounds of explosions and several cries.

"Whoa… She doesn't look too hot… Tails, what the heck happened to her! Looks like someone tried to barbecue Cream!"

"…She took the fall for me, Sonic…" the other voice sobbed. "I didn't dodge in time and she just covered for me…"

"She's pretty brave to do something like that for you."

"I know… I'm lucky to have people like you and her to help me…"

"Chao chao!" Two voices agreed with him simultaneously.

It hurts to move still, but I made the attempt at opening my eyes.

"Hey, look guys! I think she's coming to!" the older voice chimed in.

The vision was blurred once again, but I can tell who sat in front of me. Sonic, Tails, and a couple of chao, Cheese and the Tails chao. I can only imagine the concerned faces on them. Warm sensations took place of the pain as two hands clutched at my shoulders.

"Cream! Were you nuts back there! Why did you just jump in front of the beam! You could have been killed! How was I supposed to tell your mother if you were killed! I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you just died…" my vision improved to show the orange kitsune sobbing softly through clenched teeth.

I spoke up, despite of it hurting to do so. "Tails… like you wouldn't be able live with yourself because of me dying, I wouldn't be able to live myself if you died…"

It was true. I wouldn't. It's too hard and painful if ANY of my friends died right in front of me. It was a stupid thing to do, but… I think it was worth it.