Much love to those who read, review and come back.

So Amy is back home, but she isn't out of the woods quite yet (geddit?). Again I try to keep this lot somewhat in character, while acknowledging they are years older than their canon counterparts.

I meant to mention before, but a song that really got me pumped up to write this Sonamy fic is "Dear Boy" by Avicii (full version is 7 minutes but there are radio edits, or look up the lyrics). The lyrics to me seem Amy's P.O.V and even the music seems game like. Anyway, credit where credit is due.

Sonic et al belong to Sega.


"...and I thought the Black Badger was a scary thing to see in the woods. But you stood up to them, you got through, that's a good thing aint it?"

Amy sighed and slipped deeper in to the bubbles, "Yes, I think so. They get teenage girls to look after those dolls that scream realistically to put them off having babies too early...what they really need is a tentacle monster. I don't think I can go near a baby again for a good long while"

"I thought I saw some crazy things. There's a robot version of me living in the sky. But babies that turn in to aliens? You're nuts."

"I'm sure you could be calling me worse things. I'm sure the villagers will be."

Sticks, who was at leaning against the tub, turned to look Amy in the eye, "I don't know. I think there are a lot of secrets out there. I hear Lady Walrus has a tattoo of her husband across her back."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"In the image he's whipping her with a liquorice stick."

"...how do you..."

Stick smiled. "I've seen it. If she wants to keep it quiet, she won't be calling you anything."

Amy laughed, "Do you have dirt on everyone?"

"Oh you bet, you don't get to be me by not spying on all your neighbours. Even Sonic has been...oh er...I..."

Amy's face dropped again, "It's okay Sticks, I know. He left me a message on my communicator before I came back. Still can't handle his alcohol"

Sticks felt awful to feel so relieved. She had debated telling Amy what she knew, but it was not a secret that could be swept under the rug. Sonic had been so reckless without Amy to keep an eye on him and he had got drunk on more than one occasion. If he knew he had called Amy and told her what he had...was...doing...he would have skipped town.

"I don't think he knows you know. Nobody knew about the city girls as he was keeping that away from home, but Staci lives in the village and she hasn't shut up about..."

"City girls?!"

Sticks froze, "What? City...what words are you making up...I don't...forest demons talking to you."

Amy screamed in frustration, "I should have known! Here I am trying to fight back the guilt of sleeping with Shadow while Sonic has been out chasing tail left right and centre! How long has this been going on? Years? Kept me hanging on...and he's...buried in...the nearest..."

"Never another hedgehog though," Sticks offered.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Amy grumbled as she stepped out of the bath, not caring that she was soaking the floor as she walked passed Sticks. When she finally grabbed a towel she realised Sticks was scrutinizing her back.

"What are you doing?"

"You er...did say you slept with Shadow?"

"Yes, I'm not going in to details if that's what you're expecting."

Sticks chewed on her lip, "No I wasn't expecting that."

Amy started squeezing the water out of her quills. Taking deep breaths to stop herself from losing her temper and unfairly taking it out on her friend, she asked again, "What is the significance of him not...being with another hedgehog?"

Sticks was still chewing on her lip, harder this time, "I don't know, guess he knew he couldn't ever replace you."

"Ha, replace me? He never had me! Good thing too, apparently I'd have been sharing him. Stupid blue fuc..."

"Don't give me that. If you didn't love him you wouldn't be this upset," Sticks declared, pointing her finger at her rosy comrade.

Amy glared at the pointed digit, but rather than scream any more she let out a whoosh of breath.

"You know Sticks, I'm starting to wonder if you weren't once one of those forest ghosts. I do love him, and yes that may have been part of the reason I came back. I'm not happy to hear of other girls, but it's still Staci that hurts the most. Strangers are just physical, she is more personal. So there's competition. I'm not resting on my laurels now I know the truth. Just before I murder him, I'm going to make him mine"

"But as you said, he's with Staci now," Sticks pointed out in a lower voice.

Amy looked over her shoulder at the younger badger and smiled devilishly.

"You think that's going to stop me?"


Sometimes he was an idiot, and often he frustrated her, but Knuckles was also by far the least judgmental creature she knew and when he bundled her up in a hug she gladly took it.

"I am so glad you're back! I was worried you would never be back from your Aunt's," he cried, finally putting her down.

"My...my Aunts?"

"The family you were visiting," Tails interrupted, giving her a toothy smile and nodding with encouragement.

"Oh," she replied, "Yes my Auntie...Flo...Tation."

"Auntie Flo Tation?"

"Twice removed on my cousins side."

"...she sounds nice."

Amy grinned and look questioningly at Tails. He sidled up to her and whispered in her ear.

"We told the villagers you were visiting family. He did know where you were, but when he started to believe the lie instead, we decided not to correct him."

"What was wrong with the truth?" she asked defensively.

"We just didn't want to confuse him."

She released her frown and looked a little sheepish, "Yes, of course."

They were in Tails workshop. It was the day after Amy's return and she was beginning to find her feet again. Tails had called by but Sticks had sent him away with the promise that Amy would be able to see them once she was herself. Really they were delaying the inevitable meeting with Sonic, but Tails reassured them he would not be there.

"Where were you? I should have been able to track you once you picked up your communicator, but the signal jumped all over the place."

"To be honest Tails, I don't think I know myself. Shadow can move through time and space in a different way to the rest of us. I was right here, but not here at all."

He scratched his chin, "So an alternate dimension? He always did seem to appear and vanish at a moments notice. Maybe on the same time wave as us, which is why we could call you. Do you think it was the same place where the other Knuckles came from? The other Eggman? Did you experience any anomalies, like we did with him? No that can't be, it only took a few hours for issues to present themselves then. If you never saw anyone but him maybe it wasn't even this planet! What if..."

"I'm sorry I didn't come home," she sighed suddenly, "I did like hearing from you, the little messages about your work. I missed you, I shouldn't have just ditched you like that, with no real answers"

He smiled at her, "It's your life Amy, once we knew you were safe, we were happy."

She smiled weakly in return, "I wouldn't say happy. Sticks flipped again earlier and she's banned me from visiting her."

Knuckles walked back over to them, "Yea she's nuts, but she doesn't want to kill Sonic any more so I'm sure she will forgive you for running away with the creepy hedgehog who sometimes attacks us."

Amy and Tails just stared at him.

"What? Hey if Sonic is going to play the field why shouldn't you? You must have arrived at your Aunts late in the evening thought amirite? Hope she didn't keep asking you awkward questions."

"Knuckles, you are an enigma," Amy gasped in surprise.

"It's pronounce Ek Id Nah."

She sighed, "Shadow knows how to fight well, obviously. He was able to pick up on my flaws, which is mostly my reaction speed. I can hit, I can hit hard, but when he caught me off guard I couldn't react quick enough. I was learning to be more prepared in battle, because you never know if Metal Sonic could return. That's what I was learning while I was there. Why do you think I was...er...playing the field?"

"Why else would you stay? I mean, if you're sorry you didn't come back, that means you could have right? Something must have been keeping you there voluntarily. You're a tough fighter Amy, Shadow couldn't have shown you that much" Tails chimed in.

"Yea, it's like those Jimmy Pond films I like to watch. No matter how he treats them, if he spends more than a few hours with a woman, they give in to his good looks and cold, distant stare" Knuckled beamed.

Amy snorted, "Shadow showed me a lot. It wasn't just physical...I mean fighting physically. He taught me not to doubt what I can do. He has respect for my intelligence, and knows it too can be a weapon."

Knuckles smiled harder, "You had sex with him too right?"

"YES I DID HAVE SEX WITH HIM! CAN WE CONCENTRATE ON ALL THE OTHER THINGS I DID?"

Both guys were cowering in the corner, but she was too mad to feel bad about screeching from the rooftop. She should have known they would concentrate on that of all things. Even Sticks had asked about the fighting skills she had learned before she asked about anything else.

"We're sorry Amy, that was very rude of him," Tails whimpered, "Can I ask you more about the world you were in?"

Amy pouted, but nodded. While Knuckles remained hidden across the other side of the room she explain to Tails about the forest and the creatures that dwell within. Recounting her adventures through the monsters home was rewarding and difficult. She didn't go in to any great details about her visions, as though they were her nightmares, they would still be disturbing to her friends. He seemed fascinated with the prospect of other worlds running parallel to their own and he vowed to find a way through to them. If Eggman could do it then so could he.

"I mean, Shadow can do it just by thinking about it, it shouldn't be too difficult to create a portal again. It's more making sure that portal leads to the right place. And that it's stable this time"

Amy watched and listened as Tails wandered around his workshop muttering to himself. He seemed genuinely excited. She knew deserting them for her own gain had been selfish, but at least she was able to give something back. She looked over at Knuckles who was still sat stock still in the corner.

"Hey Ek Id Nah, I never quite mastered breaking rocks with my fists, think you can show me how?"

He beamed, "Oh boy, would I? No hammers though, right?"


The day had been long, but at least it now felt like she had never been away. It had been the most brutal method, but Knuckles badgering had at least cleared the air. Though it had sounded like him being nosey, she was sure buried under his curiosity had been a sense of protectiveness. They had spent years together and fighting alongside each other, so it was only natural for them to feel disconnected and concerned when she had grown up without them. She signed with contentment as she pushed her door open, safe in the knowledge they loved her still.

The blue of his fur was a stark contrast to the lilac of her couch. He was slouched, with his feet on the table, flicking through the channels on her T.V. As she shut the door behind her, he flicked off the box and slowly lowered his feet to the floor, but he did not turn to her.

"Not sure I deserved that," he said in a low voice while pointing to his cheek. She could see the swelling under his eye.

"That was an accident," she replied, feeling the chill emanating from him, like opening a freezer on a summer day.

"You accidentally punch people often? Or is this something Shadow has taught you?"

"I didn't realise...you weren't meant to...look I'm not explaining right now."

"Why do I get the feeling there's a lot you won't be explaining."

Amy puffed up her chest. She should have been more prepared for his reaction after her time in the woods, but the demons only read her fears...they didn't know how the real Sonic would react. Neither did she, and it had not started well.

"What do you mean by that?"

He stood up and turned completely away from her, "I strolled by the workshop earlier. You aren't very good at controlling your volume when you're angry. Pretty much the whole village heard you."

She sucked in a deep breath, and let it out of her lungs slowly, "According to Sticks you had already told them I had 'shacked up' with Shadow."

"I wasn't lying though was I?"

He remained a short distance away but he finally turned to look at her. His eyes were just as cold as his words and for a second she stumbled. She could see the anger and the hurt buried in those emerald gems and guilt spread through her. He had never looked upon her with such eyes.

"Sonic, it wasn't like that, he..."

"Not like that? So when you bellowed earlier you did have sex with him, you didn't mean it?"

Her temper finally began to kick back in, "Fine, it wasn't like that to begin with. I knew I was weak, emotionally and physically, and so did he. He respected the boundaries I fought to keep up. It was a battle I was losing around yo..."

He laughed, halting her words, "You caved in eventually though didn't you? A few weeks with him and you let him have his way. What did change your mind then, Miss Weakling?"

She sniffed haughtily. She unhooked her communicator from her wrist, and setting up the answer machine message, she threw it at his feet. As his drunken voice played it's relationship destroying message she watched his face flicker from fear, to guilt, to anger, to finally rest on a placid, blank slate as it all went quiet again.

"Revenge sex. Most people aren't virgins when they have it," he sneered.

She coughed out an angry laugh, "You would know. That's why you went back to her isn't it? To get back at me for ditching you?"

"You ditched us all. Like an idiot I was worried about you when all along you were getting your rocks off," he growled at her.

"I told you it wasn't like that. Right up until the point I heard that message I was staying faithful to you, even though I had no reason to. You can't act like I cheated on you when you never wanted me."

There was a blue blur and a slam, and he was miles away by the time she finally let out a scream of hurt and confusion.


That night she went through just about every emotion she had ever felt. In the early hours of the morning she found herself slowly walking towards the woods. She needed to be held, she needed to melt back into the shadows. She couldn't think why she ever left in the first place.

In the darkness of the night something scuttled by and she leapt out of her skin. It was just a bug, but the visions of lying in the empty bed while the woods whispered to her came flooding back. She had battled them and won, but she did not want to do it again. Going back to Shadow would be the cowards way out, and he wouldn't allow it even if she tried. The rose tinted glasses were too easy to put on.

Staci was not going to win, she had decided that. But Sonic had cut her deeply and a scar was forming on her heart. He was hurt, and though they had fallen out before this was on a whole new level. Whatever happened, they made up; they never hated each other for long. If she left now, she would break their fragile bond completely.

She wouldn't go running to him. She wouldn't hide from him. But she had to get his attention and if one thing was sure to work, it was to make herself more alluring. She would have to stomp down her pride if she was going to catch his eye. Catch it, and keep it.