I have returned! Anyone missed me?

No? Okay.

New chapter, new drama, new POV.

Enjoy!

"Keep reading or you'll miss the best part," Amy gripped the steering wheel as she swerved around the traffic. Her red boots pressed against the gas pedal, eyes focused on a screen and not the road.

Tikal sat laxed in her seat, feet up on the dashboard, as she swiped through her friend's phone. She sipped a mango smoothie, her seat reclined back. Perhaps not the most comfortable position but it was better than sitting up straight.

Neither wore seatbelts.

"I don't know how you got my number but if you keep contacting me I'll get the police— she did not just threaten you!" Tikal read the message aloud. A fake voice was given for the sender of the text. It was exaggerated, overblown for entertainment value. The echidna's eyes went wide from the ending.

"She totally did and it was after I got off the phone with her demanding to know what the hell she did to Sonic," That was the root of all the urgency; Amy's anger. A friend of hers was hurt very, very, badly and it was up to her to piece it all together. Make it right. Bring the criminal to justice. There would be no avoiding her wrath and Sonia should've known better.

"What did she do? I know Sonia isn't a saint, but she loves her brothers more than anything," Tikal attempted to explain in hopes of getting a bigger picture, in hopes of giving Amy the bigger picture. She adjusted in her seat as the car went blaring down the road.

"Something awful. I don't even know if I can say it, but Sonic told me he is now living with a rich friend, and I couldn't help but think who the hell he could be talking about,"

"Sally—?"

"I'm scared it is her and if so we just can't...cannot let it happen,"

"Why not? I thought Sally and Sonic were dating,"

"They dated. Off and on, and there is a reason they aren't together anymore. I like Sally as much as the next guy, we're good friends for crying out loud, but she's just toxic for him and she'd simply trigger his trauma,"

Tikal kept silent and Amy made note of that. Toxicity wasn't something either of them were stranger to, not that she'd admit that. Tikal had Knuckles on a leash, manipulating him with her damsel in distress persona that the guardian in him couldn't ignore. It was a trick Amy taught her herself and whether or not it was a good thing was up for debate. The truth was Amy, with her obsessive attitude and blatant crush on Sonic, didn't have a leg to stand on. If Sally was triggering, she'd be equally as much.

"I don't think it's Sally." It was another few seconds before her friend spoke again.

"Why not? Who else would it be?" Amy bashed the horn as a car in front of her abruptly stopped. She poked her head out of the window, yelling expletives before recklessly driving around the assailant and flipping him the bird. "Dumb bastard! Do people not know how to drive?"

Takal didn't respond, the echidna simply resumed scrolling only this time taking her feet off the dashboard and fastening her seatbelt. It was an indicator that the vehicle should slow down. It did not.

Tikal continued. "Well in the message he says his friend was kind enough to allow him to use his place, so it has to be a guy,"

As if caught up in a new revelation, Amy took her eyes off the road, again, and scrambled to see what Tikal was referring to. Her friend handed her the phone and pointed to the message in question. It all made sense.

"See. There's nothing to worry about—"

"That's even worse!" Amy screeched at the top of her lungs. It proved that whatever happened to him, happened. She sped up, the cars around her continued to honk at the mad woman. "Sonic needs to be home with his mother. Not a random rich guy we've never met!" The hedgehog got passionate with her wheel gripping. It was obvious this was messing with her more than it should have.

"That's true," Her friend went silent for a moment before pulling out her own phone and looking out the window at the passing street signs. She had an app opened that allowed contacts to see their general area if their location was switched on. It was good Tikal still had Sonia as a friend otherwise they'd be screwed since Amy, perhaps rightfully, got herself blocked. "I think the grocery store is down Emerson Ave. You almost missed it because you're going so fast,"

At the drop of a dime, Amy swifty turned onto the busy street just as the light turned red. She wasted no time gliding down the road recklessly. It was a wonder they hadn't been pulled over. In a flash they turned into a parking lot nestled between two buildings. Two cars were pulling out just as Amy pulled in and she nearly bumped into both of them. More horns honked and curses thrown. A bad case of road rage threatened to make Amy do something she would later regret, but the thought of Sonic kept her on track. "I swear half the people in this city shouldn't have a license,"

With a screeching halt, the pink hedgehog reversed into a handicap parking spot. When she got a concerned look from her friend, Amy reached into her glove compartment and pulled out a blue and white placard. "My dad has a busted knee, not that it matters since this is very important and there is no other parking available," There was. Near the road there were plenty of parking spots, but Tikal said nothing further, and Amy definitely wouldn't push the matter.

The decent sized lot attached to a market. It sat in a traditional, one story warehouse, as the surrounding architecture didn't go below four stories. A small oasis in a concrete jungle, at least that is how it advertises itself. The grocery store was far from a mom and pop shop, having chains all across Liberty City, but it's small structure and neighborly aesthetic could fool anyone.

The two stepped out of the convertible. The mango smoothie still in the echidna's hands, and her phone in Amy's. The hedgehog's signature red dress was replaced with something more practical for the occasion; simple tights so as not to flash anyone if things got difficult. Tikal followed suit under Amy's request, also wearing black leggings. They were tight fitting and uncomfortable at times, primarily in the crotch region since wedgies weren't exactly flattering, but Amy knew her friend could handle it.

"She should still be inside, so I want you to go to one end of the store and I'll go to the other. The plan is to comb through this entire building until one of us spot her, got it?" The pink hedgehog handed her friend her phone back. This was treated like a special ops mission despite not being all too serious. Only of course it was serious. Any small misfortune to the world's fastest hero was a big deal.

"Got it. If I spot her I'll call you and vice versa?" Tikal asked, taking one big slurp of her drink.

"Exactly! First one to her doesn't confront until we are both there," It sounded easy enough. It was a basic ambush. Their goal was to corner Sonia so they could talk one on one, two on one, without the hanging up of phones or the simple walking away from a conversation. This conversation had to be had with no ways out.

With everything out of the way, the two females entered the market through two separate entrances. Amy grabbed a cart and spotted her friend at the other end. They nodded at each other before going in opposite directions.

Slowly she tried to look as casual as possible. Green eyes scanning each passing aisle. The shop wasn't as busy around this time in the morning, but that said little for such a popular store. People still gathered all around, bustling from shelf to shelf for their daily items. Some took their sweet time, others in an early morning rush. Amy did find the occasional empty row usually containing the expensive organic and gluten-free products, which would be shocking if they were midtown, but not surprising for the neighborhood.

A buzz came from her bra. It was a cozy spot to store her phone when she lacked pockets. Also it made her smaller breast appear slightly larger. Which was a great added plus.

On the screen was a message from Sonic which caused her heart to flutter all over again. They had been texting back and forth since his party and she never imagined it to go so well. He seemed genuinely interested in her, and even felt open enough to share such a delicate part of his childhood. The way things were going they could be dating very soon. Oh she hoped. She deeply hoped.

Call?

I want 2 hear her admit it.

Amy would happily call just to hear his voice but apparently Sonic's microphone was broken. He could be so clumsy at times and she loved it.

Ok.

I'm in the store now

Finding her 3

His number was dialed and the phone rang only once before he picked up. There was no sound on the other end, but that was expected. "Sonic, can you hear me? If yes just send a quick text," Her phone vibrated giving her the answer she craved. "Sweet! I'm going to put you on speaker so you can hear everything. I'm really sorry you had to suffer through your past, but are you sure this will help with the trauma?" She asked the silent black screen. Another text message was sent.

Yes.

I need it

Amy stopped dead in her tracks. A familiar voice mumbled not too far away, so she flew into a breakfast aisle. On the other end of the cereal shelf she spotted none other than Sonia herself, and on the phone too. Her voice was low at almost a whisper. Amy aimed her mic as close as possible so Sonic could hear.

"We only need $300 for the gas and light bill. I'm able to cover the rest but right now I'm the only one working," Like a rookie giving an elevator speech, there was a lot of stuttering and insecurity in her words. The voice on the other end spoke and Sonia went quiet as she listened. Eventually she was given a moment to speak again. "He doesn't have a job, no, but we are handling it. I have been so behind because of the career switch, but if you send the money it would help so much," The magenta hedgehog attempted to explain, though all too aware she was doing an awful job at accomplishing that. "Mother..mother please don't do that. We love it here, and I refuse to move back to Station Square—" suddenly they made eye contact, Sonia blinking behind a box of oatmeal, Amy blinking back.

The other immediately grabbed her cart and rushed to leave the aisle.

"Hey! I need to talk to you!" Amy made quick work at closing the distance, just as her target almost got away, she crashed her shopping cart into Sonia's. The other female dropped her phone. The device clattered to the ground before resting face up to reveal the caller ID.

"You're crazy!" She yelled at Amy, pointing an accusatory finger in her direction. Amy shoved her back. Sonia just looked shocked, almost flabbergasted that she would dare to be so bold. A growl escaped the magenta's lips before she went reaching for Amy's phone only for the two to break into a cat fight. They wrestled for the device, pulling at hair and clothes and yelling at the top of their lungs. It caused quite the scene that if not put to rest quickly would result in the two getting thrown out. Amy smacked her in the face, hard, allowing herself a moment to escape. Her pink hair was a mess and her collar stretched, but beyond that she was victorious.

"I'm crazy yet you refuse to answer my calls! What did you do to Sonic? Because he's accusing you of molesting him," Amy spoke in such a tone that it wasn't loud enough to disturb the peace but was in good earshot of anyone close by. They got a few head turns and a decent crowd pretending to mind their business, but sticking around to eavesdrop.

Sonia held her cheek, she picked up her phone. Her mother was still on the line. Everything felt a million times more embarrassing. "What!? I would never!" Tears pricked at her eyes.

"Oh yeah? Then explain the text messages he sent me yesterday and the pictures—"

"Pictures?!" More and more people stared. It still made little sense and only made Sonia's head hurt more.

"Yes the pictures you took of him masturbating!" By this time Tikal came over with her cart blocking another path of escape. Amy didn't keep her word by alerting her, nor waiting to confront until they were both there. It was kind of upsetting, but not shocking in the least.

The voice on Sonia's phone heard it all, gasping, before it too furiously demanded answers.

Sonia looked confused. Not guilty, not ashamed, just confused, which made Amy reel back a little. Sonic did tell her right, didn't he? She didn't misread? She couldn't have. Before Amy could question her more Sonia broke into what could only be described as a mini panic attack.

"No! Ma, I would never hurt Sonic or Manic! I would never!" The accusations were pretty heavy, awful as Amy said before, but the reaction of Sonia bursting into tears was unexpected.

The stigma was passed around until like a red spotlight of shame, it landed on her. Amy felt bad for doing this, but it was what Sonic wanted. She held her own phone nearby so the speedster could hear the whole thing. He wanted a confession and Amy would try her best to provide one, if not for him than for her own conscience. "Don't lie to your mother! You know you touched him—"

"No! No! No, I would never. I didn't I promise." She cried. More people drew near, more gathered, more looked greatly concerned.

"You did!"

"Amy stop!" Tikal was very clearly upset. The look she gave Amy was that of absolute horror, disappointment. It was warranted, but not aimed at her. It should've been directed at Sonia—

"No! Manic touches me! He touches me, he touches me. I swear I don't do it! I swear Ma! I swear," Sonia fell on her face. The people around had enough, some dialing the police others giving Amy the same disgusted look. A store manager approached them, concerned.

Tikal attempted to help Sonia up, but to no avail.

"Is everything okay?

Amy backed away from the scene, guilt now eroding her insides. It made no sense no one acts that way unless they were innocent, and if Sonia was innocent that meant Amy was a very bad person.

"Sonic? Sonic why did you tell me Sonia did that to you? Why did you lie?" Tears from hot, raging, regret streamed down her own face as Amy ran to her car. Her body shook, her mind just the same. She took the phone off speaker and pressed it against her ear despite knowing she wouldn't hear his voice.

The call hung up.

Amy froze from disbelief, unable to believe Sonic just did that, and that she just harassed Sonia for nothing.

A fry flew up in the air and landed on a pink tongue. Another followed after the first, then another, and another until eventually one missed its target and tumbled to the dusty floor. The hedgehog eyed it, a very obvious debate going on in his head, before he decided to squish the potato stick with his sneakers.

Amy glared at him. Her arms crossed, her face that of pure hatred. Her hair was still a mess from the scuffle. Her shirt ruined. Her whole day had gone to shit. On a normal occurrence she would be a chatterbox, but right now she demanded answers. Despite her seriousness Sonic couldn't help but goof off. He treated the whole situation like it never happened, like he never lied and like his sister didn't just admit she was currently being abused by his triplet.

"Sonic? Are you listening to me?" Amy graded her previously untouched beverage and stirred her straw. Cubes of ice bobbed in the fizzy liquid, precipitation gathering on the surface. In a minute her gloves were going to reach over the table and strangle the life out of him.

"What was that, Ames? Sorry I totally blanked out," Another fry went into the air but before it could land in his jaws it was swiftly snatched away by a white glove.

"She wants to speak to you alone, Faker," Shadow placed the fry on Sonic's tray before knocking on his dome like one would a door. "For a speedster you're pretty slow,"

"I am not! I was just distracted,"

Amy felt herself about to explode. He blanked out!? What did he take her for? What was his endgame? Why was he behaving like this, and so, bloody, nonchalant. The cup in her hands threatened to crack the harder she gripped it.

"Why do you want to talk alone? Whatever you want to tell me you can tell my boyfriend too," Sonic threw his arms around Shadow who gave a very deep, displeased, growl.

"You know I'm not a fag, don't you Sonic," It was a nasty bark, a bark that had a hint of inside information that Amy didn't care to know at the moment. Sonic ended their side embrace drastically before its time. He cleared his throat in hopes of starting a new conversation.

There wouldn't be a new conversation. That was the last straw

Amy slammed her hands on the table. She got up. That same glare grew more intense. Her eyes cut him with her look alone. "YOU LIED TO ME AND...and embarrassed me in front of everyone! And I think Tikal hates my guts because of you!" She wouldn't cry. She told herself she wouldn't cry. The tears were hard to fight back, but she managed it.

"Are you talking about the party? I mean I'm sorry about that. I really appreciate all the work you put in to set it up, but something important came up that I had to take care of," The words progressively got more muffled the more Sonic took a bite of his burger. He still appeared unbothered, uncaring. The burger was given more attention than he's ever bothered to give her. How was he so different in text? "You'll get over it—"

"No! I won't! And it's not your stupid… your stupid," Like a fresh tomato, Amy's face went from a peach to a deep red. "Fucking party!" The curse word shocked the two and even herself. It wasn't often she brought herself to the gutter not directed at Sonic at least.

The party was all but irrelevant now.

Amy just wanted an apology, and dammit Sonic was going to give it even if she had to hit him several times over the head with her hammer.

"Calm down, Ames. It's not that serious,"

"Calm down!? COME DOWN!? YOU TOLD ME SONIA...SONIA—" Her yelling disturbed a few restaurant patrons, but unlike at the market, she couldn't bring herself to care. She would not relax or give him the satisfaction of enjoying his meal in peace, or ignoring the terrible thing he did. She refused—

Shadow had his eyes glued on her, his gaze pulling her in, forcing eye contact, screwing with her train of thought. Sit down it told her, his mouth stationary, and his facial expression unchanged. The eyes said it all and though Amy owed this stranger nothing she felt a pull to comply. It wasn't magic, or mind control, or wonky hidden powers, it was simply a look of authority. Like a master to its dog, the look said sit and the hound would obey.

Any obeyed. Amy sat down and lowered her voice along with her head. Anything to avoid his range of sight.

"I mean what happened with Sonia. You're taking it so well and..and I don't know how you're not equally upset," she whispered, oddly feeling defeated.

Like two dinner plates, Sonic's eyes blew wide. The burger dropped. From that expression alone Amy felt satisfaction that he was finally showing some humanity. It was frightening how different he was behaving, but that look was the look of the Sonic she knew and loved.

"What do you mean?" He asked, his voice wavering.

Amy sat back, unsure what game Sonic was playing, or if he somehow got hit in the head and developed amnesia. She was going to clearly retell the events of earlier when suddenly she was stopped before she could even get a word out.

"This is it. She's saying the thing,"

"She's saying the thing?"

"I'm saying the—what?" This conversation was getting stranger by the second. Amy gave her drink a sniff to make sure there wasn't anything unusual in it. The two were messing with her again, or maybe she was going crazy.

"Ohhhh," Sonic hit his head before he broke out into laughter. "The phone call. Yeah it was a pretty funny joke. I mean not all that original, but still pretty funny. You guessed Sonia? I thought the voice sounded more like Mina Mongoose."

Gibberish. Everything was as legible as gibberish. It was a lost cause trying to follow along, a losing battle trying to decipher what he meant. If they agreed it was a joke then she would play along especially if that meant she wouldn't have to own up to her awful actions. She didn't harass Sonia, Sonia was simply doing standup.

It sounded like a load of crap, but a load of crap she was willing to take.

"Wait? A joke?" He wasn't chuckling anymore. Now he also looked in her general area but never truly at her, rather a strand of hair, or the tip of her nose, her eyebrows. Anything to avoid the eyes but still appear engaged in the conversation. "I don't—Sonic! How could you do that to me! I had anxiety all morning because of you and that sister of yours," Amy reached over the table to give the speedster a great big punch. A friendly jab more than anything. A fake smile replaced the glare. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"It's not my fault you take everything so seriously. Shadow got the joke, he's the comedian who shared it," More fries were shoved in his trap.

Shadow continued to stare unabashedly. His eyes no longer on her face but her body. The collar that once sat at her collarbone was stretched lower, revealing a bit of cleavage. "Umm," Instinctively she found herself covering her chest. The table fell to awkward silence. Amy needed a subject change, or at least something to distract from the gawking.

"Well I was going to tell you the great news I originally had but now it's ruined by that ill tempered joke." She nervously giggled, still holding back tears.

"Don't do that. Look I'm sorry you didn't find the joke funny, I mean it was pretty tame but whatever. Just tell us, don't string me along, Ames. You know a guy doesn't like that," He winked, he winked at her. Suddenly she felt a little bit better.

Sonic's enthusiastic, smooth, voice just tickled her eardrums. His perfect face with his perfect eyes and his perfect cocky grin made it hard for Amy to refuse. She didn't have something originally but could make something up at the top of her head, just for him. "Okay fine! I wanted to make up for the party, I mean it was pretty good but you weren't there. My daddy has a cabin right outside Liberty city and I was thinking we could grab a couple of close friends and spend a week down there. Just to properly give you the 18th birthday you deserve," It came out so fluently it was almost like she planned this from the jump.

"A cabin in the woods sounds pretty rad, huh Shads?" Sonic asked his doppelgänger.

Amy deflated, reminded that someone was still drooling over. "Close friends. Just close friends,"

"Yes I got that. This edgelord right here is the brother I always wanted. Couldn't get closer," Sonic gave Shadow a slap on the back. The other simply continued to sit stoically, watching Amy very closely.

He had that dead light in his eye often seen in a predator before it made its attack, but surely that was all in her head. Shadow appeared to be an okay guy. He was uncharacteristically lively at the party, kind even. To everyone, but mainly her. She couldn't even count the amount of times she had to brush him off, though. "Uhh I don't know. No offense Shadow but aren't you Sonic's nemesis? It would kinda ruin the vibe, y'know?" She attempted to let him down easily.

He simply stared.

"It looks like you two already got into a fight," The bandages were pointed out along with Sonic's bare hands. "If you need gloves you can have mine. I have a whole bunch at home—"

"Nope. I don't need em and if Shadow doesn't come I ain't going either," Sonic said, ruining the moment for the millionth time.

"But it will just—"

"Shadow goes or I stay," He was really digging his heels in. The trip was made up on the spot so it should be easy to simply cancel everything then and there, she was given a free out, but now she wanted to do it. Maybe it could be an opportunity to right the wrong, or at least get away from it for a few days.

Amy had no choice but to comply. What good would a redo birthday getaway be if the main birthday boy was absent? "Fine, but the minute you two break out into a large fight, he's gone," She crossed her arms again and pretended to have control over him staying or leaving. She knew she didn't. They probably knew too.

Everyone played along.

It was settled. They were doing this and the smile on Sonic's face should've made her equally as happy, but instead all she wanted to do was go home, take a shower, and hide away in bed.