I'm continuing this. because its cute, and I love it. I know this took forever. I wasn't sure where to go with this chapter. But I felt like I just needed to finish it and continue on.

Sticks hummed to herself in her burrow as she was experimenting with some of netting material. Testing it out it seemed pretty strong. She only hoped that whatever she was trying would stop the flying tasers before they got her. It seemed strong enough now, but she wouldn't know until she saw one to try and stop it. A knock on her door startled her. She picked up a spear and approached the door but looked out a window. No one was there.

"Hmm, suspicious," She squinted. She went back to get her netting and took a deep breath. This was probably going to be it. She opened her door and hid behind it. There was fluttering on the other side. Maybe it was one!

She waited for it to come in but whatever it was didn't come into view. Did someone just prank her? Right as she relaxed a little ball popped around the corner and scared her. She screamed, threw her door wide open, and throwing her net put the net hovered there with a confused Ebony underneath it. Ebony was holding something big and had been confused by the rather odd welcome.

"Oops," Sticks scratched her head. "Sorry, little guy."

Ebony tried to get out of the netting but only got more tangled in it. It frustrated her, so she dropped whatever she was carrying, which turned out to be a suite case, and started screaming and kicking.

"Wait wait! Don't do that!" Sticks scolded but she would be surprised by Ebony tearing right through it and huffing. "Eh heh, I did say I was sorry." Ebony crossed her little arms, grunted and turned around. She flew to the nearest sofa and pouted. "Aw, don't be like that. Why are you here anyway? How did you fly all this way?" She froze and looked out her door. "Wait, if you're here, where's Shadow? And what's this?"

Sticks picked up the medium sized suite case, factory made to the looks of it, and examined the strange "G" symbol on it. "What's this logo?" She looked up at Ebony who was still pouting on the sofa. She held a grudge for a really long time. Sticks clicked it open to see if there would be a reaction, but she did nothing. Sticks opened up the suitcase to see if Ebony was going to stop her, but nothing happened. When Sticks looked inside, she only found a note, some food, and some grooming toiletries. "What the…" She picked up the toothbrush and hairbrush and examined their size then put them to the side to pick up the note on the top.

"Sticks, something important has come up and I have to leave the island. If it is convenient, please take care of Ebony for me. If not, please allow her to stay with you until I can return regardless. She can take care of herself. Inside is a list of things she will eat, if she is hungry. Read it and its entirety before you begin feeding her. Additionally, also follow the grooming standards in the second list. Finally, I would highly recommend keeping her temporary residency with you a secret. She tends to hold grudges for a while, and while I am sure you are very close to your friends they may not take kindly to the beating she gave them (this is, should they remember). But I would recommend letting her outside when they pay you these visits. Don't worry, she has a good sense of direction, she will find her way back. Thank you for your help. I will compensate you for your services. What? So he's just leaving you, and shoving you on me?" Sticks said at the note and looking up at Ebony who was too busy still pouting to care to even acknowledge Sticks. Sticks looked back down at the note. "By the way, here are some rules to remember if you decide to address her in any verbal confrontation or manner of affection."

Sticks flipped the paper over and saw the rather long list. She looked at the other papers, which mostly comprised of lists. "You've gotta be kidding me. Are you really this much trouble?" Ebony glared at Sticks making her recoil apologetically. "I-I mean, you must be a very important friend to have so much care. It's an honor to be trusted with something so important."

Stick swore she saw a smug grin before the chao turned around. The important thing was, she wasn't going to get punched. Sticks looked at the first rule of the list.

"Rule one: do not insult or offend her. She will not respond well to it. If she glares at you, it's probably because she likes you enough to not hurt you… yet. Well that's encouraging." Sticks said and continued to read down the list. "Let's see…"

"Do not use the word 'cute,' we went over this, I'm sure."

"Do not try to pet her, she doesn't trust you."

"If you decide to try your hand at affection, use the brush provided. She remembers the brush during her hatchling days and will respond positively to it. For now, let her lay on a table or cushion. Should she sit on your lap, take this as a compliment, but do NOT use your hand to pet her. She WILL attempt to break it."

Sticks froze and looked up at Ebony who was now sitting down at couch and kicking her feet. She looked bored.

"Should you decide to compliment her, see rule two. She will accept 'adorable.' But probably not yet. Use other words that compliment her fur rather than her size. She may like that from you better. Okay…"

"If for whatever reason she begins crying then it may be best for you to leave her alone, but you may attempt to comfort her and brush her. She may be more trusting of you if you do decide to be there for her. She will be at her most vulnerable at this point, and VERY emotional. A sense of security would help calm her down, but I don't know if she trusts you enough yet. It's up to you if you should wish to test your luck. But lastly (please don't read this out loud)…" Sticks squinted at the paper. "That's creepy…. and most importantly…"

Sticks looked up at Ebony. She was staring out another window. Her eyes looked back down to the paper. DO NOT MENTION ROUGE OR ME! I know she was around when we spoke of Rouge a few times, but that is because I was there. I never told you this, but we raised her together. If you have to, for whatever reason, mention Rouge in any way, though it is most likely impossible, refer to her as Mommy. As for the reason you shouldn't mention me. She'll just think I'm back and start looking around for me. If she donsn't see me, she'll get upset. (About the 'mommy' thing. I will explain later. I promise. "He promises!"

Sticks scratched her head. She was at the promising stage now? Never mind that, she was babysitting for him. While it upset her at first, she suddenly felt… proud about it. Shadow actually trusted her so much that she was the only person he thought about to take care of something so precious to him. She read a final note written at the bottom of the page. "If you decide to feed her, strictly cohere to the foods and their specifics. Recipes are written down. You may keep them if you wish. You are a very talented baker. Aw, Shadow." Sticks looked at some of the papers and found the recipes then found a red file on the bottom. She moved the entire stack out of the way and saw a file labeled "TOP SECRET." Sticks gasped. There was that "G" again. But more importantly, it was a real live government secret file! She couldn't believe it! This was a dream come true. A note was stuck on it. "Consider this a down payment. I hope you noted in your last visit: I never denied the existence of aliens. Simply denied your opinion in the manner in which they are armed. You may find this fascinating." Sticks looked around and picked up the file as if to behold it then hugged it and jumped up and down. She wasn't the only one! And now she had real tangible proof! She'd never be called paranoid again! "Shadow! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Looking at the bottom of the case, she glared at the final note and felt a little uncomfortable. You're welcome. "When did I become so predictable?"

Sticks took a seat on her sofa and opened the file. Before she could read anything, she heard a knock on her door. Sticks gasped and threw everything into the case then hid it quickly. Ebony cocked her head in confusion when Sticks rushed at her. "Quickly! Hide!"

Ebony glared and turned around then crossed her arms. She really didn't care what Sticks was trying to do. Sticks groaned and picked her up then covered her mouth. The door knocked again.

"Uh, one sec!" She assured her visitor. Sticks put a thrashing Ebony into a closet then told her, "Stay quiet, and I'll give you whatever you want."

Ebony froze and grinned evilly. Unsettling, but at the moment, Sticks was too desperate keep track of promises. She closed the door and then cleaned herself up before opening it again. "Yes? Can I help you? Amy!"

"Hi, Sticks, may I come in?" Amy asked.

"Uh, well…" Sticks looked for a reason to reject her, but she had none to give. No good ones anyway. "I would but…my place is in such a mess."

"Oh, nonsense, it can't be that bad," Amy pushed her way in before Sticks could protest.

Amy looked around and only found a torn net on the ground. "You call this messy?" She picked it up and laughed, "This is the cleanest I've seen this place. Even with the net on the ground."

"Eh heh," Sticks scratched her head. "Well, y-you know me. I don't even know the difference between messy and clean anymore. Anyway, what's up?"

Sticks sat at a chair across from Amy who was on the sofa. The one where she slid the case under. It was still sticking out. One wrong kick and she'd find it. But Amy was a pretty still sitter. So, the chances she'd find it were in the air.

"Nothing much. We just don't spend as much time together as we used to. Thanks for the pie by the way. It was great." Amy beamed sweetly.

"Sure, it was my pleasure," Sticks said scratching her head. But in all seriousness she did realize she hadn't spent a lot of time with Amy. But now was the worst time to fix that issue. With Ebony no doubt getting bored already and Amy wanting to spend time with her, she had no idea what she would do. "And yea, I guess your right. We haven't spent a lot of time together lately. Maybe… next week we could fix that. Right now, I'm a little busy."

Amy cocked her head. "Next week? Your busy now? With what? Babysitting?"

Sticks had no other explanation up her sleeve. "As a matter of fact… yeah. The… parent gets very grumpy when I'm late. So, why don't we pick things up next week?" Sticks stood up and went for the door to see Amy out.

"Oh, well, if you're going now then why not let me come with you? I'd love to see the cute little kid you're looking after."

Sticks felt her air escape her. She internally screamed when something growled in the closet.

"What was that?" Amy asked as she turned around.

"What was what?" Sticks asked too quickly, "I-I didn't hear anything. Anyway, sorry, I'm not leaving right this second. I was just… gonna walk a bit. Get some exercise before seeing them? You know…"

Amy noticed her discomfort too easily. "Who's this 'them' you're talking about, Sticks? I don't know everyone in the island but like… it's not a big island."

"Oh uh… someone you haven't met yet. Just happened to meet them in… the forest," Sticks grinned sheepishly.

Amy was getting skeptical now. And now she was dropping the oblivious act. She went all in on Sticks and crossed her arms. "Sticks, who is it? You're worrying me. You keep going into the woods and it's not like you to be gone literally hours on end. Are you hiding something?"

Sticks was sweating. "H-hiding? I'm not hiding anything!"

Amy crossed her arms and shut the door. "Sticks, listen. You're my friend. I care about you. I worry about you. It's torturing me that you're doing something behind all of us and can't talk about it. Talk to me. Please."

Sticks shuffled uncomfortably and tried to get away. "Look, I should really get going soon…"

"Sticks the badger, you talk to me right now! Ever since you came back…"

"Shh, no Amy!"

"…from that weird… whatever he did…"

"Shh! Amy stop talking!"

"…you've been different! Stop shushing me!"

"Amy…" Sticks tried to calm her down, but it was to no avail. She was unhinged.

"No, listen to me. You've avoided us, you've disappeared, and I've looked everywhere. No one in any of the villages has admitted anything about you doing a babysitting job! So, if you're lying to me, it's not very convincing anymore! Tell me what going on!"

Sticks didn't want to see Amy like this. She was hoping she could delay this longer maybe make something else up. Something that was innocent, and humiliating even. Something that even she would want to hide and understand why. Her dignity would be worth her secret. At least, she thought initially. But then it happened.

"Is this about Shadow?"

The note came screaming back into her mind. Do not mention Rouge or me! But now it was too late.

Ebony came racing out of the closet and cheered happily as she looked around to see if he was there. She saw the two together but no Shadow anywhere. He was completely gone. She chirped and looked around gloomily. Sticks felt sorry for her already. She thought quickly about the note and completely forgot Amy was there. She couldn't quite recall what the note said, so she dug into the suitcase and read it over quickly. "If for…Bah blah blah best for you to leave her alone… Uh huh She will be at her most vulnerable at this point, and VERY… emotional. A sense of security would help calm her down, but I don't know if she trusts you enough yet. It's up to you if you should wish to test your luck." Sticks took a deep breath. "Okay." Sticks stood up and came to Ebony's side. She was starting to cry. "Ebony? Ebony are you okay?"

Ebony grunted and turned her back away. She started to sulk and rub her eyes. "It's okay, there there…"

Amy watched unsure of what was going on. She saw a thing that looked familiar but yet so foreign to her. She tried to register what was going on. A part of her realized maybe Sticks was telling the truth. The other half was hell bent on figuring out why the floating black and red thing was so familiar to her. "What is that thing?"

"Shh!" Sticks scolded. "Ebony, look at me… Don't be sad. He'll be back soon."

"Sticks?"

"Shh!" Sticks had the brush in her hand and continued. "He's going to be okay. He'll be back before you know it, and everything will be fine. He's not going for long."

"Who?" Sticks glared at her. Amy recoiled then gave up on the questions. Knowing all of this was probably her fault. Or at least, in part, her fault.

Sticks got closer, somehow unafraid of the strong little chao and showed her the brush as she got closer. "I promise I will take good care of you. And when you see him again, you'll look all smooth and soft. Just like him. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Ebony wiped her tears and daydreamed about Shadow looking at her and compliment her fur. But she couldn't have that if she couldn't get brushed. So, she hugged Sticks and continued her crying in her chest instead. "There, that's it. Let's get you all cleaned up. You'll look all cute…" Ebony jabbed her ribs. "Oof! I mean… pretty and when he comes back he'll be so impressed he'll hug you all over."

Amy took a seat across from Sticks who began brushing Ebony down. She hummed a little tune but otherwise the place was silent. Ebony sat on a pillow, placed on Stick's lap, and simply let her brush her down. Amy examined Ebony and looked up at Sticks with a wonder if it was safe to talk now.

"She's… very pretty, Sticks. Is she the one your babysitting?" Amy asked, calmer now. Remorseful in some way too.

Sticks sighed. "Y-yeah… you could say that."

"Is it for…" Sticks froze and looked up warningly. Amy put two and two together and understood. "Is it for her… daddy?"

Ebony sniffed making the two wonder if she still knew she they were talking about. Sticks brushed at the quill-like head and replied, "Yes… We've… been talking for a while."

Amy nodded in understanding. "I…see. Who is she?"

"Her name is Ebony," Sticks replied. "I promised him I'd keep her secret but… who was I kidding? Someone who's… willing to spill an entire country's worth of secrets? Can she really keep even one to herself?" Sticks shook her head. "I should have known I would screw this up."

"No, Sticks, it's my fault. I was so worried that… I forgot to trust you. You're my best friend and… I let that get in the way."

"You were being a good friend though… I think I would have been more disappointed if you walked away… Thanks for looking out for me, Amy… I wanted to say something. Talk about it. But…" Sticks didn't know why, but she felt like crying. "I wanted to impress him you know…" She felt the cup of secrets she had been storing for Shadow nearly tipping over. She wanted to tell Amy everything. Convince her she was wrong about him. Everyone was wrong about him! He was nothing like what they said. She wanted to preach it to the whole island and make them see… but she promised she wouldn't, and she was ready to sacrifice everything to keep them. But she could at least tell Amy her opinion. "No one understands him… He's so alone and the world is forcing him to be… I don't want the gang to keep doing this, Amy… I can't see anyone like this… not even… not even Eggman." Sticks sobbed and couldn't brush Ebony anymore. Instead, Ebony tried to return the favor by taking the brush and dragging it through Sticks head. Though she had a lot more knots in her fur than Ebony did.

Amy tried not to giggle and break the moment seeing the chao struggle to be nice. So, she dared to assist it and began to brush for her. Ebony didn't seem to approve, but she let it go and instead pet Stick's cheek.

Sticks giggled and wiped her tears and snot away. "Thanks, Ebony… Thanks, Amy."

"Girl, you have all these knots in your fur, and you refused to tell me? Are you scared of fashion or something?"

Sticks giggled again and tried to clean herself up. "Well, I don't see a reason for it. It's not like it's easy to move around in a dress."

"Yes it is, I do it all the time… Listen… I didn't hear anything, okay? Shadow doesn't have to know we talked and… the boys don't have to know either. Whatever you're doing… I think it's for the better. And I don't think you should stop. Besides…" Amy started plucking the brush clean from the access fur. "I always knew deep down Shh…uh HE… was a big softy. Men like him don't want to be alone because they… well want to. It's because they went through something, lost someone… I wonder how many friends he lost…" Amy shook her head. She needed to brighten up the atmosphere. "Well, enough about him! Why don't the three of us just… have a girls night out. Besides, you should introduce me to your knew friend. I haven't seen anything like her before."

"Oh… sure," Sticks sighed. "Uh… Amy, this is Ebony. She's a chao. Ebony, this is Amy. My best friend."

Ebony smiled and waved, but as soon as Sticks head turned she wore an evil grin and smashed her firsts together. Amy felt suddenly uneasy and memories of an ambiguous beatdown were vaguely recalled. She didn't know why, but she was scared of this bundle of cuteness. A deadly bundle of cuteness. "Nice to… meet you. Ebony… Why does she look so familiar?"

"Oh, you know…" Sticks nervously tried to come with an excuse. "She looks like… him! You know?"

"That's what I keep telling myself!" Amy agreed, "But that's not it! And I don't know why!"

"Maybe we should just have some fruit juice. I got a special cocktail and it'll knock your socks off! Wait here. Ebony, you look hungry, you want some juice?"

Ebony cheered and followed her to her kitchen. With the fruit inside the suitcase, she blended the juice Shadow had introduced to her the first time then served it just how ebony liked it.

Amy took her first sip and nearly lost herself. "Oh, my goodness! This cocktail is to die for! Sticks, why didn't you make this sooner! This would go amazing with your pie!"

Sticks hummed. "Pie, eh? I think I might make that too."

"You have got to show me how to make this cocktail too," Amy added.

"Ah ah ah, secret recipe," Sticks waved her finger. "Ebony, want some pie?" The chao chirped excitedly and followed her to the kitchen. "Alright then, pie and juice it is. Just wait and I'll get her fresh out of the oven."

And so, the girls enjoyed Shadow's specialty juice and Stick's pie while watching a movie and fighting against Amy's idea of a girls night out. While usually Amy would have the last word and Sticks ended up in a dress and done up hair, tonight Ebony had convincingly rebutted Amy and neither girl had to wear even a single girl product. But near the end of their fun, Amy had still won the day when she had convinced Ebony that Shadow would be impressed. Afterall, a little dress, some make up, and a new hairdo always impressed the boys. According to her. And even with Sticks' counter arguments she knew she'd lose if Ebony was no longer on her side.

Amy was nearly finished with Sticks now. Ebony actually liked what Amy had done and when she turned around to see Sticks, she was impressed.

"And… done!" Amy finished with the eyeliner and smiled. "I think you look good in pink."

"Chao?" Ebony flew up to her face and Sticks sheepishly scratched her head. "How do I look, Ebony?"

Ebony flew into her chest and hugged her. this was a different sort of hug. It was… so full of love. Ebony rubbered he cheek against her and chirped endearingly. "Whoa, you've never hugged me like this before. Come here you little cutie." She froze realizing what she said, but strangely, there were no repercussions. Just that love filled hug. "I meant, beauty, by the way."

Amy fawned silently over the two. Then there was a knock on the door. It was too soft to be any of the boys. But Amy answered anyway then gasped. "Sh-shadow… uh… hi."

Shadow was only a little surprised to see Amy. He should have expected it, but he hopped Sticks was as silent as the grave. "Amy."

Amy scratched her head. "Look, before you get angry just know that this is all my fault. Sticks had nothing to do with it. she tried to be quiet, but… I pushed her too hard. I'm sorry."

Shadow expected as much. None of it was a surprise but he wasn't angry yet. He stepped in, Amy not even fighting him. But once he turned that corner his eyes widened slightly. He thought he saw a ghost, but he knew what he saw wasn't even the spitting image of her. But the way Ebony was so affectionate confirmed his thoughts.

"Uh…" Sticks blushed and sheepishly dropped her head. "Hi, Shadow."

Ebony didn't even flinch. Shadow watched Ebony as she continued to affectionately embrace Sticks. He looked back at Amy and broke the silence at last. "You… gave her a makeover."

Amy chuckled nervously, "Yeah, uh… isn't she… pretty?"

Shadow looked back at Ebony and Sticks. "Ebony, time to go home."

Amy stopped him, "Shadow, wait. I didn't just do this for show. There's a nice little firework show later today, and the town is nicest at night. Why don't you take us?"

Shadow crossed her arms. "I'm not exactly welcome there, Amy."

Amy crossed her too, "Well, I'm sure Ebony would enjoy it. How likely do you take her out?"

"We walk around the island, occasionally," Shadow replied, "But right now, I need her home."

Amy pouted. "But I put so much work into her. Please, Shadow?"

Shadow shook his head. "No, Amy. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have the time right now." Shadow approached Sticks and Ebony and softly shook Ebony to let her know he was there. "Come on, it's time to go." Ebony looked up teary-eyed but happy. She hugged Shadow now, who now carried her in one arm. "Thank you for taking care of her."

"Don't mention it," Sticks scratched her head. "Sorry… about Amy."

"It's alright. I should have known your friends would have stopped by. This was more my fault then yours. But she looks well and she's unharmed. You've done your part."

Amy watched as the two went outside Sticks's home. Sticks following them and her close behind. "I don't mind taking care of her again. If you need, that it."

"Perhaps," Shadow replied, "I would appreciate you keeping this quiet, Amy?"

Amy zippered her lips, locked them then threw away the key with a wink and a finger in front of her already zipped shut lips. Shadow nodded then left only to turn around. "Oh, and Sticks…"

"Yeah?"

Shadow waved her over with two fingers. She got close and he said in a low whisper, "Rouge used to wear that kind of makeup… In short, she thought you were mommy." Sticks blushed and straightened her back. Amy didn't hear a word, but she loved what she was seeing. Her hands went to her hips and a sly smile reached her face.

"She didn't hurt me when I called her… a cutie, is that why?"

Shadow nodded, "Rouge used to call her that. It's why she's so defensive of it. You know where to find me… you have any questions; all you have to do is ask."

Sticks smiled and Shadow returned it with a softer less noticeable one. "I will… until next time, Shadow."

Shadow left and Sticks watched his disappear. Amy waddled over next to her then cleared her throat. "Not that its any of my business…"

"It's not…," Sticks smiled, "I'm getting changed out of this monkey suite."

"Are you sure?" Amy asked, "I think Shadow liked it…"

"Not for the reasons your thinking," Sticks replied

"And what reasons am I thinking?" Amy asked innocently.

Sticks turned around and grabbed her door, "You're not tyin' our not today, tomorrow, or any other day. It's not happenin'! Shadow isn't the romantic type, and neither am I."

Amy smirked and puckered her lips. "Ooh, touchy. I don't think I have to tie anyone's not." Amy started making her way back to town then turned to look at Sticks' home. "That not will tie itself."