Thank you very much to Amefloza13, Candy-SpiCa, and of course Pirilaxa for reviewing! More reviews makes the story update faster :P Much love and thanks for the support! And now, onto chapter 5...

Their lunch went on as planned and it warmed Amy's heart. She had spent a lot of time with Rouge while she was a teenager, but they'd fallen out of touch as Amy had gotten more and more desperate for Sonic's attention. Rouge was a sweet woman, if a bit self-centered, but the way she kept staring at her made Amy just a little nervous. Rouge, on the other hand, felt that Amy was a little spacy, more than usual and enough to make her mind wonder. When the time came to leave, Rouge couldn't hold it back any longer. "Amy, can I ask you something?" Rouge said, handing the server her card and watching her walk away.

Amy took a moment to respond, but ultimately said, "Yes, of course."

The bat smiled reassuringly and reached across the table to rest one hand on Amy's. "I've had a great time with you today, and it's been very nice to catch up, but you need to remember that we were pretty close back in the day. You can't hide it from me. I see how distracted you are. What's going on with you?"

Amy shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she spoke. "Oh, well, I've just had a lot going on recently. Ever since I moved out of Cream's house, I haven't seen her much, so I haven't had anyone to talk to really. I'm okay, though."

"You're a fibber." Rouge scolded lightly. Just then their waitress returned to give her the card back along with a receipt, and the white bat took them, sending her away with a bit of irritation. "Why don't you come take a walk with me? They just opened a new boutique two blocks down."

Amy glanced down at her phone but couldn't think of an excuse not to. "Sure." She said softly, brushing her bangs out of her face.

Rouge continued drilling her as soon as they hit the street. "You know, now that you've grown up a little, you need more grown up friends. I love Cream, but she's still just a kid, and you're, what, nineteen, twenty?"

"Twenty-one." The pink girl corrected.

"Wow." Rouge shook her head, reaching out to link arms with Amy. "You know, Amy, you can talk to me about anything."

"That's very sweet." Amy said graciously. Rouge wanted something, but she wasn't sure what. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Amy can I speak honestly with you?"

"Of course."

"I know what happened at that party that I took you to. Between you and Shadow."

Oh. Duh. "Oh. Um. What about it, though?"

"I also know that it's quite the secret everyone is keeping from Sonic."

"Everyone?" Amy squeaked in surprise. "Everyone knows?"

At this, Rouge blushed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to get out like that, but Shadow had told me, and of course I told Knuckles. Knuckles must have said something to Tails, because Cream asked me about it."

"Tails hasn't told Sonic?" Amy spoke bitterly.

Rouge cleared her throat. "He told him what happened. Not who."

Amy's breathing quickened as she felt anger boiling in her gut. "So, everyone's just gossiping about my sex life behind my back?"

"Not exactly, but everyone knows." Rouge obviously felt guilty, but it wasn't guilty enough for Amy's taste.

"I can't believe you guys. No matter what I do, I'm always getting shit on by the rest of the gang. I try my best and you all treat me like I'm trash."

Rouge suddenly realized what a corner she'd backed herself into and began to backpedal. "No, it's not like that. Everyone's just really concerned! I mean, Shadow…"

"Oh, I'm sure he's just fucking laughing at me isn't he." Amy said darkly. "God, I can't believe I slept with him. If I'd have known he was going to turn it into the next big joke, I'd have…" The anger in her voice could not disguise how hurt she felt.

"Amy, you're completely misunderstanding." Rouge stopped her, using one hand to turn Amy until she was facing her. "Please listen. No one is making fun of you, everyone is just really concerned. Tails is worried because he doesn't think Shadow's a good guy. Knuckles is worried Sonic will find out and loose his shit. Shadow's worried that you hate him for what happened, and I… well, Cream and I are just worried about you."

Amy stared at her with her lips tightly pressed together in a desperate attempt to stop them from quivering. Her eyes were just beginning to glisten with tears, and to Rouge the sight was pitiful. "Oh, Rouge, I don't know what to do." She said as she began to cry. She hung her head and instinctively Rouge pulled her into a hug. The pink hedgehog gratefully threw her arms around the other and began to weep softly. "I feel like I've made such a mistake, but I don't regret it at all! Sonic, he keeps trying to tell me he wants to be with me now, but I can't even look at him! And Shadow…" She trailed off into another sobbing fit.

"What? What did Shadow say?" Rouge said, not breaking the hug but moving them to a little nearby alley with less foot traffic so that Amy might not have so many eyes on her.

Amy took a solid minute to collect herself enough to speak again, pulling back just slightly from the embrace. "Nothing." She said miserably. "He didn't say anything at all about it. I saw him earlier in the café and he just… talked to me. Rouge, he says all the things I want Sonic to say and I never even asked him to. I only slept with him because I wanted to get back at Sonic, I didn't care who I slept with, but it was Shadow and now I have all these feelings when I think about him, and seeing him today… I don't know what I'm doing, Rouge, I don't at all."

Rouge stroked her arm gently as she absorbed all the information. "Amy, I think you really need to ask yourself some big questions. You've been chasing Sonic around for how long?"

"Thirteen years." She admitted.

"Are you ready to let him go?"

…was she? The question made her gaze fall back to her feet, still blurred with tears. She didn't want to give Sonic any more chances. She'd been used and cast aside over and over again, and she was sure she deserved better. "I think I am."

"Do you feel like sleeping with Shadow was a mistake?"

"No. Or, yes. I don't know." Amy sniffed sharply. "Can you tell him I don't… I'm not angry with him. I'm just kind of angry with myself for being so reckless."

Rouge wiped a tear from her friend's cheek and smiled warmly. "What you call reckless behavior, I call a fun Saturday night. Don't tell knuckles," She added with a wink.

"What should I do? I mean, what would you do?" Amy asked desperately. "I mean, I feel like I just need someone else to tell me where I go from here."

"Now, Amy, I think you know no one can make that decision for you. But if it was me…" Rouge shrugged. "I'm kind of a bitch, so I'd just keep fucking Shadow and flip Sonic off every time I saw him. I think that's not really your style."

The idea was a little off putting, Amy had to admit. "It's not, but I think you're on the right track as far as what I should do." The pink hedgehog laughed softly and gave her companion a little smile.

"You're a riot, babe, I love it." Rouge winked and linked their elbows together again. "Let's go shop. I wanna see you buy something new. You can't have the same style for nine years, you know!"

Shopping. Now that would make Amy feel a lot better.