DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters, but I do own the story itself. WOW!
With Chapter 2 out of the way (I still may do a re-write), I can just do what I want a bit more now. This one is mainly about Shadow. A bit on Rouge & Knuckles too, I feel like I'm leaving out an opportunity for a very funny romance so far, so I definately will focus on them more later! Also a few karioke based conflicts are planned, especially between Sonic and Shadow.

I would like to add that I have no idea what a rum and coke looks like, but for the sake of this fic, it looks exactly like a coke.
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Shadow looked over where Knuckles and Rouge were sitting. Sure enough, they were both looking somewhat tortured, and Sonic was there, waving a beer glass emphaticaly and laughing at something. Tails and Amy were chatting, and Eggman was complaining to the barman about something or another.
The Knuckles and Rouge duet had declared the karioke machine as a "No-Go Unless You Want Sonic To Laugh You To An Early Grave" zone. A shame, really.
Oh, and here comes the fool now! he thought
"Hey, Shadow, want a drink?" Translation: Hey, Shadow, want a long conversation in which I insult you with elaborate, not-that-witty, insults which I've spent thinking up since you arrived?
"You know I don't drink"
"Well another Coke then. Perhaps I'll have a rum and Coke." Sonic turned to the barman and asked for the drinks.
"And I suppose you'll mix that with that half-full glass of beer you have left?"
"What?"
"Never mind" Shadow could see exactly where this was going, but he accepted his coke anyway, being very wary of Sonic's drink and anticipating Sonic switching them. He took a gulp, put the glass down, and watched Sonic closely. Sure enough, Sonic peered at the glass, took a near-identical gulp of his own, and put it down next to Shadow's.
"So, um, any idea who invited us all here anyway?"
"Nope" Shadow grinned, glancing at Sonic's hand out of the corner of his eye. Sure enough, it was switching Sonic's rum and coke with his own coke. He waited until this had finished, before picking up Sonic's drink, and holding it for a moment.
"Saved the world recently?" He said, raising the glass to his mouth, hesitating, and lowering it again.
"Um, well, from you"
"You're too kind." Shadow said. He lifted his glass and waved it vaugly, watching Sonic's eyes follow it.
"You know" he went on, clutching his stomach theatriaticly "I'm really not feeling too well." He turned "Hey, Tails!" he called "Want to finish off my coke?"

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Shadow sat and watched the others dance, somewhat grumpily. Of course, not *all* of them danced, Amy was with Sonic (for once he was the tortured one!) , and Knuckles with Rouge, so that left Tails and Eggman.

Right.

So Shadow was sitting, watching, wondering if who he could dance with anyway, and whether Tails was about to launch himself through the ceiling or perhaps start tap-dancing on the counter (He had lost count of the cokes Tails had drunk. A while ago, Sonic and he had temporarily joined forces to politely move Tails to the tactically-positioned seat next to the toilets), and where exactly the warehouse was that kept that bowl of peanuts stocked against the mighty force of Eggman's hunger.

It was then that he noticed that Knuckles had stepped up to the Karioke machine once more, this time without Rouge. Sonic was studying, carefully (so as not to miss anything that he might make fun of, Shadow supposed), and Rouge was poising herself to encourage Knuckles, or perhaps cheer him on. The song that was currently playing ('In Too Deep' by Sum 41) resounded its last few notes around the room, before a somewhat odd, lively beat struck up, accompanied by similar music. He recognised it immediately, and a smile crossed his face.

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"On the first part of the journey,
I was looking at all the life
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings"

A Horse With No Name, well there was a wierd song. Shadow wondered vaugly about why Knuckles liked it in the first place (or for that matter, why he was so into Karioke), but he mainly enjoyed the song.

That was, of course, up until two hands covered his eyes and a familiar, never-forgotten, female voice said "Guess who?"

Of course, nobody else recognised her, so heads turned to look at her only momentarily, before looking back at Knuckles, who obviously had no idea how people danced while they were singing this. For Shadow, however, the voice and the very feel of her touch sent off alarm bells in his head. He paused for a moment, and it was as much a mystery to him as it was to anybody else whether this was because he was overwhelmed with emotion, or because he was slightly bored, and finally said. "Hi Maria. Er, could you get your hands off me, this is probably the only song which Knuckles is going to sing all night which I'll actually like."

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"Nah, nah nah nahnah nah, nanah nah nan nananah"

Sonic sighed. Too much odd, inexplicable meaningfulness (possibly), and not enough almost-in-tears emotion. It also sounded slightly like a folk song, which he hated. Of course, it was difficult to dance to, which meant that he was savouring every blissful second of being free from Amy's grasp (She held him so *tight*. At one point, he had found himeself wondering what he would do if he was suddenly going to vomit while he was dancing with her, a train of thought of the type usually reserved for public urinals) He also hadn't thought of a thing to make fun of Knuckles for, but he had noticed that girl's arrival, and so his target moved onto Shadow. He sauntered over, grinning maliciously

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AUTHOR'S NOTES: Uh, I don't know why I randomly ended there either. I wanted to get this chapter on the net, I suppose. Thanks for all those reviews, keep sending them in please!
Bryon Nightshade: Er... thanks! I really can't think of anything else to say...

Velocity: Ditto.

Formerly Known As: Oooh, two reviews from the same person! Come on, go for the hat trick!