Gifts and confessions

"Have a holly Jolly Christmas!" the radio blared at the party got under way.

Vector immediatly went to work at Vanilla's sugar cookies that she was holding on a tray. "Mmmm!" he exclaimed tasting one. "A delight as always!"

"Thank you," Vanilla said blushing. "I'm glad you liked them, Vector."

Vector blushed as well and his whole face turned red. "I like everything about you, Vanilla," he said. He looked up at the ceiling. "Look we're under the mistletoe. You know what that means don't you?"

She giggled and leaned in to kiss him. But before they could Charmy got in the way. "VECTOR!" he yelled flying into the crocodile's face.

"WHAT?" Vector demanded mad that he was interupted.

"Tails has a gift for Cream!" Charmy exclaimed. "I don't have a gift for Cream! I'm going to lose her!"

"What am I going to do about it?" Vector demanded. "I don't have a gift for you to give her!"

"But!"

"Go away!"

"But!"

"Charmy!" Vector said with a dangerous hint in his voice.

Charmy got it. "Okay," he said letting go of Vector's face. "I'll go." He flew away.

Espio was having a hard time just getting the courage to talk to Blaze. "Okay there she is," he said to himself looking over at her. "You can do this. Just go over there and talk to her. Say hello or something." He took a deep breath. "C'mon focus. She's just a girl. You talk to girls all the time. This shouldn't be any different." He took another deep breath. "Okay I'll do it!" He walked over to her.

"Hi, Blaze."

The cat queen looked toward him. "Hello, Espio," she said. "How have you been doing?"

"I've been doing fine," he said not looking at her. "Umm... Merry Christmas..." he fumbled with something behind his back.

"What's that?" Blaze asked.

"This?" he asked taking it out. "Ummm.. a gift? It's for you!" he shoved it in her hands and ran away. "Merry Chirstmas!"

"Huh?" Blaze watched him go then stared down at the wrapped package. "I wonder what this is.."

"Hey, Cream," Tails said coming up behind the little rabbit girl. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Tails," Cream said turning around to face her friend.

"I have something for you," the fox said pulling something out from behind his back. "Here."

"Thank you," she said taking it. "What is it?"

"Open it and find out."

Cream opened the brightly wrapped package. "OH, TAILS!" she screeched pulling out a Mew Ichigo plushie. "I'VE BEEN WANTING ONE OF THESE FOR A LONG TIME!" she gave him a big hug. "THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

"You're welcome,." he said choking.

"I have something for you too, Cream!" Charmy hollered flying between her an Tails. "Here!" he gave her a box.

Cream opened it and looked inside. "Cookies!" she exclaimed.

"Honey cookies," Charmy said smiling happily. "I made them myself with a little help from Vector."

"Thank you, Charmy," she said taking out a cookie and tasting it. "These are delicious!"

"Ha ha!" Charmy taunted looking at Tails and sticking out his tongue.

"This isn't over yet!" Tails vowed walking away.

"Knuckles, do you think I'm trying too hard?" Tikal asked Knuckles.

"Too hard in what?"

"In helping people," she replied. "I'm trying to be a better person by making everyone happy."

"Is that why you offered to take everyone's coats?" the echidna asked.

"Yes."

"Well I think you're trying too hard to be nice," he said. "You can't be nice to everyone. What about Eggman?"

"What about Eggman?"

"Would you be nice to him if he smashed the Master Emerald or froze Chaos in the lake?"

"He's just misunderstood," Tikal said. "He's evil because he's lonely. He needs to fall in love."

Knuckles stared at her. "What in the-"

He was interupted by the doorbell.

"I'll get that," Tikal said talking away.

When she opened the door she said. "Oh hello, Sonic."

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Of course you can," she said.

"Don't tell Amy, okay?"

"Why not?"

"I don't want her to see me."

"Oh," she said nodding her head with understanding. "Okay. Come on in."

"Thank you," he said slinking into the house.

At that same moment Amy walked into the living room. She spotted the blue hedgehog coming in. "SONIC!" she exclaimed running toward him. "YOU'VE FINALLY COME!"

"Oh boy," he said sweatdropping. "Gotta go!" He ran into the bathroom.

"Sonic!' Amy shouted pounding on the door. "You come out here right now!"

"I'm busy!" he called back.

Knuckles sweatdropped. "Oh boy," he said.

Suddenly they heard a noise from the chimney.

"It's Santa!" Cream exclaimed.

If Santa happens to be egg shaped.

"Ho ho whoa!" "Santa" screamed falling down the chimney and crashing onto the living room floor. He was followed by a certain blue robot. "METAL SONIC! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS CHIMNEY WAS SO DANGEROUS!"

"I told you to use the door, idiot," the robot said jumping off the fat Santa wannabe.

"Eggman?" everyone exclaimed. "Who invited you here?"

"I did," Vanilla spoke up. "I figured since it's Christmas we'd all put aside our differences and invite him too."

Everyone stared.

"C'mon everyone," Vanilla said. "After all it is Christmas. Peace on Earth good will to men."

"Yeah!" Eggman said.

"Oh brother," Metal Sonic said rolling his eyes. "I'm going to mingle." He spotted Amy Rose still standing in front of the bathroom door. "Maybe Miss Rose would like a dance seeing my idiotic copy isn't here to mess things up." He walked over to her. "Hello, Amy."

"Oh!" she gasped then looked at him. "Oh uhh, Metal Sonic. What are you doing here?"

"Vanilla invited Dr. Eggman who insisted I come with," he replied. "I figured while I was here I might as well make the most of the only night I won't be trying to destroy you all."

"Yeah?" she said leaning against the door. "It's nice that we aren't fighting now. Even if it is only one night."

"So umm," he said looking away. "Want to dance?"

She looked at the bathroom door then got an idea. "I would be delighted," she said taking his hand and leading him away.

Sonic peeked out of the bathroom. "Phew she isn't here-Wah!" he spotted Amy dancing with Metal Sonic. "Why that no good droid!"

He ran out of the bathroom and butted in. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded the robot.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Metal Sonic asked calmly. "I'm dancing."

"You can't dance with her!"

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I said so."

"That's not a reason."

"Sonic," Amy said. "If you want to dance with me you have to wait until we are done."

"Or until I cut in!" he said yanking Amy away from the robot.

"HEY!" Metal Sonic shouted grabbing Sonic. "I was dancing with her!"

"Well I am now!"

"Why you!" Metal Sonic raised his fist ready to smash the blue hedgehog's face in.

"Please don't fight over me," Amy said. "You can dance with me when we're done."

"You'd better," he said glaring at Sonic hatefully.

"Kariokee time!" Vector shouted holding up a mike. "Jingle bell jingle bell jingle bell rock!" he bellowed.

"Stop it!" Charmy shouted taking the mike. "You stink."

"I do not!"

"You do too!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

While all this was happening Shadow was standing by the window with his arms folded and looking out into the sky. "I wonder if Maria's watching me from heaven," he asked himself out loud.

"Shadow?"

The hedgehog looked over his shoulder. He saw Rouge standing behind him looking nervous. "Hello, Rouge," he said. "Where have you been hiding?"

"I've been wrapping your gift," she said, taking something out from behind her back. "Here."

"Thank you," he said taking it. He looked out the window again. "Nice night isnt it?"

"Yeah," she said standing beside him. "Look at that moon."

"Yeah," he said again. "I bet Maria would have loved this."

"MARIA!" she gasped. "Maria?"

He looked at her. "What?"

She glared at him. "I've been trying for three months to find you a perfect gift then when I finally give it to you all you think about it Maria!" She started away from him. "I give up! You'll never understand how I feel!"

She walked over to the door and stormed outside into the cold.

"Rouge?" he asked.

"HEY, EGGMAN, STOP THAT!" Vector shouted. "VANILLA DOESN'T WANT TO KISS YOU!""

"Oh yeah?" the fat scientist demanded. "Let's see what she thinks!"

"I don't mind," Vanilla said.

"WHAT!" Vector almost screamed in disbelieve.

"Sonic, leave him alone!" Amy shouted. "I said Metal Sonic could dance with me next."

"I don't want him dancing with you!"

"Grow up!" Metal Sonic shouted.

"MOMMY, CHARMY AND TAILS ARE FIGHTING!" Cream shouted.

"Well stop them before they knock over the tree!"

"Tis the season to be Jolly!" the radio blared over the noise. "Fa la la la la la! La la la!"

Shadow looked at everyone enjoying themselves and shook his head. "Look at all of them," he said. "Having such a nice Christmas and I had to go and ruin Rouge's by thinking about Maria." he closed his eyes. "What's wrong with me? Maria's dead. I should be thinking about other things right now." he looked down at the wrapped present. "I wonder what she got me."

He opened the gift and stared at the cover. The Diary of Maria Robotnick. "How did she get this?" he wondered. He looked toward the door. "I think I'd better go find her."

He looked at everyone. "I think I'd better go find her," he said stepping toward the door and opening it. "I hope I didn't hurt her feelings too much."

He stepped outside. "I hope she hasn't gone too far."

He walked through the snow searching for the bat. She forgot her coat. I bet she's cold. But where is she?

He spotted boot prints in the snow. "Are those Rouge's boots?" he wondered. "I'd better follow them."

The black hedgehog followed the prints into the woods. "Why would she come here?" he asked himself. "She can't be that mad at me could she?" he looked down at his gift. "Then again she could. It was my fault."

Shadow looked around the dark forest. "Rouge!" he called. "Rouge! I'm sorry! I didn't know!" He spotted a clearing ahead. A sillouette stood in the middle. It had bat like wings. "Rouge?" he ran toward it. "Rouge!"

The thing turned around. It was indeed Rouge. She was rubbing her arms. Is she cold!

Rouge," he said stopping in front of her. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" she demanded. "You should be!"

"I know," he said. "I hurt your feelings. I didn't mean to."
"Then why is it whenever I talk to you you always mention Maria?"

"I don't know. Maybe you remind me of her or something..."

She blinked. "Wait. I remind you of Maria?" she asked. "I don't even look like Maria. How could I remind you of Maria?"
"Your smile."

"My smile?"

"It looks a lot like hers. Your eyes too, though they are a different color."

"Shadow."

He looked at her. "Thank you," he said.

"For what?"

"For the gift and always being there for me. Ark, when I lost my memory, when I got hurt in Eggman's base and you took me to your place." he said. "Whenever I was in a bad situation you were always there. You didn't have to be but you were."

"Shadow...I..."

He took of his coat. "Here," he said handing it to her. "You must be cold."

"Thank you," she said taking it and putting it on. "I see you opened your gift."

"Yes, I did," he said. "Thank you. But where did you find it?"

She smiled and winked. "I have my ways," she said. "When I saw it I knew you'd want it. It was the only gift I could think of that you would like."

"Oh, but Rouge."

"Yes?"

"I would have been happy if you'd gotten me anything."

"You would?"

"Yes, but this diary was good. I'm glad you were able to find a piece of her I could keep forever."

She blushed. "Yeah well..."

"I have a gift for you too," he said.

"You do?" she asked. "What is it?"

He leaned over and kissed her. She was surprised for a minute then kissed him back.

When they broke away from each other Rouge asked. "Is that the gift?"

"No," he said. "I just thought you'd like that. Your gift is back at the house."
"That mad house?"

"Maybe it's calmed down by now."

"Hmm.."

He grabbed her hand. "Let's go back before they started looking for us."

"Okay."

Things had calmed down a lot by the time the two got back. Vector and Eggman had finally stopped fighting over Vanilla and Charmy and Tails had stopped competing for Cream's attention and the three were playing with the gifts Eggman had brought in his Santa Sack. Sonic and Metal Sonic were getting along for once and they were both talking to Amy about the best places to go for foot racing. Tikal wasn't doing favors for anyone anymore and was sitting on the sofa cuddled up with Knuckles.

"Hey look at Espio and Blaze," Shadow said.

The bat girl looked at the cat at the chameleon. They were both talking rather interestedly to each other and looked like they were having a lot of fun. The two also they were holding hands.

"Looks like those two finally got together," Rouge said. "I wonder what the gift was that he gave her?"

"I guess we'll never find out," he said. "So want to get your gift now?"

"Okay."

They headed over to the tree. Shadow leaned down and picked it up. "I wasn't going to give this to you in person," he said nervously. "That's why I left it here. But now I think I will." he handed it to her. "Here."

She took the gift and opened it. "Oh wow!" she exclaimed when she saw what it was. "It's so beautiful!" she pulled out a necklase covered in real diamonds and a dress also covered in diamonds. "Where did you get this?"

"That's a secret," he said grinning. "Nobody ever tells where they get their girlfriend's gifts. That's a jinx."

"Oh." she smiled. "Thank you."

He looked up. "Look where you're standing," he said.

She looked up. She was standing under the mistletoe.

"I guess that means I'll have to kiss you," he said smiling.

She blushed. "I guess it does."

He took her in his arms. "Merry Christmas, Rogue."

She put her arms around his neck. "Merry Chrismas to you too."

A/N

Merry Christmas everyone! I had a hard time coming up with gifts for everyone in this story. I hope the gifts were okay. I tried to make all the pairings I mentioned before have a little time but it was hard. Heh I even had some Metal SonicxAmy which I hadn't planned on doing at first then decided to just for humor. (One thing please do not ask where Charmy got the gift out of nowhere. I won't tell cuz I don't know) Well that's about it. I hope you all liked it. Happy Holidays. Seasons Greetings, Happy Hanaka, and Merry Christmas!