Nisa-chan666: It's nice to write about something apart from Beyblade, especially since I haven't done anything to do with Sonic for about 6 months. So, I left you at the part where Shadow had successfully escaped to Sam's flat, then been promptly found by her step-sister, Faith. Well, on with the story.
Part 2
"Pardon? Oh... I see you've met our guest," Sam giggled nervously, skidding through the doorway.
"I asked you if you had anything to do with Shadow's escape. You said no," Faith seethed, eyes narrowed to murderous-looking slits.
"Maybe I did tell a tiny little lie. But I only opened his cell, he escaped on his own after that," Sam replied anxiously.
"Don't try pinning the blame on me!" Shadow yelled indignantly from the bed.
"Okay, so maybe I did tell him to come here. And maybe I did tell him to escape in the first place. So what? If you had been in my skin, you would have done the same. Don't try to tell me you haven't been tempted to bust him out of there," Sam sighed, bracing herself for eruption of anger from Faith.
"Okay, I admit, he didn't belong there. But the scientists were trying to uncover his memories. It could prevent further harm as a result of what happened 50 years ago," Faith replied quietly, shaking her head with a frown.
"If they'd actually told him some solid facts, then maybe he would actually make some progress by himself. I helped him escape because I found out that he does remember something. You work in the information department, right? You could find the file about Shadow to show him. If not, then I will hack into the mainframe and take it," Sam argued.
"What does he remember?" Faith asked suspiciously.
"The day when GUN evacuated the Space Colony ARK, 50 years ago," Sam whispered, looking away.
"Maria Robotnik?" Faith gasped, glancing nervously at Shadow, who had been staring at them for the whole conversation.
Sam nodded. Faith stood for a moment, lost in thought. She smiled and nodded to herself.
"Okay, he can stay. We'll see if we can't uncover Shadow's lost memories," she grinned.
"Won't GUN try and find me? According to them, I'm too dangerous to be allowed on the streets," Shadow asked, scowling.
"Knowing GUN, probably. But with Sam and I sabotaging their efforts, I doubt they'll get very far. If we can convince Rouge to help us, then there's no way they'll find you," Faith replied confidently.
"Thank you," Shadow said, with a rare smile, the kind you treasure in years to come.
Rouge strutted around her bedroom, Faith staring at her in the doorway. Loud music thumped through the floor below them, in the club Rouge owned as part of her cover identity.
"So you're telling me Shadow escaped from the GUN facility with Sam's help?" Rouge asked.
"Yep," Faith replied.
"He's laying low at your flat, until the coast is clear?"
"Yep."
"And you want me to help you find his file in the computer mainframe?" Rouge asked, stopping and staring at Faith like she wasn't quite sane.
"In a nutshell... yep," Faith grinned.
"I'm in. I haven't had a decent challenge in ages," Rouge smiled, cracking her fingers.
"Are you sure it's not because this is Shadow we're talking about?" Faith asked, winking slyly.
"Of course not. The President's barred me from using the mainframe, because I always manage to find a jewel to steal on there. That's all," Rouge replied, blushing slightly.
"Uh-huh. Sure," Faith replied, walking back down the stairs, a smile on her face.
Shadow turned in his sleep, a calm frown on his face. For the first time in months, he wasn't having his recurring nightmare. He had found that he only suffered from it when he was feeling particularly stressed, i.e. when he had to fight or when he was imprisoned in a relatively small room for months. Sam peeked in the door, smiling slightly. She had seen the sheer terror he would have after a nightmare many a time in the security room. She stepped out of the room, wondering how he could be so calm. She couldn't sit still while she knew that Rouge and Faith were hacking the computer mainframe. It should have her doing, since it was her fault that Shadow was in this predicament in the first place... but no, Faith had said that she was already in enough trouble as it was. So she had to stay at home, make sure that no-one found Shadow. She wandered around the living room, singing to herself, switching songs when the words left her from sheer nerves (which was often.) She only stopped when she felt a light hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Shadow staring out of the window.
"You're nervous. Why?" he asked.
"I don't know. I know they're probably more experienced than me, but I feel that I should be out there with them. Or in their place I guess," she murmured.
"I see. You needn't worry, they'll be fine," he replied after a moment's thought.
"I know they will. That doesn't mean I don't worry about them," Sam retorted snappily.
"Just... don't worry," he said, staring up at the moon.
And, for some reason, she believed him. She smiled. Everything would be okay, it had to be.
"Why so melancholy?" Rouge asked, tapping Shadow on the shoulder, ejecting him from his dark thoughts.
"Pardon?" Shadow asked, startled, sure that he'd heard her ask him that somewhere before.
"I said why so melancholy. Are you okay?" Rouge said, a look that could only be called concern written over her face.
"I'm fine. I just had the strange feeling that you'd asked me that question before. In a time that I can't quite remember," he replied thoughtfully.
"Shadow..." Rouge whispered, a sad gleam in her normally cheeky eyes.
He stared at her for what seemed forever. He couldn't help it, he'd never seen her more beautiful. Her green eyes bright with tears she wouldn't allow to form. So vulnerable, yet so strong.
"We succeeded in retrieving the file containing your past. Do you want to see it?" Rouge asked, turning away and wiping at her eyes.
"Not yet. I need some time to think," Shadow replied, feeling something precious slip through his fingers, though what it was he couldn't place.
"Okay," she smiled, kissing him softly on the mouth.
Shadow felt his eyes widen in shock as her lips momentarily brushed his own. She was about to turn away, when he reached down and grasped her hand. He cupped his other hand on her face, and kissed her back. He closed his eyes and moved his hand from her cheek to the back of her head, lightly stroking her silky white hair. They parted, slightly breathless. Rouge looked at Shadow, who had turned away with a huge blush blooming in his cheeks.
"Shadow?" she asked, cupping his cheek lightly.
"I wanted to tell you. I truly did. I wanted to tell you I love you," he murmured, placing his hand on top of hers.
"I know," she smiled gently.
She gently brought him into a hug. In that moment, his world couldn't have been more complete.
Kirana: Awww! So kawaii! A bit corny towards the end, don't you think?
Nisa-chan666: TT.TT Shut up! This is the only way I know how to write romance scenes!
Kirana: I know. It's sweet but...
Nisa-chan: But what?
Kirana: THAT LUCKY BITCH! (waterfall tears and Shadow fan-girl aura.)
Nisa-chan: O.O Okay, back away. Oh yeah, 2 points. 1) Please don't flame me! I really like the Shadow/Rouge pairing. Even though I'm a bit of a yoai fan-girl, Sonic yoai is just plain wrong. 2) Here is a random blooper for this chapter. Yes, my life is so pointless, that I'm sitting here thinking of the things that could be messed up if this were being filmed.
Shadow: I wanted to tell you. I truly did. I wanted to tell you I love you. Even if you do have strange wiggly ears.
Rouge: Why you! (Slaps Shadow hard.)
Shadow: What? I'm only reading what it says in the script.
Rouge: Where does it say that?
(Both peer at script. Extra line scribbled on in blue crayon.)
Rouge: You never noticed that?
Shadow: (smacking head against the wall) Stupid, stupid, stupid! I had to read the blue crayon didn't I?
Nisa-chan666: Cut, cut. Sam, have you been tampering with the scripts?
Sam: (laughs nervously.)
Nisa-chan: (sigh.) Okay. Sam, stop tampering with the scripts. Rouge, if it happens again don't bitch-slap him quite as hard. And Shadow, I know I told you to ignore the red crayon last time, but this time I'm telling you: IGNORE THE CRAYON! IT IS EVIL!
Nisa-chan666: A bit of randomness for you. My apologies, that was a crap blooper.