Chapter 8: The Past Grasps My Future

The weeks had past quickly. The group would e playing their first performance that weekend and it was already Friday night.

They guys were all sitting at home watching TV and messing around.

"So Tails you get a kiss yet?" Knuckles joked as he punched Tails in the arm.

Tails and Cream were close but not that far down the road yet. "No Knuckles." The fox answered.

"I'd wager you've already laid Rouge huh." Sonic commented as he dug through the refrigerator looking for something to drink.

"Why ay wanna know huh I guess a sissy little virgin like yourself wonders what it's like?" Knuckles joked he of course was still a virgin but he loved to aggravate the crap out of Sonic.

"You know you couldn't lay a girl if you got the chance!" Sonic yelled back.

"Ok are you talking about me or you cause it sounds a lot like you." Knuckles smirked as he poured some Pepsi into a glass.

"Knuckles you're just a big a virgin as Shadow." Sonic found a can of Coke and sat it on the counter.

"You know I wonder if that's really true." Knuckles expression turned to that of curiosity.

"Actually I see your point." Sonic agreed.

"Yea you know he's real friendly now with Amy I've seen um hug and stuff I bet they've been together." Knuckles suggested.

"You guys are both idiots." Shadows voice was heard from across the bar.

They both looked at him and then at each other. Sonic shook his head and looked back in frig for something to eat. "Come on Shadow you to look so 'close'."

Shadow smirked and picked up Sonic's Coke and shook till it was ready to explode then he casually set it down like he didn't do a thing. Knuckles was staring but Shadow winked to signify it was a joke. Knuckles just returned the signal and went to look in the cabinet for something to snack on unware that he was far game too.

Shadow got up and walked around the bar. "Well Sonic I don't see you getting close with a girl I guess that means your gay." Shadow was standing behind the island in the middle of the kitchen where Knuckles had set his drink.

"Shut up Shadow I won't easily fall pray to some female I'll be the one to pick my girl she won't pick me." Sonic turned around and saw Shadow shaking the salt over Knuckles drink and then setting it back down like he hadn't done anything. Sonic looked at him grinned. Shadow just smirked and walked back out of kitchen.

"Oh well I guess you two are just to smart for me." Shadow was heading for the couch as Sonic opened his drink and Knuckles took a swallow of his own. Shadow did his best hold in his laghter as he plopped down on the sofa and listened Sonic yelling as he got sprayed all over by his drink and Knuckles practically choking to death on the salt in his own drink. "Then again you guys you're not exactly the brightest people I know." Shadow rolled off the couch and to his feet. "I'll see you losers later I've gotta go." He moved toward the door.

"Where ya goen Shadow?" Tails questioned.

"Out I'll be back in a while."

With the girls

Cream and Rouge were knocked out on the couch the three of them had been on a wild shopping trip and they were beat. Amy on the other hand was sitting in the garage strumming a few cords on her guitar. The dim lights overhead flicked very now and again. She then heard a sound like a zap sort of she looked up and saw Shadow standing in the large doorway. She smiled as she looked back down at her guitar and then stood up. "Hey."

He walked into the light and slowly took a seat in front of her. "Hey you said you needed help with something?"

"Yea I'm trying to get these notes to come out right for a song I want to do tomorrow but I just can't get it. You play really well I thought maybe you could help me get it right."

"Play the notes." Shadow told her. She did as he said and played about seven notes that were okay but obviously not played in the right manner. Shadow watched her fingers as they touched each string. "You're missing a note in the middle."

Amy looked down at the guitar. "What; how is that?"

Shadow got up and stood closely behind her. Amy blushed as she felt him slip his hands gently on top of hers she looked straight forward to keep him from seeing her red face. He took her fingers along with his own and started playing the notes and showed her where the missing note belonged. She smiled as she realized the way the music needed to flow. Amy didn't notice how relaxed she was in his arms laying back in them as she allowed him to play the notes once more. She suddenly lifted herself from his grasp as a harsh memory suddenly came to mind. "Thanks for helping me." She turned to him with a fake soft smile.

"Amy there's something I've been wondering for a while? When we became a band you agreed to some terms."

"Yea and I've been following them." Amy blurted out hopping she wasn't in any kind of violation.

Shadow sat down on a small miniature stage the girls practiced on. "Yes I know but what I'm curious about his how you're able to do it. I know you don't have a job or anything like that so how is it you can afford to pay us?" Shadow couldn't understand how she was able to come with the two-hundred dollars every time pay day came around.

"Why do you care so much?" Amy questioned as she sat down beside him.

"I don't know I just can't help but wonder." He looked down at the floor trying not to realize his own feelings.

"Would it help if I told you it's not illegal?" Amy smiled genuinely.

"I guess but still why the secrecy?" Shadow pressed her on.

Amy leaned on his shoulder thinking it might help explain just a little. "Look have you ever had a secret one that you never wanted anyone to find out about, no matter what?" "Well it's just something in my past hasn't let go of me yet and sometimes it scares me…to know that it might always be there." "I think to myself how much better off I'd be without him looming over my every move." "But as much as I hate my past without it wouldn't have a future."

Shadow did get a little information out of that he knew that however she was getting the money was doing something she didn't like and that hit had to do with some male she had referred to as 'him'. He dropped the investigation rather quickly though as he realized that Amy was actually scared of something or maybe more to the point someone. "Amy are you sure you're going to be okay?" He looked down at her she was still leaning on his shoulder looking as if she were staring off into space.

"Yes you don't have to worry about me Shadow Ill be alright." Amy got up from the stage. "You better go home and get some sleep tomorrows the big day.