Disclaimer: For the zillionth time…I don't own Sega's characters!

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Before Amy had time to react, light exploded into the room as Blade swung open the door and stepped in, grinning evilly at the pair. "I almost forgot about you!" He sneered at Shadow then continued, "Well, I see you two have met…now that you've said hello, you can say goodbye!"

Amy scratched her head and thought with confusion, "He makes no sense…" She moved closer to Shadow, feeling no fear whatsoever. Shadow stood in front of her and snarled at Blade, "Don't touch her! Just let her go!" For some reason he was feeling oddly protective of her as he whispered out of the side of his mouth, "Amy…you deserve someone better than me…I'm going to attack him…and while he's distracted, run as if Faker was chasing you with a knife!"

Amy whispered back,tears brimming in her emerald eyes, "No, Shadow, I won't leave you here to suffer any longer! We'll escape together or not at all!"

Shadow felt emotion welling up inside of him. He stared into her eyes for a few seconds then answered, "Okay…"

Blade threw a rock at them, growling, "That's the most I've ever heard you say in one hour, you mangy black hedgehog! Now it's time to shut the hell up!" He grabbed Amy's arm tightlyby the wrist and yanked her up the stairs, dragging her when she tripped. He slammed the door in Shadow's face and locked it with a swift turn of his wrist. Then he flung Amy against the wall and held the dagger up to her neck, hissing softly in her ear, "Give me the information I need and I'll consider making your death less painful!"

Amy whimpered in fear, shaking uncontrollably, and looked away from his evil bloodshot eyes.

Blade smiled with satisfaction. "Now tell me where the panther is hiding!"

Amy shook her head and answered very timidly, "Let me go…I don't know where she is hiding…I don't know…" She began crying harder as he pushed the cold metal harder into her skin.

Shadow heard her crying and whimpering and felt himself fill with unexplainable rage. He gritted his teeth and ran at the door, smashing his body into it and falling back down the stairs. He tried this several times before spin-dashing at the solid metal door. Swallowing and clenching his fists from frustration and anger, he dealt the hinges of the door a furious medleyof punches and kicks, knocking it clean out of the frame. He leapt up and spun-dashed at Blade, knocking him aside and the dagger out of his hand but in the process getting cornered against the wall.

Somehow, in the pandemonium that ensued next, Amy found the dagger and, as Blade tried choking Shadow to death, stabbed the bulldog in the shoulder. He yelped in pain and released Shadow who staggered to the wall and gasped for breath.

"Shadow, come on!" Amy yelled, grabbing his hand and trying to run. "Run like Faker's chasing me…" She reminded herself, "Just gotta go faster…"

Shadow caught his breath and picked up the pace,grabbing her up easily and running faster and faster until they became an indistinct pink and black blur in the city streets. Shadow kept running until he felt the ground soften into grass and eventually into pine straw. He paused and looked around.

He had run into a huge pine forest with ancient pines growing taller than some skyscrapers. Light filtered through the needle-like leaves with a cool darkness, every so often creating patterns of sunlight on the dark ground which changed with each soft breeze. Amy gasped with amazement as the stillness quieted her frantically beating heart and created a sense of peace around her. "It's beautiful…" She gasped.

Shadow nodded, silently sitting down, and staring up at the snatches of the sky still visible from under the trees. Finally he whispered as if to not disturb the silence, "That was close…"

Amy nodded and answered in a soft tone, "Yes…it was…you're really brave, Shadow…I hope you know that."

Shadow modestly stared down at his feet, listening to the wind blow gently as it swayed the tree tops. He gradually lifted his head and looked up at her face, "Amy?"

"What?" She asked, turning her gaze upon him.

"I love you too…" He murmured softly, staring deep into her eyes.

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AWWWWWWW! How sweet…I bet everyone can guess what comes next! Don't forget to send a review in! I might start another story soon…but I haven't quite figured out how I want it to end yet…but I'll get the first chapter up as soon as I find time to write it! TTFN!