Chapter 13: Only One Chance

Marie had left Chase a little while ago. She was headed back to Galleons to face the music with Todd. She was in front of the club now. She walked in and as she expected she couldn't find Todd anywhere. Marie of course couldn't blame him she had been gone a long time. She wished that she didn't have to leave before but what was there to do now? Tomorrow was Monday she'd see him soon. She felt bad about that to she remembered how in the past few weeks she hadn't paid much attention to Todd her attention was always on Chase and going to see him. She went home quietly contemplating on her thoughts of what to do about her situation. She finally got home. She entered the house quietly she knew her parents were already a sleep or so she assumed. She was about to go up the stairs to her room when she noticed a light was still on in the den. Marie wandered into the living room to see who was still up. She saw her father sitting in his chair once more with the same book in his hand. Marie walked over to him.

"Hey Daddy." She sat down on the arm of the chair.

"It's about time you got home." He didn't look up from the book he only continued to stare at the current page which happened to be the last one.

Marie had no where else to turn. "Daddy what should you do when you don't know who you love?" She was looking at him desperately for an answer.

Shadow closed the book. "Marie there should be no question of who you love in your life that should be the clearest thing in the world." He was right of course one should not have doubt they're feelings but this was the most hypocritical thing Shadow the hedgehog could possibly say. Love was something that was unmistakable or so it was suppose to be.

"But Daddy how do you know how can you tell?" Marie asked.

"There are no signs to look for in my opinion. Love just comes to you. You know it when it's there. Love will just hit you but sometimes it can be hard to see. I can tell you that the love you're probably worried about is the love you can only feel for one person." "If you can't tell that means you're confused, frustrated, maybe even scared." "But I can tell you if you don't realize it soon you might lose the one you care for most." Shadow sighed and stood up. "Take this." He handed her the book he just then finished. Marie looked down at the large book on the cover was the title 'Gone with the Wind'. She wasn't too surprised. Her father read all sorts of literature but why was he giving this book to her? "This book is about a woman who thinks she's in love with a man. Another man is deeply in love with her but she refuse to give up on her supposed 'true' love but even after she marries the man who loves her she still seeks her first so called love." "Her husband truly loved and cared for her but she was to blinded by lust to see it and by the time she realized the one she'd been avoiding was the one she was truly meant to be with it was to late he was gone and she was left alone." Marie noticed that this story was somewhat similar to her own. "My point is it was always there she had the choice and she never gave it a chance and she lost what she actually wanted most and now she can never get it back." He was walking towards his and Amy's bedroom he stopped at the door. "Ninety-nine percent of the time you only get one chance at true love." He was facing the door now the handle in his grip. "Love is fragile…and some people don't even realize they have it until they almost lose it." He walked in and closed the door.

Shadow was standing at the entrance listening to make sure Marie went up to her room which she did. "Shadow I think you told her just what she needed to hear." He turned around and through the darkness of the room he could just make out the silhouette of Amy's body. She was sitting up in the bed looking through the dimness at Shadow who was coming toward her now.

"I told her what I know…I seem to know a lot about losing the one I love." He was recalling how he had left Amy alone all those years ago.

He had sat down on the edge of the bed and Amy had crawled over behind him. "It's okay now." She wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. She rested her head in his neck. "You came back for me and that's all that matters you did the right thing in the end and Marie will do the same you'll see…she's so much like you."

IN THE LAIR

Sonic was working on the large computer looking over a few things and watching some more of this video clips. Suddenly a small beeping sound was heard from the machine and a small blue light flashed. Sonic pressed a number of buttons and then the large screen flickered as a man came into view on the monitor.

"Sonic how is your work going?" This man seemed to be part of the military he was dressed in a uniform and he had a black eye patch over his right eye. He seemed to be in his mid thirty's.

"It's actually not going as smoothly as I had hoped Kent." Sonic answered.

"You may do what you must, I can give you full authority over what must be done and no circumstances await you."

"So I may take her?" Sonic inquired.

"I said do as you will…this is only a research project for me." Kent leaned forward into the camera. "Where is Chase?" Kent seemed to show a paritclar interest in the young adult panther.

"He is preparing himself for what he believes he must do to keep Amy coming here." Sonics expression dulled as he thought of Marie.

"What is bothering you Sonic?" Kent raised the question as soon as he noticed Sonics unhappy emotion and thought it may arouse a problem.

"Amy isn't mine as I whish her to be…she belongs to another…I am annoyed to learn that she is Chases." Sonics hands had turned to fists as he stood there trying to calm himself as he played a few videos from a camera he had set up to watch the two.

"I see well this situation will be dealt with." Kent's mood had changed severally. What exactly was his stake in all this what did he have do with Sonic and Chase?

Well hope you're enjoying the story. I tried to juice it up a bit how am I doing?