STH © SEGA
Sarah and Sam © Cozy Shadow
Flame, Petunia, and Jeffery © Phantomask
Italicized brands (like food labels, movies, and songs) belong to their rightful owner.
TheDivines is my Beta. If you have any questions about the story's flow, please ask TheDivines. You can skip my long essay of an explanation, and I will not be disturbed. :D Schedule might be changed a bit because of editing now. It not only has to match my schedule, but also TheDivines'. Thank you.
Thanks to those who reviewed last time!
To the Guest who talked about Mormons in their review:
I'm going off the Mormons in my town. Some practice polygamy and say it's their Mormon religion belief. I'm sure Mormonism is different in certain places. But out here, there is a large polygamist Mormon family (they have their own school) that believes it's what they're supposed to do religiously. They're seen as the "Righteous Mormons" of the valley. Real life, by the way. It's annoying.
So, I'm bringing the animal instinct thing. Some readers might remember it in chapter three with Samwell and Amy. It's going to be like an internal conflict between Amy and Shadow. At least, it's going to be one of their conflicts. Sorry not sorry if any of you dislike this idea, but I don't see Mobians as completely human. Their anthropomorphic beings and that just means they have human characteristics. So, to me, above anything else, Mobians are animals. I don't plan on taking the primal thing and making it the main thing of the story, so don't worry about that. It's just a conflict.
Chapter Thirteen:
The Fine Line
Three days.
Three days had passed and nothing changed, but nothing was super exciting either.
Amy watched the clock tick away as she lied down on the couch. It was Tuesday. February 24th. She'd been there for nearly fourteen days. Despite everything that had happened, things were beginning to calm down—that or return to normal.
She was no longer sick and neither was Shadow. Enough cough syrup down their throats could cure anything apparently.
That and Amy had made them tea every morning.
Shadow despised it even more than he despised coffee, but Amy was obstinate.
"Just drink it."
"It tastes like shit."
"I made it. It's supposed to help the cold."
"It's going to do nothing but continue tasting like shit."
Shadow had returned to his…state. She wasn't entirely sure what to call it.
He wasn't grumpy, but he wasn't overly open either. He was just…Shadow. She figured it was for the best. It helped her mind stop making up thoughts and pretending like everything he did was a signal that he liked her.
Amy was at peace overall.
Except in one department.
Cream.
The clock continued to tick, showing the seconds that passed by. Amy was beginning to feel worry and dread develop every time she thought of the rabbit.
She tried to call Saturday, but it went to voicemail.
"Hey, Cream. It's Amy. Listen, I don't know if Tails said anything to you, but I'm currently living with Shadow and Sonic at the moment. I wanted to catch up with you and…apologize. So…Yeah."
She had sat there for what felt like an eternity, holding the phone. Then she gave her the house number, hung up, and decided Cream would call her back in due time.
Except it'd been almost four days.
Maybe she's not going to ever accept my apology. Maybe she's moved on and has forgotten about me.
What if she doesn't remember me? She probably thought I blocked her out, and she probably hates me even more now.
Oh, what have I done?
But she was moving. She and Vanilla were moving. I decided to stay with Silver though. Even then, Cream looked upset. What if she's one of those preppy girls now? Or emo?
Debating on either a stuck-up Cream or a depressed Cream, Amy left the couch and wandered into the kitchen. There was absolutely nothing to do.
She lied around most of the time. Slept, watch TV, ate some food, etc. At least she was breathing.
Shadow was off doing who knows what again. Sonic and Sarah were both at work. Amy was left to mend the house while her wrist was almost completely better. The bandage was off now at least, and Shadow hadn't reprimanded her when she did take it off.
But everything was so boring.
Leaning up against the counter, she glanced outside the window. Snow was beginning to melt and create slush everywhere. The grass of the big backyard was brownish yellow. The front yard, though a bit smaller, was the same. The trees were still bare.
Everything looked so dull.
Just as soon as the excitement tuned down, the country life became repetitive and tedious.
How have they lived here for four years?
I guess, they have jobs.
Shadow had a job until the first year—he worked with Sonic. Now he works the farm, but what could he possibly be doing right now that could benefit the farm? There's still snow on the ground and it doesn't take all day to feed the animals.
It's like he just goes poof during the day and only shows up when there's food. And no one questions it.
Amy was beginning to wish she had a job, or at least was still in New York.
Maybe I should start looking. But that would require working. While I like sleeping in, I don't like the boring life. I need something brainless but still productive in some shape or form. Farm life seems too dreary.
There's something missing that could make it all the more thrilling.
As if hearing her thoughts, fate made the phone ring.
Humming happily, Amy got dressed rather quickly. She was in the middle of brushing her teeth and watching the clock, as it was a little past ten in the morning, when the door opened and closed.
A little early for lunch, Shadow. She hummed to herself curiously while listening to his footsteps.
It didn't take long for the ebony male to question the quietness of the house when he knew there was a lifeform inside it that stirred up trouble for a living.
It took him even less time to find her. Which was odd, considering Shadow could normally never find her.
But she smelled different today.
The aroma wafted up to his nose and filled in his senses. Something inside his animal side shivered in delight. Shadow wasn't used to the feeling. He didn't like it; no matter how good it made his instinctive side feel. Something told him that it wasn't all that good. That it was some sort of trap.
Then again, living in a world that had wanted to kill Shadow made him think everything was a trap.
Following the scent to the bathroom, he was rather surprised to see her dressed.
She never told him they were going out in public, did she? Had he tuned her out too much during breakfast the last four days?
"Where are you going?" He was always so full of questions.
Amy spat the toothpaste out and rinsed the brush. "Sonia called."
He was silent. She mentally smirked. Amy could just imagine how he was feeling right now. Shadow was probably frozen stiff and trying not to think about the kids jumping on him—well, one child in particular.
"And?"
"I get to watch them today. Technically, it was Flame who called, but Sonia suggested me. Sonia's at work and Flame has to go job hunting. He's got some interviews at different places, and he's asked if I can watch the kids."
"So, you're going into town?" Shadow ignored the tug towards her. He swatted mentally at his instinctive side, trying to focus on the situation at hand.
Was she really just going to waltz into town, thinking danger didn't have her on radar?
"Yep. I don't know what we'll do, but—"
She stopped short because she didn't see him in her peripheral anymore.
"Shadow?"
Peeking down the hall, Amy watched as he vanished into his room. The door was left open though, so she made herself welcome.
Shadow was rummaging through his closet and pulled out a regular old flannel shirt that was red. Different from his dirty one. It was one for town.
Amy cocked her head to the side. "What are you doing?"
"Going with you."
"What?" Amy blinked, "No way." She narrowed her eyebrows and folded her arms. "You can't come. You'll be a buzzkill. That's what you've been these last three-four days."
"I apologize," he murmured with a sigh of irritation.
He wasn't really apologizing. He was just trying to get her off his back and out of his room. Something made him grit his teeth—something his primal side was doing. It was surfacing. The sudden yanking in side of him, the fine line between human and animal, was dragging him down into some dark abyss.
Dilated eyes lasted for a second.
Then everything was back to normal.
Shadow could think clearly, he could breathe evenly. Except the damn female was still in his room. Shrugging it off as nothing, the twenty-eight-year-old male continued to change.
Varying shirts, he noticed Amy never left his room. "But I'm still going," Shadow responded as he buttoned up the nicer shirt.
"Absolutely not."
"You have no clue where to go," Shadow stepped up so he was towering over her and was only a foot away. "You're a magnet for trouble; we don't need that for the kids. And I've decided you're not going alone. Frankly, Sarah and Sonic aren't available."
"What about Tails?" Amy whined as she followed him down the hallway.
Shadow internally cringed at the thought of another male near her at the moment.
Just what the hell is going on, Shadow? This isn't you. The dark hero didn't understand it. All that had changed was Amy's scent. Why? Normally, she smells like raspberries or vanilla. Lately, she hasn't smelled at all—which means she's taking on our scent since she's lived here for a while. But the drastic change now doesn't make any sense.
He knew only one thing. I have to keep control today. My instincts are kicking in for some reason. Now is not the time. Never is the time, really. I'm slipping for whatever reason—Amy's scent.
He pondered the thought as he listened to Amy practically stepping on his heels. She was definitely a pushy little thing.
"He has his workshop when he isn't crop dusting. He's probably still trying to make a schedule so all of the farmers around here are happy, so I doubt he's available either." Shadow tugged on his boots and grabbed his jacket. Facing Amy, he raised an eyebrow at her unhappy expression. "I'm a little insulted."
"Hmph." Like a child, she stuck her nose up in the air. Her arms were still crossed against her chest.
Shadow found the sight rather amusing, but he didn't say so. Instead, he smirked his classic smirk and passed her Sarah's jacket. "Although I don't enjoy the thought of babysitting, I'd rather be there to protect then have the guilt of not being there on my shoulders."
Amy roughly took the jacket and put it on. "It's not like anything bad is going to happen."
He grasped the doorknob and exhaled. "You know, ever since you came here, things have gotten a little more…"
His silence was clearly nail-biting to Amy.
She frowned, fearing the worse, "A little more what? Dangerous? Out of hand? Troublesome? What?"
His smirk grew to the point where she saw his teeth. His fang poked out, and Amy had to blink to make sure it wasn't a grin. It was a little different.
"I was going to say exciting."
"Weeeeeeee!"
"I hope they won't be of any trouble for you, Amy," the tall, familiar male said as he watched his daughter run around a particular figure. "I can't say the same for Shadow though."
The dark hedgehog huffed and ignored the five-year-old running circles around him. He kept his arms crossed. Amy glanced back at him with a contrite gaze, but she understood why he was doing this.
Turning back to Flame, she shrugged feebly. "He's decided to be the body guard today."
"I see. Just keep an eye on my kids. We can pay you, if you want."
"No," Amy was quick to shake her head. She put her hands out in front of her. "That won't be necessary."
"You're trying to get back on your feet," Shadow grumbled. "No wonder you lost your job in the first place. You're too selfless."
Amy ignored him as he stood behind her. She continued to grin warmly at Flame. The bright orange hedgehog stared at the two of them with slight concern. "Okay…Amy?"
"Don't listen to him. Body guards aren't supposed to speak," Amy hissed back at Shadow who frowned and muttered something incoherent. "Ever."
Shadow glared at a tree.
The outside of Flame and Sonia's house looked nice. The inside was normally messy because of the kids, even if Flame watched them all day and could easily clean the house. The father locked the door and kissed his children goodbye before he headed to his car and left.
Shadow had switched vehicles with Sonic on the drive to town, stopping off at Sonic's work.
Sonic's truck had the car seat in the back at all times, just in case he had to watch the kids. So, Shadow thought it better to switch vehicles rather than risk being pulled over in his two seater truck with two toddlers without seat belts on.
Amy buckled Jeffery into the car seat. Petunia was left without one. "Be good back here, okay?" The rose hedgehog buckled Petunia in. The child, eager, nodded enthusiastically.
"I will, Auntie Amy!"
Smiling at the name, Amy closed the door and got in the passenger seat. She checked up on Jeffery, who remained asleep. "Okay," she faced the driver. "What do we wanna do?"
Shadow remained at the wheel, staring into space.
Why did I agree to this? He was beginning to regret it, but at least he'd gotten used to Amy's different smell, and his carnal instincts had died upon picking up the kids. Because Amy has a date with trouble every time she goes anywhere.
…But why did I agree to this?
He didn't know what to do with the kids.
Sure, he could pretend to be playing with them when they were at his house, or pretend to be coloring, but town? Where were they supposed to go? What were they supposed to do?
"Um…"
Amy blinked at the confused male. "You never babysat them in town before? Petunia's five and you've never babysat in town?"
"Not me. Once, when Petunia was three, Sonic had to take her. We had a whole shopping list then. I went and got everything while he spent time with her," Shadow explained. "But we don't have anything to do now…"
And what made it worse was that Shadow had only left Sonic because someone commented on what an inspiring gay couple they made. He didn't exactly want to be in the same boat again but with Amy. It had already been awkward enough the first time.
"We can…go to the pet store," Amy suggested. "Or the toy store. There's that complex with the toy store, the pet store, the clothing store, and the craft store. We can go there, if you don't mind?"
It was better than nothing.
So, he started the engine.
~.~
"Lookie!" Petunia raced to the fish and stared in wonder. "They're fish!"
Shadow didn't know what to do.
Amy was carrying Jeffery and looking at the betta fish in their own separate containers on the shelves. Down the aisle were the fish that were kept together in big tanks, and that was where Petunia had raced off to.
He wasn't sure if he was supposed to stick to Amy or follow Petunia. Both seemed potential magnets for danger. They were both too curious and selfless with the world.
"Petunia, don't run off, sweetie."
Thankfully, Shadow had Amy Rose.
He didn't have to be the parent figure for all three. Petunia zoomed back to them and looked at the betta fish, or tried to.
The containers were too high for her to see. But instead of asking for some assistance, Petunia walked backwards to see them from farther away. She craned her neck up and tippy toed although her efforts seemed fruitless.
Shadow sighed in exasperation.
Kids.
They sometimes intrigued Shadow. Like when they were littler and seemed fascinated with the world.
Petunia had been that way. Jeffery was getting there but seemed to be a calmer child than Petunia, who was always looking for the next adventure.
But it was the infants that made the Ultimate Life Form gaze at them in wonder.
They were just little beings, experiencing the world for the first time. At least their experience could be better than his.
So, it was probably the only softness Shadow had ever shown.
He hadn't known Petunia when she born. She was five, he moved to the state four years ago. But when she was one, Shadow didn't mind it at all, though he would never acknowledge it.
Petunia had always been fascinated with animals or machines. Once, she had been so interested in a blanket when she one. Shadow had watched her with Sonic in the living room. She had messed with the blanket for a good five minutes before sticking the fabric in her mouth.
Yes, kids seemed to be something entirely their own, just like Amy Rose.
Both were captivating.
Both were filled with such innocence that was it difficult to be unkind to them.
Petunia squeaked as she was picked up. She gripped onto Shadow's shoulder as he rested her on his hip. It wasn't the first time he had picked her up.
Shadow had a different relationship with children.
One that made Amy more confused about him.
The dark hero actually liked children? No, that was probably going too far than Shadow would care to admit.
He tolerated children.
Especially when one was Petunia and just as stubborn as Amy.
But the little girl meant well, as she truly thought of Shadow as her uncle and cared deeply for him. He was kind most of the time. Sometimes, he proved to be distant. But Petunia's mother explained that it was because he had a hard life and was trying to adjust. It made Petunia try harder to be friends with her "uncle."
At times, she felt like they truly were friends. Then, he would be difficult and not want anything to do with company, much less hers. Petunia didn't quite understand.
Neither did Amy.
The rose hedgehog watched from the corner of her eye. She smiled nonchalantly, and thankfully Jeffery blocked Shadow's view from seeing it.
"They're all different colors," Petunia chimed in and held the shelving as Shadow kept a grasp on her. She pointed at a bright blue betta. "He's pretty."
"Look at the red one," Amy pointed at one further down. Shadow shifted as Petunia tried to get closer to it. The betta flinched and swam as far away as possible in his tiny, circular container.
Jeffery cooed and gurgled at the plain looking one. It had a brownish face with a little blue on its tail, but the toddler was only interested in that one. It seemed interested too.
"Aw, Jeffery," Amy giggled. "You made a new friend."
Petunia squeezed in beside her brother while Shadow kept his hold. "Hi!" Petunia chirped at the fish but it immediately swam away, or as far as it could go.
"Petunia, they don't like loud noises," Amy explained at the disappointed child.
Petunia's ears flapped back and she turned her head to rest her chin on Shadow's shoulder, looking away from the fish altogether.
"You have to be a bit gentler. Don't scare them."
"Hmph."
Shadow huffed at the child's response. Amy smiled pitifully at Petunia's back and then continued to look at the ordinary fish with Jeffery. Shadow turned to a blueish red fish in front of him. It swam quickly towards them, trying to get past the barrier. Shadow raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to the fish.
"These fish are strange. Petunia," he whispered.
Her ears perked up as her head swiveled. Happier, Petunia's tail wagged back and forth in excitement. Her eyes lit up as she grasped the shelf. The fish was still trying to swim towards them and didn't shy away when Petunia said hello.
Shadow stood straighter, pulling away from the fish but still allowing Petunia to look. His gaze was warm towards the bearable youngster, but then he felt other eyes watching him. Twisting to his left, he met Amy's knowing scrutiny.
"What?" he grunted roughly, his eyes narrowing and the soft look completely gone.
Amy only smirked, blinked rather slowly, and then continued looking at the betta fish with Jeffery. Shadow was interested now. He tilted his head towards her. "What was that look for?"
"Nothing." Her smile crept back across her muzzle.
Shadow sneered in distaste. "I was merely keeping her from pouting."
"Hmhm."
"She's annoying."
"I'm sure."
Shadow didn't like the fact that he might've showed his vulnerable side to an adult. He could share it with kids straightforwardly because they didn't judge him.
Maybe that was why he found them intriguing.
They didn't scream at him, even if he did look scary with his red eyes and harsh look. For some reason, the children were the first ones to notice the good in him right away. That the wall he had put up was false. They probably didn't even see the wall—they were just children.
They don't judge so quickly. Not at this age, at least, and not the kids I've dealt with. Which are only these two.
They're so full of purity; they think that's all the world is.
"Want to go see the other fish?" Amy asked, mainly to Jeffery. The little boy gurgled again, blowing bubbles with his spit. "I'll take that as a yes." She turned and called after Shadow and Petunia.
Setting the girl down, Shadow let Petunia race after Amy. He took his time, of course.
The other fish weren't very cool. Petunia liked some, especially the ones with big eyes, but overall it was rather mind-numbing for them.
Jeffery liked the cats though.
They rubbed up against the kennel as Jeffery poked his chubby finger in and poked at the cat's forehead. Amy watched him mostly, which left Shadow with the notion that Petunia was his to look after.
He stood, waiting, as Petunia found the kittens a bit more delightful than the older cats. She wiggled her finger until one tried to snatch it.
Shadow watched with a careful eye.
Not because of fatherly instincts, no. He denied that reason.
It's merely because she'll bawl and whine all day if one so much as nicks her skin.
It was not because of fatherly instincts. His animal side, being Mobian and all, was nothing but a myth to him. He had his own self-control. Shadow wasn't an animal. Though, technically, he was.
Still, he ignored the gut feeling that told him to scold Petunia. The primal thing inside of him however had changed throughout the day—from wanting to surface at Amy's new scent to being protective over the children they looked after.
It made being normal all the more difficult in the average world.
Once a Mobian adjusted, they had to get used to those primitive instincts. The heroes were always off and saving the day—they never had a reason to think about settling down and going on with the day like a regular animal would on Earth. Also, the heroes had been younger.
The last thing Shadow ever thought about was family. Having one of his own. But something inside of him seemed to be lost the moment he went through that portal ten years ago. Something that had once told him family seemed impossible and now it wasn't. He just didn't know what it was yet.
Still, he kept his control under check and continued to be his normal self while waiting patiently for the day to end.
"Petunia, be careful," Amy warned. Thankfully, Shadow was stuck with someone who had lost control and new how to deal with those situations. And had motherly instincts.
He folded his arms and glared at anyone that stared at them for too long. And then a worker came up just to annoy him even more.
"Finding everything okay, sir?"
"Yes."
She was human. Short, black hair and green eyes—about twenty-five. She motioned to the kittens and kneeled down to Petunia. "His name is Scuffles," she spoke gently to the little Mobian girl while speaking about the black kitten.
Petunia smiled and the worker returned it. "What about the gray one?"
"Tangerine."
Shadow scoffed and rolled his eyes at the stupid names. The worker glanced up at him upon hearing the sound. She looked at Amy and stood up. "Were you planning on buying a cat?"
"Oh, no. We're just babysitting," Amy blushed. "We didn't know where to go, so the pet store looked good."
"Oh," the worker stated in understanding and slight embarrassment. "And here I thought you two were married."
Amy bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "No. We're not."
She wasn't sure how Shadow was, but his back was turned. Suddenly, she was watching him walk away rather stubbornly.
Amy frowned and glanced back at the worker to fake a grin, "Just passing time."
Petunia had noticed Shadow walking away as well and was quick to follow. Amy let her go as she continued talking to the worker, and as Jeffery went on with petting the cat that had taken a liking to him.
Finding Shadow was easier said than done.
He spent four years in hiding and had become pretty good at it. So, he was able to not draw attention to himself when alone. He walked down an aisle full of lizard stuff.
He wanted to ignore the little footsteps that followed.
"Shadow! Wait up!"
Spinning on his heel, the dark male gazed down as Petunia ran into his legs. She clutched his jeans and stared up.
"Why'd you walk off so fast?"
"Adult stuff."
Petunia's interest died. She scrunched up her nose. "Oh. Adult stuff is boring."
Shadow exhaled heavily and turned to look at the lizards in their exhibits. He leaned up against the shelving of animal food and slowly made his way to the ground. Petunia was quick to sit crossed leg next to him. A minute or so had passed.
"Boring and annoying to deal with," Shadow admitted. He stared at the lizards as Petunia looked up at him.
"Are you and Auntie Amy in a fight?"
Shadow didn't expect that. He looked down at her gradually and confoundedly. "No. Why do you ask that?"
"Because Mommy and Daddy get in fights, and Daddy leaves."
The thought made Shadow not believe it. Sure, Sonia and Flame had always been a rocky couple. Flame had his womanizing ways in college, supposedly. And then he fell for Sonia. Though it was none of his business, Shadow couldn't help but worry for the kids slightly.
After all, they were just children—the innocence of the world.
"Where does he go?"
"To another room," Petunia explained as she curled her knees up to her chest. "Sometimes Mommy leaves the room. It doesn't happen very much, though."
"Nothing to concern yourself with," Shadow shook his head, mostly in relief. He didn't have to slyly tell Sonic that his brother-in-law was fighting with Sonia, leaving, and possibly cheating—as it seemed the sort of thing Sonic would want to know, and all to keep Sonia safe. "It's adult stuff."
"Then why'd you walk off if you and Auntie Amy didn't get in a fight?"
Shadow mulled it over. He wouldn't normally speak, but Petunia wouldn't let it go. She never let anything go. "It's nothing to worry about, Petunia."
She was quiet, but then whispered, "Do you like her?"
He stopped and glimpsed down at the child, "As a friend."
"But Uncle Sonic said you two were together."
Oh. He was just going to kill that Faker.
Petunia hopped along as Shadow chose to walk. Amy and Jeffery were up ahead, entering a different aisle of a new store.
The toy store.
Gasping in delight, Petunia raced to the first thing she saw. The ebony male liked that it wasn't crowded. He didn't see anyone there.
I wonder why… He smirked in slight humor to himself. Of course, parents would avoid the toy store like the Black Plague. Halting abruptly, Shadow widened his eyes a fraction.
Then why am I here?
Glancing down at the little lifeform, Shadow prayed she wouldn't want anything.
She isn't greedy. So, she should be good.
"I want this one!"
Unfortunately his luck was never on his side. So it wasn't exactly his luck. No. Luck was laughing at him and walking away, saying, "See ya, loser." That was what Luck was doing right now.
And he just stepped into the one store any kid dreamed of getting lost in.
"Maybe we should leave," he suggested.
Petunia frowned and folded her arms. "No!"
He hadn't really meant to ask it out loud. Shadow was merely thinking to himself. But since the toddler responded…
"We're not getting you anything."
"But Jeffery's birthday is in April!" Petunia grabbed Shadow's hand and pulled on it. Shadow didn't move.
"So, why should I buy you anything if it's your brother's birthday?" Another reason that youngsters were humorous and interesting: they came up with the wittiest reasons.
"Because I'm his big sister, and I should be given a gift for helping out my baby brother when Mommy or Daddy ask me to."
"That's simply out of the kindness of your heart."
"Fine, I don't have a heart. I do it all for presents."
Shadow raised an eyebrow at her. Perhaps she wasn't so selfless. He closed his eyes and assured, "You have a heart, Petunia. You like spending time with your brother."
Petunia groaned as she realized her excuses weren't working on the adult. It never worked on the adults, especially Shadow. Then again, she had never tried to beg in front of him, so it wasn't impossible. She had to be a clever niece.
She had to outsmart the brains—the one with the money.
"Please?" was the best she came up with.
Shadow snorted and walked out of her grasp. Following Amy, Shadow didn't look back to see if Petunia was behind him. Thankfully, the child was.
She wasn't happy about it, but she followed anyway.
The dark male took a second or two to find Amy, but her scent was easy to track.
Petunia grasped his jacket in order to keep up. He wasn't one to hold hands, but Petunia made it the only option eventually. As he peered around one corner and into another aisle, she slipped her tiny hand in his larger one.
Panting for air, Petunia leaned her head up against him.
Shadow was off again just as quickly as they stopped. He tugged her hand to either pull her along or get out of her grasp—either one would do.
And then he spotted Amy.
He almost walked too far, but he stopped in time to go down the aisle. Petunia grumbled under her breath but sighed in relief as they met up with Amy and Jeffery.
"You walk a little fast," Shadow commented. "I'm surprised you couldn't run from trouble."
Amy didn't want to glare. At least not in front of the kids. Jeffery was having fun with the train set and Petunia joined him, letting go of Shadow's hand.
Amy noticed and briefly smiled, but the dangerous tone was still there as she spoke, "You walk a little slow. I'm surprised the Ultimate Life Form couldn't speed things up."
Shadow sneered. "You think that's a good comeback?"
"Better than any you've made."
The ebony hedgehog didn't know why she was being so snappy today. Yesterday was the same way too. But Saturday and Sunday had gone smoothly. Why was she upset with him now? Sure, she was back on the couch, but his bed was his bed.
And friends didn't sleep in the same bed.
And she was his friend. Or at least, he thought she was. Now it seemed they were bitter enemies.
Fortunately, Mobians were different from humans and could sense things a bit better. Unfortunately, sometimes those things were supposed to be more private.
And the thing that had been bugging him since finding her in the bathroom was beginning to make itself known.
The scent hit him first as Amy's cheeks seemed noticeable redder. But she wasn't blushing. She wasn't too angry either, and she wasn't holding her breath.
Oh, no… The sudden thinking and being closer to her than usual got to him. He knew entirely what was wrong—well, why the instincts inside of him were acting up around her. All the signs were there.
Amy Rose was on that time of the month. And Shadow got to deal with it.
"You're…" His nose twitched and Amy gave him a second glance, but this time more suspicious. She crossed her arms close to her chest and leaned away. The look he was giving was something unfriendly, at least to her. "You're in heat."
Amy blushed this time. Whether it was out of embarrassment or downright anger, Shadow couldn't tell. Amy clamped her hand over his mouth as soon as the words came and glanced over at the kids. Petunia and Jeffery was oblivious.
She unclamped his mouth and glared menacingly at him. "So?"
Shadow backed away as he gave her a curious and cautious look. "You're a bit moody."
"Don't. Just don't start with me, Shadow."
The black hedgehog was caught in a corner. He had no clue what to do.
Normally, Sarah stayed away from him when she was on her period. He didn't ever see her or lose control of his animal instinct. She was mated to Sonic and they were getting married. Shadow wasn't interested in Sarah.
But Amy.
She was good looking—scarier right now than anything—and she was sweet. Not to mention a hopeless romantic and very single. Despite the moodiness she was giving him, his primal instincts seemed to think it was the kindest she'd been to him so far.
Shadow thought the entire animal thing was absurd and wished for it to be gone.
Yes, Amy was tempting at times. Shadow was surprised other males hadn't shown up in the picture. But he certainly wasn't going to be one of them. He prided himself on his self-control.
And he lost it.
Amy pushed her hands against his chest as soon as he touched her. His eyes dilated profusely and his hands twitched. "Shadow, no."
There was a little fear in both of them.
But Shadow had never smelt something so enticing. His animal instinct did nothing but tell him to mate. He growled lowly.
Snap out of it!
He snarled against the shelving and turned away from Amy. Her hands rested on his shoulder.
And just like that, his eyes were back to normal, his breathing was even, and he was steady.
"I'm sorry," he muttered as he turned towards her.
"It's fine," Amy stepped away and tucked her stray quill behind her shoulder. "I was bad too when I first lost it."
Shadow grunted in disbelief and humor. "I feel bad for the guy."
"Yeah, well it was Silver."
Hitching a breath, Shadow glanced at her. His red eyes full of disbelief. Then his eyebrows narrowed. "What?"
"Just because we worked better together as best friends doesn't mean I didn't find Silver attractive. And as Mobians get older, they experience things. The animal inside us is always there. It's in humans, too. They're just more immune to it than us and more civilized. Back on Mobius, some were completely feral and just did what their instincts told them to."
Shadow swallowed roughly and met her eye contact, "So, you and Silver?"
"What about it? It didn't last long. There's no story to tell. I lost control once in the relationship. Months later, we mutually broke up. We dated, Shadow. It happened."
For some reason those words didn't commute correctly. He reached for the shelf and almost missed it. "It?"
Amy flushed and put her hands out. "No! Not it it. Just…our relationship it. Our relationship happened. Came and went."
"Got it." For some reason, there was relief hidden inside of him. He didn't know why he was feeling it, but he ignored it anyway. "After you dated, did you lose control again?"
"Well, yes. I'm not exactly good on control," Amy noted. "Didn't stop me from getting drunk when I was sick, now did it?"
"Certainly not."
Amy scratched the back of her neck awkwardly and met his watching gaze. "There was a guy at my old job. He was…nice. I fell pretty hard. Pretended that everything he did was some way of him telling me that he was actually interested." Amy shook her head as if she were ashamed of herself, or as if the thought reminded her of her girlish thoughts about Shadow four days ago. "He called me into his office one morning. We both lost it."
"Heat again?"
"It's called a period, and yes," Amy snorted in humor. "Stop talking like some 1700's person or something. There are modern terms for it."
"Humans call it heat for Mobians. We're animals to some of them—not equals," Shadow corrected but motioned her to continue. "Go on."
"It's not heat unless I'm sexually responsive." She snorted at his correction and then sighed, "Anyway. Then his longtime girlfriend walked in on us." Amy thinned her lips, obviously despised with herself and her coworker. "I felt like a slut. He never told me he was dating someone."
The kids were still ignorant of the adults. Shadow processed the news. Perhaps this was one, or the only, secret that Scourge had threatened about exposing. "How far did it go?"
"He almost got my shirt off."
Amy was looking away but still heard the rumble build up in Shadow's throat. She smiled softly to herself but shook the feeling off. Shadow didn't have feelings for her. She was being a girl.
"She called me a whore, broke up with her cheating ass of a boyfriend, and stormed out. I was left feeling very ashamed of myself."
"And the male?"
"He…" Amy turned away further and clutched her arm. "He didn't even go after her. He was already past the point of control."
Sudden anger boiled in him. Shadow stood straight and clutched Amy's arm. The female jumped and looked at the seriousness in the vermillion eyes.
"I got out. Left. I avoided him."
"How long was this before the time you were fired?"
"It had nothing to do with him," Amy stated, shaking off Shadow's assumption. "The man who fired me wasn't even really allowed to do so. He fired everyone and hired a completely new team for the magazine. Wanted something fresh. It was a few weeks gap though."
"Stupid girl," Shadow muttered in distaste and flung her arm out of his grasp.
Amy glowered at him. "Hey! You lost it too, back there. If not for me, where would we be right now?!"
His breath landed a few inches away from her. His hands grasped her arms so tightly it would leave marks. Their chests were almost touching. But nothing was lustful or romantic about it. Everything between them was crumbling under their anger.
"Don't even—"
"Uncle Shadow? Auntie Amy?"
With a wide gaze, Shadow quickly let go Amy in a stammering movement. Both turned to Petunia, who stared at them nervously. She bit her bottom lip and timidly walked closer.
She could sense something wasn't right between the two. And then Amy had yelled at him.
"You are fighting," Petunia concluded. "Just like Mommy and Daddy."
"No, sweetie." Amy kneeled down and kissed the girl on her forehead. "This is different from what your parents probably argue about."
Petunia wouldn't let it go though. She never let it go. So, she stared up at Amy with her father's eyes and looked at her with sorrow.
"Did you lose a baby, too?"
The Chinese food was normally inviting, but Amy couldn't swallow it.
She glanced over at Petunia and Jeffery. The kids were quiet but overall the same. They seemed to communicate somehow—Mobians were truly a mystery.
Amy didn't even know much about her own species. Yet, she knew something she wished Petunia hadn't said.
Casually, Amy looked across the table at Shadow. "Do you think Sonic knows?" she whispered.
"No."
"What makes you say that?"
Shadow sighed and set his fork down. He wasn't one for Chinese food anyway. The orange chicken was left untouched, and the rice was barely nibbled on. He leaned back and stared over at Amy. "Sonia's miscarried once before. Sonic didn't know until after Petunia was two."
"So why do you think they're arguing about it?"
"Despite how Flame acted in college—as a womanizer and whatnot—he's very fond of children. Much like Sonic," Shadow explained.
He took a sip of his water and made sure the kids weren't listening. Petunia was making walrus noises while putting her chopsticks in her mouth. Jeffery was laughing at her.
"But if Sonia miscarried, it doesn't give any reason for them to argue."
"They like to set the blame on someone," Shadow responded. He flagged down a waiter to get the check. "Flame has a very low chance of having kids. The fact that he's had two is apparently somewhat astonishing."
"Hence why he's so protective."
"Yes. But Flame is also the easily over jealous type. Sonia and he got in a giant fight when she was pregnant with Jeffery almost two years ago," Shadow remembered. "Flame was beginning to suspect that Sonia was cheating and wasn't actually pregnant with his son. Thus the two almost got divorced. Sonia lived with us for about a month. And then the DNA tests came through because even though they have a…unsteady relationship, the two aren't willing to throw it away."
"And?"
"What do you think?" Shadow snorted. "They're Flame's kids. Sonia never cheated. Flame isn't normally so possessive. He just overthinks things sometimes. Their problem isn't our problem though." He tried to wave the situation off as the waiter came with the check.
The waiter left and Amy was back on the conversation.
"So, why do you think they're arguing?"
"Who knows?" Shadow said in annoyance. "I frankly don't want to get in the middle of their situation. But if I had to make a guess, perhaps Flame's imagination was thinking about it too much, and he came to the conclusion that it wasn't a miscarriage. That Sonia was cheating, wound up pregnant with someone else's child, and aborted it to hide the evidence."
"Do you think she would actually abort though?" Amy cringed. "That's like murder."
"People have different views on it," Shadow shrugged. "I, for one, don't care about abortion. If the mother doesn't want the child, get rid of it some way or another. Adoption, abortion, pray for a miscarriage—whatever the hell they want to do. Women all over the world are making that decision now and it's not our business. Just like Sonia and Flame's situation isn't our business."
"I know…" She bit her tongue on the abortion thing. People did have different views. And she wasn't going to try and argue her belief with Shadow.
"Don't go making it our problem either," Shadow warned. He pointed at her with a threatening finger. "Or else you can live with them instead."
"Noted and engraved into brain." She smiled thinly and looked at the check. "When are we dropping them off at home though?"
"Flame's there now. It's almost three-thirty. He said he'd hopefully be done by then. Sonia gets off at three. They should both be at home or close to there."
"Think they need some privacy?"
Shadow set the money needed down and the tip. He grabbed Petunia from her spot next to him and stared at Amy with a ridiculous look. "Like hell I'm babysitting for another moment longer. I've learned enough for one day."
Amy shrugged at his logic before picking up Jeffery from his booster seat. "Good point."
~.~
Both Sonia and Flame were home. Fortunately, nothing was really happening.
Amy was about to open the door but Sonia beat her to it. She grinned and took Jeffery from her. "Hey! Come in! I just went light shopping after work."
"Light shopping," Flame grumbled from the kitchen. Plenty of bags rested on the counter as he rummaged through them. "Someone got their paycheck."
"That's half the paycheck," Sonia joked. "The rest goes to bills."
Amy walked in after Petunia ran in. Shadow was a little more hesitant, but the rose hedgehog motioned for him to do so. "C'mon," she hissed. "It'd be rude."
"I thought it was rude to go into someone else's house uninvited," Shadow mumbled.
"We were invited. Now just come in, you big baby," Amy whispered harshly, and then Shadow was inside. She shut the door and smiled at Sonia, who was busy blowing raspberries on Jeffery's cheek.
The boy giggled and tightened his hold on his mother. Green eyes, which resembled Sonic's, looked over Sonia's shoulder and lightened up when they found Amy. He gurgled and reached for the pink hedgehog, which Sonia found rather amusing.
Amy took Jeffery back and watched as Sonia merely waved it off.
"I have groceries to unload anyway. Then this little one gets a bath," she pinched Jeffery's cheek before kissing it. She walked around the counter in the center of the kitchen. Flame was busy looking at something that looked like a cucumber or a squash, but he couldn't tell.
"What is this?"
"Green food," Sonia snatched it from him. "Something you won't eat."
Flame was going to retort but shrugged it off. He stuck his head back in another bag and pulled out more vegetables. "Where is the stuff for carnivores?" he mused.
"In the freezer," Sonia responded and walked to the fridge to put some of the vegetables in it. "We had enough already."
"But it's meat." He glanced back at Shadow and pointed at Sonia. "You understand, don't you?"
Shadow sat at the kitchen table and ignored as Petunia tried to get him to color with her. She sat beside him happily though. "I go hunting, so I have leftover meat."
"Hunting?" Amy twisted around at him. She bounced Jeffery up and down in her hold. The Hunter's Ed story Sarah told Amy popped up in her mind, so it made sense that Shadow would get out and about instead of living such a mundane life all of the time. "You go hunting?"
"No different from killing a man."
There was an awkward silence.
Shadow closed his eyes. "That…Came out wrong."
"Yeah."
"I apologize." He wanted to smack himself unconscious, especially when he noticed Petunia was staring at him. "It's completely different."
Amy nodded as Sonia watched Shadow with an unimpressed look on her face. "Wow…To think I let you watch my children."
"You know, his bluntness is going to get him in a lot of suffering one day," Flame predicted as the couple went back to searching through grocery bags. "Petunia, you heard nothing. Got it?"
"Heard what, Daddy?"
"Good girl."
Shadow just stared out the window. He couldn't even open his mouth in fear that something even worse would come out. But it was the truth. To him at least. Of course, when he killed a man, he didn't exactly eat him.
The words had come out. There had been no stopping them. So, Shadow the Hedgehog did what Shadow the Hedgehog did best. He sat in the corner and pretended to be nonexistent.
"So," Amy rested along the counter and stared between the married couple. "How were the interviews?"
"Great," Flame grinned as he set the chips up above the fridge to where Sonia couldn't reach as easily. "I really think this time they won't suspect a thing."
"You persuaded them, didn't you?" Sonia stared at her husband with a disappointing and angry look.
Amy glanced between them. "What's bad about persuading them?"
"Flame can persuade people. Hypnotize them."
Amy looked at the smirking male with doubt. "Like a power?"
"Exactly like a power," Sonia clenched her teeth. "And I thought he promised he wouldn't do that this time."
The rose hedgehog wasn't sure what was happening. "Wait, how does that make any of it bad, though? I mean, if he doesn't get caught…"
"They kind of…black out when under control for so long," Flame explained as he stood beside Amy. He looked down at her with his warm-colored eyes. "Then they begin to become suspicious of me. So, they won't hire me. But I got to practice on someone."
"Why not just practice on Sonia?" Amy interjected. "I mean, any husband would want that power. Wife making them a sandwich. Wife doing the chores and not complaining about it. Wife having sex. Hm?"
Flame looked at the ceiling and squinted. He hummed in thought. "I can't."
Sonia smirked triumphantly as Amy showed a confused expression. Flame licked his lips. "I can probably control you, Amy, to do all of that stuff—"
"Please don't." The rose hedgehog didn't need mind control added to the list.
"But I could never get into Sonia's head."
"Is that why you're with her? Or something?" Amy backed up into the counter as Flame leaned closer.
Flame shrugged. "More or less. I originally thought it had something to do with the super speed. I can't control Sonic, either. But I can control Manic. He never had powers—unless you call his pickpocketing skills a power."
"Sonia could run?" Amy glanced back at the nodding female.
"Before the portal, I could," Sonia finished putting away the groceries. The counter became the cleanest thing in the house. "After the portal, I could not."
"Then maybe Flame can't control others with powers."
That was where Flame smirked and leaned back. The bright orange hedgehog crossed his arms and towered over her. Screw Shadow making her little. Flame made her feel like the size of an atom.
"We tested that theory out. We thought since he had other powers and the super speed was only because of his shoes, maybe I couldn't control him."
"Who?"
"The only silent adult in this room."
All three turned around to look at the grumpy looking Shadow the Hedgehog. Amy twisted back around and craned her neck up, "And?"
"And you're looking at the first, and most likely only, Mobian that can control The Ultimate Life Form."