Chapter 2

"I live my life from lie to lie

And I'm a train wreck on the inside

I wish I could be but I think am,

Over you and up again.

I live in pieces" -Kacey Musgraves; Pieces

"But, why hasn't she sent us anything? Card, voicemail, text, something, anything to let us know how she's doing?" Sonic looked at Tails from the couch, distraught. It was officially one year from when Amy had told Sonic she was leaving for college. There had been no word from her since. Sonic was at his wit's end and worried sick. If he didn't hear from her soon he was going to break the vow he had made to himself and go find her. He trusted her, but this was becoming too much. All his bad thoughts were starting to get to him.

The golden-yellow twin tailed fox moved his light blue eyes from the gadget he was working on to look over at Sonic. Ever since Amy had for left for college all Sonic did was run, eat, and mope around. With no Eggman to defeat there was nothing to take his mind off Amy. Tails had never seen him this way before. Sonic always had composure, never showed any signs that something concerned him. He once stood in front of a robot army constructed by Eggman and didn't bat an eyelash. In fact, he confidently taunted them and then won the battle. For Sonic to be this upset over Amy didn't make any sense to him. Tails knew that Amy loved Sonic. Was it possible that Sonic felt the same way about her?

"I'm sure that she's just busy, Sonic" Tails tried to reassure the blue hero. "Amy's probably swamped with homework and school events. She'll contact us when she has time." He turned his head back to the gadget he was working on at the island counter.

"Did she tell you what the name of the school was?" Sonic asked. "I've been going through the conversation that day over and over in my head and I know for a fact she didn't mention the name at all. Did she tell you anything before she left?"

Tails knew what Sonic was doing. He was looking for information; he was going to go after her. Tails shook his head and internally sighed. "I'm sorry Sonic," Tails looked over at his best friend laying on his couch once more. The days passed like this now. Sonic was always at Tails' workshop and as much as Tails loved his older brother, it was starting to get on his nerves. He didn't like this new side of Sonic. "The last time I saw Amy was when she came over a week before she left. You were here, remember?"

Sonic did remember. He felt his mind wander back to that day. He had brushed her off, like always. But like always, his heart had began to beat faster while she was near.

"What cha working on, Tails?" She had asked. Sonic had been on the couch, hands behind his head- like he was now -about to take a nap. His ears had perked up when he heard her voice.

"It's a new invention." Tails had answered, excited. "It's a tracking device."

"Those have already been invented Tails" Amy smiled at him. "G.U.N. has those in all of their equipment, don't they?"

"Well, yes and no. The tracking devices that G.U.N has only work over a few thousand miles. They are programmed to only work with G.U.N. products. Also, if the equipment is destroyed, the tracker is destroyed and the trace is lost."

"And...?" Amy probed.

"My tracker is more advanced than theirs. It uses a person's DNA." Tails smiled proudly. "I designed it that way so that I could track us during fights, like against Eggman or even G.U.N. If one of us were captured for whatever reason, I would be able to trace that person."

"That's a great idea Tails!" Amy exclaimed. "Now I can keep track of you, Sonic!" She bounced over to the couch and looked at him.

"Hmph, I'd like to see you try Amy." Sonic opened one eye and looked at her. She was staring at him with those beautiful, big green eyes; her lips curved into a smile. He felt butterflies in his stomach. "I could be out of the trace distance in a millisecond if I wanted too." He smirked at her and shut his eye. It was a futile attempt to make the butterflies go away. He could still feel her presence.

"On the contrary, Sonic," Tails cut in, "there is no distance. Because it's programmed to DNA, I can trace you anywhere. Dead or alive." Tails was beaming now, like a parent whose child had just made the honor roll.

"Now there's no where for you to hide from me, Sonic!" Amy laughed. Her laughter was beautiful...Wait!

Sonic sat up straight, his flashback finished. "Tails!" he yelled.

"What is it?! What happened?" Tails jumped out of his seat at the island, startled.

Sonic dashed over to Tails and shook his shoulders. "That tracking device you made. The one that traces with DNA! Where is it?" Sonic's eyes were full of hope and excitement. He wouldn't have to break his vow now. He would just use the tracker to find her general location. That would be enough, just to know what area she was in. All he needed to do now was go to Amy's house and-

"Uh, well...about that..." Tails said looking at Sonic, his face apologetic. Sonic's face fell while he waited for Tails to continue. "I, um, I accidently-"

Ring, ring. Tails' cell phone rang causing Sonic and Tails to jump from the sudden interruption. Ring, ring. Sonic removed his hands from Tails' shoulders as Tails grabbed his cell off the counter and answered. "Hello?"

"HI TAILS!" Amy's voice yelled through the phone. Tails winced at the loudness and pulled the phone a little away from his ear.

"Uh, hi Amy," Tails started.

"Amy..." Sonic whispered to himself and smiled. Relief coursed through him.

"Just so you know, Sonic is here too. Oh, ok, hold on." Tails put the phone on speaker.

"Hi Sonic!" Amy's voice spoke through the phone. Oh, how Sonic had missed that voice. "How have you been?" she asked.

Constantly thinking about you, worrying about you, trying to talk myself out of going to find you. I miss you. I love you. "Oh, you know, just the usual. Egghead's gone and I'm being lazy, getting fat from chili dogs." He tried to make his voice casual, but there was still a hint of excitement laced in. She had finally called. He felt like he could run the world fifty times over with how happy he was at that moment. "How are you? How's college?"

"That's great to hear, Sonic. I'm doing well, thank you for asking! It's been a hell of a first year, let me tell you that!" Sonic and Tails looked at each other over the phone. Since when did Amy swear? "I've been so busy with classes and homework it's unreal!" she continued. Tails gave Sonic an 'I-told-you-so-look'.

"So, are you coming down to visit soon?" Tails asked. Sonic's ears perked up to hear her answer.

"Unfortunately, no. I'm also doing a minor so that's taking up the rest of my spare time. But I do miss you guys like crazy! Maybe next year?" Her voice went unusually high on that last word. Sonic and Tails exchanged another look. This one said 'that means no'.

"Well, we miss you too Ames," Sonic said. He more than others. "Oh, hey, Amy, if you can't visit us I'd like to come visit you. What did you say the name of your college was again?" Sonic asked hoping she'd slip and he could go check on her.

"It's...shit! I'm sorry guys, I have to go. My kick boxing class starts in five and I'm ten minutes away. It was great to hear your voices! Talk to you next time!" she said. Click. Amy took the battery out of the cell phone she had pick pocketed just a moment ago to use to call Tails. She threw the battery in a nearby trash can and then deposited the cell phone into the open bag of a white mouse rushing past her.

"Amy!" She turned around to find Rouge flying towards her. "There you are! Do you know what time it is?" Rouge looked at her with urgency.

Amy looked down at the black watch on her wrist. "Fuck!" she exclaimed. She had been so caught up in talking to Sonic and Tails that she had taken longer that she thought, even when she had made up the excuse to get off the phone.

"You know what happens when you're late" Rouge said. "I'd hurry if I were you." And with that, she turned and flew towards a gray building a litte up ahead and to the left of where she had just spoken to Amy.

Amy broke into a full sprint towards the same building. 'Of course I know what happens when you're late!' she thought and winced at the memory. It's just, she wanted to hear his voice. To let him know that she was still alive. She couldn't have him trying to come after her. Not now. She got to the gray building and quickly pulled open the black door before disappearing inside.

"Well that was... unusual," Tails said to Sonic as he closed his cell.

"Yeah..." Sonic agreed. "She would have talked more..." He stood there with his head down and a hand up to his chin, thinking.

"BUT," Tails emphasized, "She did say she had classes and homework keeping her busy. And a minor too! It's no wonder she didn't call earlier. She just didn't have any time." Tails hopped back up on the chair at the island and began to tinker with his gadget again.

"Yeah, time..." Sonic trailed off. Something didn't feel quite right about this. That was not a normal Amy phone call. But, at least she had called so Sonic shoved it to the back of his mind for now. She was ok and that was what mattered to him. He wouldn't be breaking his vow today, tracking device or no. "I'm going out for a run" he said to Tails.

Tails turned to look at Sonic, his acknowledgement halfway out of his mouth, but the blue hedgehog was already gone.