Chapter 4: Heartache? You mean Healing!

It has been three days since the meeting at the cafe and Amy is cheerful as she bounds about her house preparing for the party that she had planned as a celebration for her and her sister's reunion. Opening her cell phone, Amy scrolled down to Sonic's number and pressed send. Within moments a voice was heard over the speaker.

"Hey Ames, what's cracken?" asked Sonic from the other end of the line.

"Hey Sonic, I was just calling to let you know that there's a party tonight at my house. My sister and I made up, and I wanted to celebrate. You'll be here tonight, wont you Sonic?"

"Amy, you can't have a party without the life of the party. Ha, of course I'll be there! What time?" Amy gave Sonic the time, and asked him to let Knuckles know that he was invited as well. "Awesome Ames, I'll talk to Knucklehead and let him know. I gotta jet, see ya then!" as Amy hung up with Sonic, she went through her contacts list and began crossing off names that she had called.

"Tails has to be here. I mean, he orchestrated all of this, it only makes sense." Picking up the phone, Amy Dials Tails number. After a few moments the line is connected.

"Hiya Amy! How things going?" Tails sounded more chipper than usual.

"Well, if you haven't already heard, me and Amanda made up an-" At this moment Tails uncharacteristically lets out a shout over the phone.

"YES! YES! I KNEW IT WOULD WORK!" there is silence for about thirty seconds when Tails sheepishly continues. "Ahem, right. Well, I'm definitely embarrassed… you were saying Amy?" At this point Amy is doing all she can to stifle laughter.

"Well Tails, who knew you were this excited? Heh, I guess that means I'll see you at the party tonight?" After a brief moment Tails replies having fully recovered himself.

"You bet, I wouldn't miss this for the world." With this, Amy and Tails hang up as she continues to go down her list.

"OK lemme see. Tails, Cream, Rouge, and Sonic. Plus he'll take care of Knuckles if Rouge doesnt' invites… I wonder if Shadow would be interested…" Amy considers this for a moment weighing out which would likely play out at the party, their friendship vs. his rivalry with Sonic. "Huh, only one way to find out."

As Amy once again pressed send, she waited for a few seconds until a voice came over the phone.

"This is the ultimate lifeform, leave me a message and I may return your call." after this was said, there was a faint beep as Amy sighed and pressed end.

"I hate his voice mail, he's so edgelord…I know he's home though heh heh." Amy chuckled as she hit send again. This time however Shadow answered.

"Hello Amy Rose…How can I help you?" Shadow was alright, Amy liked him. But there was always something about the way that he worded his conversations that could and would send a chill up anyone's spine.

"Hi Shadow, I just wanted to let you know that there was a party I am hosting and I was inviting you. If you want to come that is." there was a brief silence over the line as Shadow thought for a moment.

"I believe I would enjoy that, may I ask what the occasion is?" As Amy filled him in on the details of the past few days, Shadow listened intently and then replied.

"Interesting, congratulations on the reunion of you and your sister. As for the celebration, I will be attending. What time will you be starting?" After Amy filled Shadow in on the time and place, he thanked her and they hung up. About that time there was a knock at the door.

"I wonder if that's Amanda. It's still too early for the others to show up." upon answering the door, Amy's suspicions had been correct as she welcomed Amanda into her home.

"Hi Amy, I'm sorry if I'm early, I had hoped I would get the right address. But in case I didn't, I decided to come a lil early just to make sure." Amy smiled at Amanda and gave her a hug as she replied.

"Oh yeah, your definitely not the old never on time Amanda anymore! Don't worry you're not too early, I was actually just about to call you! Come in and have a seat, I wanted to warn… I mean tell you about the other guests." Amy smiled nervously as she corrected her phrasing.

As they made their way over to Amy's couch Amy grabbed her photo album from the book case and as they sat down she opened it to a section labeled 'friends'.

"This photo with all the hearts and X's and O's around it is Sonic the hedgehog, hes fast and funny and cool and handsome and and… hes just all sorts of dreamy… first things first. I love you sis, but this one is MY MAN. Hands off. No look, no touch." Amanda looks straight into Amy's crazy mad glare for a few seconds before they both exploded into laughter.

"And this is Tails, I know you already met him so I don't have to tell you that he's the sweetest guy anyone could ever meet. Not to mention he's a pro with a wrench." Amanda nodded in agreement as Amy continued.

"This is Knuckles. He's cool, but he can be temperamental, he won't lay a hand on anyone unless they start it but one wrong word and you'll get your head bit off… well, that's how he used to be. Ever since he and Rouge went steady, he's been cooler than normal.

This is Cream. After me and mom moved here, we met and have been best friends ever since. After the incident and mom's passing, Cream's mom Vanilla pretty much raised me as one of her own. And when I moved out and got this place, she came by every day for the first week or so to help me settle in. She still comes out every couple of weeks just to check in on me." Amanda looks away as the sisters share a moment of silent morning for their mother. "Anyways…this is Rouge. She's alright but she; like knuckles, has a temper. She's an "ex jewel thief" so she claims. But the she has some pretty amazing stories to back her claim.

Finally, this is Shadow. He is the last guest coming to the party. He's not your average hedgehog in the sense of…he's, well he's…I wouldn't say old fashioned but, lemme put it this way. At first he's very quiet and at times mysterious. And when he speaks he's very articulate in his words. He's strong yet, humble when the time calls for it." As Amanda listened to Amy, her eyes never left Shadows photo.

"Oh my, he's not at all bad looking though. Amy would you hate me if I said I am developing a crush?" Amy burst into laughter followed swiftly by Amanda as the two shared one more look that the dark and mysterious hedgehog. "I don't know Amanda, he's awfully quiet. I don't know if he could handle you." Amy quipped as she closes her album.

"Oh yeah? Well, how do you explain you and Sonic?" Amanda crossed her arms as she asked this. Amy glanced down and smirked.

"Touché sis."

About an hour or so later, the first of the party guests had started to arrive.

"Sonic! Tails! Come on in guys!" Amy shouted being overly excited. "Soniku this is my sister Amanda, she and Tails have already met." Sonic stepped forward and shot out his hand.

"Heya, I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog. But you can just call me Sonic, it's nice to meet ya Amanda." Sonic exclaimed cheerfully as Amanda returned the handshake carefully eyeing her sister who shot the "Im watching you" look at her before they both began to chuckle at their inside joke. At that point, there was another knock at the door as Knuckles and Rouge step inside.

"Hey everybody!" Knuckles shouts as he immediately seen Amanda, nodded nervously and made a beeline for Sonic and Tails. Rouge however, walked up to Amy and Amanda and politely takes Amanda's outstretched hand.

"Sorry about him, he's not exactly the meeting new people type if you know what I mean. So Amy, this is your long lost sister?" Amy nods as Rouge turns to Amanda. "It's a pleasure, the names Rouge honey, and that red hulk over there is named Knuckles, welcome to our fair city." Rouge laughed as Amanda shot a curious glance at Amy.

"Don't worry, if you can handle me, you can handle them." Amy whispers to Amanda.

Amanda had begun a conversation with Tails when she had felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning face, Amanda is startled as a spiked hand juts out towards her.

"Hi there, my names Knuckles. Sorry about earlier, I didn't mean to be rude but my fiancée has shown me the error of not greeting a new friend. Anyways I'm glad to meet you Amanda." Amanda cracks a slight grin and takes Knuckles outstretched hand.

"Thank you Knuckles its niIIAAAGHH!" Amanda falls to the floor grasping the hand that Knuckles shook. "You broke my hand! Why did you break my hand!" Knuckles; now frantic, has his hands at the top of his head trying to stammer for words. As he is about to speak, Amanda begins to chuckle, which quickly turns into full on laughter. "Im sorry my dude, I couldn't resist!" Amanda replied as she hoped up and gave Knuckles a real handshake leaving him dazed and confused for a moment, while also causing the crowd of friends to now break out in their own chuckles.

"Ok, ok. You got me." Knuckles grins once the joke finally sinks in "You'll fit right in. Heh heh."

The party had begun, everyone took their turn swapping jokes and stories and Amanda had slowly taken a liking to everyone in the room. That was when he showed up.

He was the only one who didn't barge in. He stood at the door, and waited patiently after he had knocked. This was a dead give away to who it was.

"Hey Shadow, come on in and join the party!" Amy escorted Shadow into the living room where he was greeted by Knuckles, Tails, and Sonic. Amy walked over to Amanda and pointed him out.

"That's Shadow; he's the only one you haven't met yet." Amy said while watching Shadow glance over the room. She turned her attention to Amanda, only to find that her sister is no longer standing beside her. Glancing around the room she spots Amanda making her way towards the ebony hedgehog.

"Well, how rude…Good luck sis" Amy smirks as she joined Tails and Knuckles at the buffet table.

"Oh. My. Wow. He is so hot!" Amanda thought as she made her way towards Shadow.

"OK, he's just a potential friend, he's probably not even interested in me. Don't muck up a possible good friendship Amanda… Well here goes…" Amanda inhales as she approached the black blur.

"Hi, I'm Amanda, Amy's sister. You must be Shadow; it's a real pleasure to meet you."

Taking her hand firmly but in a gentle way, Shadow nods as he makes eye contact.

"The pleasure is mine Miss Rose. I am very happy to make your acquaintance." Amanda blushed as Shadow said this, although she tried her best to hide it Shadow immediately took notice and returned a warm grin.

"I apologize if I have embarrassed you Miss Rose. However it seems that whenever Amy spoke of you, she neglected to tell of your eyes, about how they shine in the light. Brilliantly so, if I may give my opinion." Amanda feels as though she's melting, immediately she grabs Shadow's hand again to shake it and turns to walk away.

"My my, Amanda Rose… and what a beautiful rose she is. I hope I have not said too much, I fear I might be falling for her." Shadow breaks his train of thought as he opens the hand which Amanda shook and finds a business card with Amanda's number scrawled on the back.

"Hmm… perhaps I haven't scared her too far away."

As the party drew lengths and began to close, everyone began to bid their fare wells as they left for their own homes, Shadow being the last one to leave warmly shakes Amy and Amanda's hands and thanks them for the invitation before making his way out of the house. Once everyone had left and the party stuff was cleaned up and put away, the two sisters sat down and took a breath.

"Well Amanda, what did you think of… oh who am I kidding, you're crushing hard aren't you?"

Amy asked this as she handed Amanda a cup of warm cocoa, "Now, don't try to deny it sis. I saw the way you acted around him." Amanda smirked but soon began to blush as she spoke.

"OK Ames you got me. Yes, I obviously like him. He's sweet, and polite, and my Lord is he hot! But… I wouldn't say I'm in love with him or anything, I mean heck he's probably not interested in me in that way." Setting her cup down, Amy turned herself till she was face to face with Amanda and leaned in real close.

"I will let you in on something. Shadow lost someone very special to him, someone who was like a sister to him and… He never dealt with that. And because of that, he has been burying his emotions for years now. However, the way he acted in front of you today was… it was like he opened up, ever so slightly, but still opened up. If you want my opinion, I think you have something potentially good here. Something that just might work out for both of you."

Amanda turned and looked out the window and sighed.

"Only in my dreams lil sis, he'd never go for someone like me."

END

Hey everyone! I hope you have enjoyed this adventure as much as I have enjoyed rewriting it! I am working on posting more side stories to better help the viewing party understand the angles from which I write my ideas.

Thank you all for your support, and I love you all!

Yours truly:

-RTP