Keep It Crescendo

Chapter 11: Getting To Know You

I'm going to be busy for the next few days so don't expect an update until after Monday. I'm going to a conference straight after my internship this Thursday and I'm packing tomorrow. But here's a nice chapter for y'all. Enjoy.

Sonic was nervous when he entered work on Monday. He was even more nervous when Eggman called him into his office. He got even MORE nervous when Eggman sat across from him and scowled.

"I think you know why you're here."

Sonic frowned, "I didn't know he was your nephew."

"Clearly you didn't," Eggman snapped. "But I'm not entirely surprised with your actions. My nephew can be such an annoyance sometimes. I'm more enraged at the fact that you were hanging around that brat Amy Rose. When did you two become friends?"

"We're not friends," Sonic confessed. "At least not yet."

"What kind of game do you think this is hedgehog?" Eggman accused. "We don't associate with the enemy."

"I'm mature enough to be able to separate work from life. I'll pick on Amy during work hours, but she's actually not that bad outside of work."

Eggman stared at him as if he were crazy, and Sonic tried his best not to look afraid. Well, if he was going to lose his job, he might as well leave with a bang.

"Ahhh, I see what you're doing!" Eggman novelized. "You're wooing the pink hedgehog to get to know all of her studio's secrets. GENIUS!"

"Um—"

"How did I not think of that?" Eggman asked, standing up from his chair. "It's not something we've done before, and she definitely won't see it coming. That has to be the reason, right? And here I was, on the verge of firing you."

Sonic closed his mouth, feeling it suddenly grow dry.

"Scourge came this morning demanding that I fire you, but I told him I wouldn't. It's my way of getting him back for betraying me and financing that pink hedgehog's studio across the street. However, if you're lying to me, and you actually do become friends with that pest, and you BETRAY me, I will make sure your father's business goes bankrupt. Am I making myself clear?"

Sonic frowned, and Eggman took his silence as an agreement.

"Good, now leave my office. I have work to do."

"Have you ever wondered how weird it is that Sonic and Shadow look exactly alike?" Knuckles asked Rouge, who was hovering over her phone.

She was wearing a face mask, and biting her lip.

Knuckles sighed, "You're not still sulking over Amy, are you? She already told us she was fine."

"I shouldn't have let her walk home," Rouge sighed. "This whole mess could have been avoided if we had given her a guest room to stay in."

"She wasn't going to accept, she doesn't like leaving her grandfather alone, you know that. Besides, how would you have known? Both of us had blacked out."

"Ugh, and it sucks that I can't remember anything!" Rouge exclaimed. She set her phone down, "Anyway, what was it that you asked? Sonic and Shadow looking alike?"

"Yeah, don't you think it's weird?" he asked. "It's like they're long lost brothers or something."

He froze, "What if they are?"

"Knuckles, don't be ridiculous."

"No, I'm serious!" Knuckles exclaimed. "Have we ever even met Shadow's parents?"

"Shadow had a Mom, remember?" Rouge asked. "But she passed away in college after she caught that illness."

"Have we ever met his Dad?"

Rouge furrowed her eyebrows in thought. Knuckles clapped his hands.

"See! We've never met his Dad!"

"I once asked Shadow where his Dad was, but he told me that he never got to meet him—"

Knuckles' eyes brightened.

"BUT that DOES NOT mean he and Sonic are half brothers! Don't even dare to bring the subject up to Shadow. He doesn't like talking about his family."

"But it also doesn't mean that he and Sonic aren't half brothers," Knuckles pointed out. "How old is Shadow?"

"Twenty-Five."

"What about Sonic?"

"Twenty-Four."

Knuckles waved his hands in excitement, "See! It's totally possible!"

"You watch too many conspiracy theories," Rouge rolled her eyes.

"Fine, don't believe me, but I'm going to do some investigating."

Rouge sighed.

"Aw, who gave you flowers Amy?" Bunnie asked, eyeing the large bouquet lying on the choreographer's desk.

Amy entered the office and rose an eyebrow, "Huh, I don't know."

She looked at the card and read the message, suddenly narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

"Was it your boyfriend?"

"It was…" Amy muttered.

Why was Scourge giving her flowers? He would only give her flowers after yelling at her or hurting her. But he hadn't done that. He had probably done something really bad, and wanted to give her flowers ahead of time to loosen her up.

"One day, I really hope to find someone who cares for me just as much as he cares for you," Bunnie commended as she left the office.

Amy's ears fell. "Oh Bunnie, you don't know what you're talking about."

Her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi Amy, it's Cream. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing good Cream, thanks. How about you? How's the baby coming along?"

"Morning sickness isn't fun, but Tails does a great job taking care of both of us. So I called to invite you to a Thanksgiving dinner Tails and I will be hosting at our apartment. You and your Grandpa are both invited. I know it's a bit early, but my Momma will be flying in from California and I'm used to having big Thanksgivings, and I want as many of my friends and family there as possible."

"Wow Cream, thanks for inviting me. I'll talk to my Grandpa and call you back to let you know if we could make it."

"Okay! Just let me know."

Amy thanked her and hung up the phone. She bit her lip and eyed the flowers Scourge gave her. She was going to have to invite him if she wanted to go. He may have let her off easy a few nights ago, but that didn't mean he'd do it again. She was going to have to make him promise he'll behave himself.

Sonic returned home feeling exhausted. He was trying to teach his students a very tough dance that required a lot of muscles to be stretched. It was a tough day, but a productive one.

Beep. Beep.

A video call entered his computer, and Sonic smiled as he noticed Manic's picture pull up on the screen. Sonic accepted the call, but Manic wasn't on the other end. His father's cold, brown eyes appeared on the screen. Manic stood behind him, sending Sonic apologetic looks.

"Son."

"Hey Daddio, what's cooking?"

Jules visibly winced and scowled, "When will you stop using such petulant language? You are not a child anymore Sonic."

"Can't a guy mess with his Pops after not seeing him in weeks?" Sonic teased with a shrug.

Jules narrowed his eyes, and Sonic could automatically tell something was wrong. Sonic's smile faded.

"What's wrong?"

"You tell me," Jules answered. "Your Uncle Chuck and I spoke to Eggman today about the transactions he's loaning to the company, and I brought you up out of sheer curiosity. I am sure you are aware of what I'm about to ask you."

Sonic swallowed inaudibly, had Eggman really told Jules that he had gotten into a fight with Scourge? He really hoped not.

"He claims you have a smart mouth, which is something I'm very familiar with. Sonic, how DARE you speak to your employer as if he were me? Do you have no decency?"

Sonic was overcome with relief. So Eggman hadn't ratted him out, thank goodness.

"What kind of example are you setting for Sonia and Manic?" Jules continued. "Your mother and I are very displeased with this behavior and we want it to stop immediately. Carry yourself like the professional young man we raised you to be."

"I miss you too Dad," Sonic grumbled. "Is that all he said? Did he tell you any of the good things I've done? Like get the studio chosen as one of the finalists for the best dance competition in the state? Did he tell you how popular the studio has gotten since I've arrived?"

"No way! Congrats Sonic!" Manic exclaimed.

"Yes, I was made aware of those things. He speaks highly of you, though that one flaw did unnerve me. Especially considering that professionalism is one of the many things your mother and I have taught you," Jules jabbed.

"Dad, Sonic gets it. Why don't you just congratulate him on what he's accomplished?" Manic pointed out, seeming a little annoyed.

"Don't force him to do something he wouldn't be caught dead doing," Sonic snapped, glaring straight at his father. "He'd rather die than shoot me a compliment."

Jules grimaced but kept his expression even so as to not show any emotion. "Your Mother wanted me to let you know that we will be visiting during Manic's Thanksgiving break from school. I want to see for myself how well you are doing in this studio. Clear?"

"Crystal," Sonic spat, feeling the venom escape his mouth.

The call ended, leaving Sonic alone again. He had been planning on going to bed early, but he felt too angry to do that. His father always knew exactly what buttons to press, and he almost hated him for it.

He put on his jacket and left the apartment, feeling the cool, crisp air of November waver over his face. He remembered a time in his life where he craved to one day be like his father.

"Sonic, have you ever had a chili dog before?"

"No, what is it?"

Jules smiled as he handed him a plate, "It's like a hot dog, but it has chili on it. Try it."

Aleena watched with adoration as her husband and her son took a bite of their chili dog. Both used their right hand. Both had their eyes closed. Both took the bite at the same time. Jules and Sonic had so many similarities that neither realized they had.

Sonic was his father's son.

"Like it?" Jules asked.

"This is the best thing I've ever tasted in my life!" Sonic exclaimed.

"You like it?" Sonia asked, repulsed. "I think it's disgusting."

"That's because you don't have a palate," Sonic stuck out his tongue.

"Mom! Sonic says I don't have a palate!" Sonia cried.

"Sonia, don't yell," Jules said. "You will scare Manic."

"Hey Dad, I challenge you to a chili dog eating competition. If I win, you let me go with Tails to the arcade."

Jules eyed his son with amusement, "And if I win, you wash the dishes for a whole week."

"I approve of that," Aleena inputted.

Sonic recoiled, "Dishes? Yuck! You're on!"
"Oh boy," Sonia groaned.

Jules and Sonic began gulping all the chili dogs lying on the table. Aleena and Sonia took a few steps back to avoid getting chili on their clothes.

"You two are going to regret this later," Aleena warned.

Jules finished his plate and cheered, Sonic whined.

"I don't wanna do dishes!"

"Hey, you promised," Jules chuckled.

"I know," Sonic crossed his arms. "That's not fair. You're bigger than me."

"Not bigger Sonic, more experienced. That'll be you one day."

Just like Aleena had predicted, Sonic and Jules had gotten huge stomach aches during the night. Sonic hadn't minded too much, since at least he had shared the experience with his Dad. Jules started using his "tough love" strategy when Sonic got to college. It was there where Sonic discovered that he wanted to pursue dancing, and when his father found out, all hell broke loose.

He honestly didn't see why his Dad was so opposed to the arts. To Jules, dancing was a "waste of time that won't ever end in a career unless you have family members working in the industry."

He felt himself growing angry again, and he was so enveloped in his thoughts, that he almost crashed into Amy, who was walking out of a deli store.

"Woah," she said, holding onto two huge paper bags. Sonic noticed her beginning to lose balance, and he removed one bag from her arms.

"Thank you, sir— Sonic?" Amy blinked.

A wave of awkwardness fell over the two, especially since they hadn't spoken since that night. Sonic broke the silence by muttering a cracked 'hey' in which Amy answered with a nervous smile.

"Shopping?" she asked.

"Nah, just taking a walk."

Silence fell over them again. If Sonic was being honest with himself, he had been worried about Amy. He had been hoping Scourge hadn't done anything to her, and judging by the fact that she was standing in front of him without a scratch, he probably hadn't.

"I'm sorry," they said in unison. Both blushing after saying it.

"I'll go first," Sonic said. "I'm sorry about the other night. I really just want to make it very clear that what you saw wasn't me. I'm not always like that, he just… well… I didn't like the way he was treating you."

Amy bit her lip, "You don't need to apologize. I'm the one who needs to say sorry. I didn't expect him to hit—."

"Don't apologize for him," Sonic interrupted. "You're not his Mom. You have nothing to apologize for."

Silence overcame them. Amy searched Sonic's eyes, which were full of concern and tenderness. His emerald eyes were bright, full of life, captivating.

Concerned and caring Sonic was completely different from the Sonic she had come to know in the past two months. Something inside her urged her to get to know him. She wanted to know all the sides that made Sonic the Hedgehog who he was. Sonic was like an onion, and Amy wanted to peel off all of his layers. She was curious to see what existed at his core. She wanted to know the deep stuff. What motivated him to get out of bed every morning? Who does he love most in the world? Who does he dislike most in the world? What's his favorite color?

"Need me to help you carry these home? Hopefully we won't run into your boyfriend again," Sonic offered with a chuckle.

Sonic's chuckle was soft, completely different from the snicker she was victim of when they teased each other. He sounded genuine, and happy. He glanced at the fruit from inside her paper bag and smoothly flickered his green eyes over to her with a smile. She felt her muzzle grow pink, and she attempted to hide it with her scarf.

"Sure, it's this way," she said.

They walked in silence for a while before Amy spoke again. "So, now that we're starting fresh. Tell me about yourself."

"What is this, an interview?" Sonic joked.

Amy shoved him lightly, "Hey, I'm trying over here."

Sonic chuckled, "I know. Hmm, well what do ya want to know?"

"Well, I know you're from LA, I know you dance, and I know your best friend is Tails. That's pretty much all I know about you."

"Pretty much hit the mark," Sonic shrugged. "There's nothing much else to it."

"Hey! No fair! You know more about me than I know about you, you owe me," Amy scowled.

Sonic grinned, "It's hilarious when you get riled up, I've told you that, right?"

"Sonic—"

"Okay okay," Sonic twisted his lips in thought. "Well, I'm from LA but I spent a big portion of my childhood in Lake Arrowhead with my Grandpa before he passed away. I have a little sister named Sonia and an even younger brother named Manic. We're all three years apart from each other. My Mom is a nurse at an elementary school and my Dad is the CEO of The Hedgehog Industries—"
"THE Hedgehog Industries?" Amy asked, baffled. "You mean the corporation that sponsors and manages some of the greatest dance studios in the West?"

Sonic shrugged, "It's not that much of a novelty, but yes."

"No wonder! You last name is The Hedgehog, how did I not put two and two together?" Amy thought to herself. "Is that where you got your passion for dancing?"

Sonic smiled, "Yeah, it was. My Dad would take me to the office all the time where I got to meet some of the greatest choreographers in the industry. One of them was named Tikal. I saw her dancing one day when I was about seven years old. She asked me to come in and practice with her, and she told me I had skills and that I could come into her studio any time so that she could teach me. Tikal taught me how to dance, and I would go to her studio everyday after school to practice with her. I stopped going when I got into college."

"But you continued dancing, right?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, UCLA has lots of dancing groups, and I got into one of them. I was with them the entire time I was there, and I was a 3rd year when I realized I wanted to make dancing my career. Tikal offered me a job when I graduated."

"And you took it," Amy assumed.

"No, I didn't," Sonic frowned, his ears falling. "And it's one of the worst decisions I've ever made."

"Why didn't you take it?" Amy asked, her voice sounding shocked.

"I was scared," Sonic confessed. "Let me backtrack a little bit. My Dad absolutely abhors this passion I have for dancing. He thinks it's a waste of time. His goal was for me to take over the Corporation one day, and he told me to go to grad school instead. The two years that it took me to get my master's in business administration were two of the most miserable years of my life. By the time I finished and I picked up the courage to defy my Dad and pursue dancing instead, Tikal had retired and sold the dance studio to another choreographer. That dance studio could have been mine, if only I had taken the opportunity when it was handed to me…"

Amy frowned, "What happened after that?"

"My Dad expected me to go work at the Corporation after finding out that Tikal had left. I remember that day clearly, he had this victorious smile on his face and he was in a real good mood. He and I had a nasty argument that night and I don't think either of us have really gotten over it. I was so mad at him, that out of sheer pride, I avoided the Corporation like the plague. I worked other jobs, part time jobs, and I became the club advisor for the dance team I was apart of at UCLA. My Dad disapproved of all of it, and our relationship worsened over time."

Sonic shook his head, and Amy figured that Sonic was sharing something incredibly intimate to her.

"That's been my life for the past year. When I turned twenty-four in June, my Dad asked me why I was doing this, and if I was seriously going to do this for the rest of my life. I answered that once I found a choreography job, I was going to drop everything and devote myself to that. I wasn't going to miss another opportunity like the one Tikal had handed me. We had another argument that night, and he and I didn't speak to each other for two weeks."

He shivered and jammed a hand into his pocket, "Look, Eggman may not be perfect. Trust me, I've noticed. But he gave me an opportunity I've been waiting for my whole life. It was either that, or continuing to work at Meh Burger."

Amy was amazed with Sonic's story. She saw him with new eyes. She more than anyone understood what it was like to risk something for your dream.

"I don't get why he can't just wait for Manic to graduate college and just pass the Corporation down to him. Manic ACTUALLY likes that stuff, and he'd make a great CEO. Pfft, he'd make a much greater CEO than me, that's for sure."

"Maybe your Dad just doesn't understand how much you want this. My Grandpa was also hesitant on me pursuing the arts, but once I explained how much working in the arts would mean for my happiness, he began to understand."

"Fun fact about Jules the Hedgehog," Sonic answered bitterly. "He only listens to himself."

"Well I also understand where he's coming from," Amy reasoned. "He wants what he thinks is best for your future. Choreography isn't the most secure job in the world."

"He wants me to play it safe like he did," Sonic scowled. "But that's not me. I'm a hedgehog who doesn't like living by the norm. Normal scares me. Working a 9-5 in a cramped up office five days a week terrifies me."

Amy nodded, completely relating to Sonic. She also didn't like normal. She had gone to college wanting to pursue being a teacher, but after realizing that she was going to have to repeat the same curriculum every year and abide by the rules of the administration, she chose not to pursue it.

"I was under the impression he would understand," Sonic admitted sadly. "Our family has always had a soft spot for music. Sonia plays the keyboard, Manic plays the drums, and I play the guitar and dance. My Mom is a natural with the violin and used to be a ballet dancer, and my Dad plays the saxophone, but he hasn't played it in a long time."

He let out a long sigh. "It just sucks. He and I used to be really close you know… I just got off the phone with him, they're coming for Thanksgiving to check up on me. I told him about how Eggman Studios made it to the final round at NYCDR, and he didn't even bat an eye. He knows I'm thriving and he just doesn't want to admit it," Sonic twisted his lips.

"I'm positive this is hurting him as much as this is hurting you," Amy offered. "From what I've gathered, it seems as if he loves you and just wants what's best for you. He just doesn't realize that dancing is what's best for you."

Sonic shrugged, his expression mellow. He turned to look at Amy, "So, I told you my story. How'd you get into dancing?"

Amy smiled, "My Mom was a dancer, and she was the one who taught me how to dance. I've been doing it since I was three years old. I got pretty good at a really young age and she would enter me in competitions and I'd do pretty good in them. She passed away when I was in middle school, though, and I kind of gave up dancing because it reminded me of her. I did it again in college and I fell in love with it all over again. So when I graduated I worked in education for a while and I managed to save up to buy the studio."

She frowned. "But then my Grandpa got arthritis and all the savings I had went to his treatment. That's when Scourge agreed to finance the studio, and the rest is history."

"You're very resilient," Sonic complimented. "To go through everything you go through to keep your studio up and running…"

"Yeah…"

"Amy, I hope I'm not overstepping boundaries, but why don't you find someone new to finance you and throw that Scourge guy over the curb.

Amy sighed, "I can't. Because the money I make at the studio is barely enough for my Grandpa and I to survive. Scourge doesn't take any money from the studio. He doesn't expect me to pay him back. That's why I haven't looked for someone else."

"But you are paying him back," Sonic scowled. "By letting him throw you around like a rag doll. Amy, is it worth it? He could seriously hurt you one day."

Amy furrowed her eyebrows, "I understand your concern, but I know what I'm doing. Please don't judge me."

Sonic dropped the subject. They both approached Amy's house and Sonic handed her the grocery bag. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"No, it's fine. I'm used to it. I know you're all just looking out for me. Thanks for walking me home." She smiled at him. Sonic wondered if she knew she had a really nice smile.

Sonic smiled back, "See you later."

"Bye Sonic."

He zoomed away, and Amy watched him leave in surprise. She didn't think she'd ever get used to that.

Grandpa Rose watched her from inside the house. He let out a chuckle.

These kids...

I'm so excited for the Thanksgiving chapter. Like y'all have no idea. It's going to be good, I promise!

Anyway, here's some more build up between our favorite couple. I'll be gone for the next few days. Chapter 12 is already done, it just needs a bit of editing.

Thank you to those of you who have been reviewing, your comments always make me smile and light up my day. Please let me know what you think is going to happen or what you would like to see between Sonic and Amy. Maybe I can make it happen ;)