"It's always have and never hold,

You've begun to feel like home yeah."

All Zero could smell was the overpowering aroma of the flowers that surrounded him; roses to be exact. The atmosphere was so serene, though he could not place why. As he looked around, he saw that he was surrounded by many different Mobians, all eyes on the jackal. Each face was one of a Resistance member, but no one had any expression of malice. Their expressions were ones of softness and peace. Zero saw Sonic first, then his eyes fell on none other than the accursed Shadow the Hedgehog. For some odd reason, Zero could not find any anger in his heart. It was as if he and Shadow's history did not matter anymore. This notion deeply disturbed the canine, for he could not understand why.

They were all seated outside in what looked to be a very charming meadow. There was a tent shading the crowd, Zero included, and there were roses and daisies adorning every crack and crevice of the venue. Pink sheer curtains streamed down like a waterfall, bordering the tent's opening furthest to the back. Zero then noticed that there was a silhouette just outside of the tent, a female he realized. Music began to fill the jackal's ears and the ocean of faces then turned to look at the pavilion's opening as well.

The female figure then started her walk, making her way towards the tent's opening. The figure standing in the doorway make Zero's heart stop. Amy Rose held a bouquet of roses and daisies, much like the flowers decorating the pavilion. She was donning an elegant cream-colored gown, a red sash wrapped around her middle, and black beads and red roses cascaded down the skirt's train. The runway leading up to the jackal was also a deep red, white daisies scattered strategically down the path. This is a wedding, Zero realized. His and Amy's wedding by the looks of it. As the heroine began her waltz towards Zero, the world faded around him.

The canine jolted awake, propping himself up on his elbow. He rubbed his good eye and let the dream he had just had to flood his thoughts. His and Amy's… wedding? How could he possibly dream of such an event? It made his skin crawl, though not in disgust, as his flushed cheeks told him that much. If anything, Zero was rather embarrassed. He shook his head to clear the thoughts and looked up to Amy's bed. As his eyes adjusted to the dim moonlit room, he saw that Amy was not in her bed. For whatever reason, this did not sit well with the jackal. It struck worry somewhere inside him.

Where did she go? How late is it? Is she okay?

Sighing, Zero stood up to his feet, taking another look at her bunk. He saw that her boots still sat beneath the bed frame, telling the canine that she had not gone far. Zero made his way to the door, not seeing her nearby. He looked down at the sand and noticed the fresh footprints leading down to the beach. They were the right size to be Amy's, so he followed them. They led him to the pier, seeing Amy's moonlit shape just at the very end. A sharp sob made the jackal's ears stand erect; Amy was crying. Zero did not hesitate to make his presence known.

"Rose," Zero questioned, voice laced with concern. The hedgehog visibly jumped, startled by her sudden audience. Her tear-stained cheeks and runny nose were enough to make the jackal's own heart hurt. A shudder rattled her small frame.

"Hey," Amy replied after a short silence, a hiccup following shortly after. She watched her friend as he knelt to sit down with her. She roughly wiped her tears although more followed. Her lip quivered and soon enough, Amy was huddling into the jackal's chest, her sobbing continuing.

"Uhm… What's the matter?" Zero had never dealt with anything like this before, let alone see Amy in such a fragile state. He was at a complete loss at what to say or do, fearing that anything he might try would further pain her. Amy's body racked with hiccups and coughs before she eventually found her voice again.

"I-I miss my friends," the hedgehog started. "And I miss my family…"

That did it for Zero, proving that he really did not know what to do. What could he possibly say to her? The he is sorry for getting her into this mess? No, that would just make her angry at him. Maybe he didn't even need to say anything? Perhaps he could just be her crying shoulder? He remembered hearing that in a story once when he was growing up. The jackal sighed and waited for Amy to speak again, which she never did.

"Being here has probably taken its toll on you," Zero spoke before he could even begin to stop himself. The longer he stays on this miserable island, the more vulnerable he becomes. Lately however, this change in him no longer frightens him. Though, he still does not understand why.

"I know that living her here hasn't been the easiest, and I haven't made it easy either. I know you have been struggling, I've seen it. But… I just want you to know that even though you don't have your family and other friends… I'm here for you. I am here to be your friend as well."

At some point during his monologue, Amy's crying had ceased, minus the occasional sniffling. Zero took a moment to take in what he had said. He knew that he meant ever bit of it was true. Something deep inside him was once again embarrassed for displaying this level of openness, especially towards her. Hell, Zero was also anxious for not even trying to be subtle about any of his new blossoming feelings for Amy. Maybe she didn't even notice anything at all. Perhaps she ignored him spilling out his heart's sappy confession. Amy sighed with a slight shudder.

"Thank you, Zee," she broke the silence. The pair just continued to sit out on the pier. Shortly, Amy had fallen asleep, still leaning into the canine's chest and arm. She was slowly starting to slide down lower, in danger of falling. As soon as he noticed, Zero quickly supported her with his free arm so he could avoid any awkward situations; or awkward for him, anyways.

Amy rustled a bit in his sleep and Zero hesitantly placed a gentle hand on her head, beginning to pet her. After a few strokes, she soothed back into her deep slumber. Zero looked down at her sleeping face, noticing just how peaceful she appeared in this state. Every hard edge of her face was soft now, no longer sporting her normal bossy and angry expression. One could even mistake her for actually being sweet.

A sudden throb of pain in Zero's lower back reminded him that the two of them could not possibly stay out here all night. As gently as he possibly could, the jackal picked Amy up bridal style and made the trek back to the hut. On the brief excursion, Amy had decided to hold tightly onto the jackal, making it rather difficult when it came time to lie her down in her bunk. Try as he might, her sleeping form would not budge without a fight.

It was obvious to Zero that she was a cuddler, that much was true. All Zero could do now was forcefully push her away, even if it might result in waking her. The jackal finally managed to pry her off him after a quiet, frustrating battle. He placed her down and pulled her blanket over her to shield her from the chill of the night air. As he turned to go to his pallet on the floor, he heard Amy's bed creak, following that was the most pitiful sounding voice he had ever heard.

"Zee…" Amy's tired tone broke the silence, stopping Zero in his tracks.

"Yes Rose," was the jackal's soft reply. He did not want Amy to begin crying again.

"Can… Can you sleep with me…?" Zero's fur stood up on the back of his neck, his cheeks flushing in uneasiness. How could she ask him to do that? Did he not make himself clear the first night they got here that he did not want to do that? Not that he was disconcerted by the idea, he was just… He just didn't want to.

"Rose," Zero started but was cut off.

"Please…" Amy practically begged. The canine could hear the longing in her tone, yearning for companionship.

"I won't ask you to do it again. I-I just…" Zero's ears twitched when he heard her sniffle, quickly jumping to the open space on the other side of the bed. He sighed, thinking that since this bed had so much room. Maybe he wouldn't even need to be so close to her?

"Just one night." He wanted to make that very clear. With a nod of her head, Amy clung to the jackal's body just as she had earlier and fell into a restless slumber. Zero growled at the contact and tried to get himself as comfortable as possible. Hell, with any luck, he would try and get himself to Amy's level of comfort. Finally giving up, he just let the situation take its course. This wouldn't last forever, Zero told himself over and over again. There wasn't much one could do for improving his current predicament, especially since the sleeping partner was a hedgehog with a death grip and spiky quills burrowing deep into his personal space.

Zero continued to pout about the whole ordeal, ignoring the fact that he did enjoy it… somewhat. He enjoyed Amy's company, and still enjoyed it even being pulled into this less than suitable circumstance. Zero pondered longer on that notion, knowing that he didn't make sense and sounded like a hypocrite. Everything confused him so much that he couldn't even tell himself whether he liked this shit or not. Maybe the sun had finally fried the last few brain cells he had left.

He looked down at the source of his problems. She was snuggled between his left arm, head resting on his shoulder. Her small frame rose and fell with soft breaths, snoring lightly as always. Zero ignored the fact that she was drooling on top of everything else. A sudden swell of pride flooded his chest. Maybe it was animalistic in a sense, but he felt as if he was her protector. Not that she needed his protection, but the feeling did not fade.

The longer he tried to deny his feelings, the more it ate him up inside. He knew what these feelings were, he just wanted to ignore them. I have weakened and become foolish as well, he thought to himself. He knew that he could not deny his sentiment for mush longer but that doesn't mean he would not try. Zero could sense that with the coming days, he would be tested. He would fall more in love with Amy the more this redemption period drew out, however long that would be.

Author's note:

I do apologize for this very delayed update. College is continuing to kick my ass and I'm just stressed out. But I'll be graduating this semester so yay. XD

This chapter is a bit shorter than the last, I apologize for that as well. This might also be the most OOC chapter yet, but I will let ya'll be the judge of that lol.

I hope you all enjoyed despite everything and thank you so much for the reviews! I do read them! They do push me to do better.