So it's been decided that while this fic will continue, it'll do so under a new name, since Amy's kinda all sorted now.

To answer the question in the reviews - YES. It will be Shadamy, with tones of a few other relationships that have occurred in the past of this timeline.

Anyway, there's no smut here, but there is fluff and like, a hint of what the next story will be about. If you find it, you get a cookie.

Unless I ate it first, which could be a thing...

Thank you for all the reviews! 6 new ones in one night! I'm elated.

I hope this is a good end for all of you, and look forward to seeing you in the sequel, which will be up once I have a few chapters written.

Until then, keep your eyes peeled, and I'll try to update Shadow's Secrets some, as well as Displaced.

Epilogue

Still relatively clean from her shower, Amy was able to simply tidy herself up some on the toilet before getting dressed to keep warm. Shadow, on the other hand, was a mess of seminal fluids, vaginal lubricant and sweat. While he could easily remove the bodily fluids at the sink, the sharp tang of sex clung to his fur coat, something a light splashing of water and wipe with a flannel wasn't going to remove. The smell itself was not repulsive - at least, he thought not - but he didn't desire everyone in Towers' office to know he'd had intimate relations before attending the briefing.

Especially if Rouge would be present, which she may well be.

As such, he was forced to take a shower once she had gotten herself more presentable, scrubbing at his undercoat with shampoo until the muskiness had been cleansed. After Amy had used the last of his coconut scented product when she had showered previously, he had to use what she'd purchased for herself earlier that day, leaving him instead with the aroma of cranberries and honey as he rinsed the foam from his quills.

It wasn't horrendous, but it was hardly masculine. With a soft sigh and a mental note to stop by the store on the way back after this meeting, he turned the water off and shook himself vigorously from ear tips to tail, dispelling the excess water. That done, he pushed back the shower curtain and grabbed a fresh towel from the rack, wrapping it around his waist as he stepped from the tub and onto the push mat, grateful for its residual warmth in the chill of the tiled room. He took a quick glance in the mirror to be sure his quills were not in disarray before unlocking the door and stepping out once more.

He wasn't surprised to find Amy dressed, though her usual dress was seemingly discarded for the time being, clad instead in baby pink; jogging pants clung to her behind and upper thighs before falling more loosely to her ankles, two white lines travelling from waistband to hem on her outer leg outlining her gentle curves where the material was tighter. A matching hooded jacket with similar lines on the sleeves covered her upper half, zipped up almost to her chin to retain her body heat, snug against her breasts and nipping in slightly at the waist.

Shadow found his mouth was dry again. Since when had tracksuits been attractive?

The hedgehog he observed noticed him exit the bathroom and turned her head slightly to smile in his direction, hands still occupied with the frying pan she was using. "I thought… maybe we should eat, before you left. I know you don't really, so I only made you a little, but…" She lets the end of the sentence hang, not wishing to voice the fact she wished to eat with him, to do a "normal" couple activity rather than have every interaction be sexual. If this was going to work, if they were going to work, she needed more than physical contact.

Amy noted the other blink slowly, just once, as if this request took him by surprise. She looked away, embarrassed by her needs despite then being a rational response when engaged in a relationship with another, feeling her cheeks begin to warm beneath her fur. She was about to disregard her request and offer to place it in the oven for him to eat upon his return when he spoke.

"Alright." Unable to stop herself, jade irises moved back to rubies as he continues, tone low and surprisingly soft. "I'll find something to wear and return." He began to stride towards the bedroom before pausing, turning back to add as an afterthought: "And thank you. It smells nice." He was greeted with that soft smile again, and he returned it with a lopsided, uncertain one of his own before heading into his room, door closing behind him with a soft click.

He wasted no time discarding the barely damp towel and heading for his chest of drawers, hoping he had a clean pair of sweats he could throw on for the meeting. As he did so he noted the small stacks of clothing on the neatly made bed where, upon the smallest stack, lay a hand-written note. It was this that made him pause, and after a moment of deliberation he altered his course for the king-sized mattress, picking up the paper with a delicateness that suggested he thought perhaps it would break.

The text was cursive and difficult to read at first, but as he traversed the letters and their meanings it became easier to decipher.

It must be really weird to have someone else in your home after so long alone, and I suppose its something you didn't want. I'm sorry you've been forced to house me while I deal with this season. I have no idea how I'm going to fix all the messes I've made when it's over, but I want to thank you for being so kind to me. I know I said I was buying myself clothes, and I did, but I also got you something that'll actually fit. Everyone deserves to feel comfortable in their own skin, and I can't imagine wearing those oversized human clothes helps that much. Don't worry - making and repairing clothes is what I do, so I have a great eye for sizes. They should be a perfect fit!

A frown formed on his face as he read the note a second time, once it was easier to follow, unsure why she believed having clothes that fit would make him feel at ease with himself, though it was obvious to him this was written before their more intimate encounters. Still not really understanding what she meant, he carefully placed the note to the side and instead inspected the clothing items it had been lain atop of. It seemed this stack was an actual outfit rather than an assortment of the clothes she had purchased for him; a burgundy polo with short sleeves and three small buttons beneath the chin, thankfully no logo on the breast of the shirt. Beneath that was a pair of dark blue jeans that seemed almost too slender to him after wearing old human clothes for so many years, the legs surely not wide enough to pass his feet through.

While he personally didn't care for finding clothes that fit (for he would have done so a long time ago if the issue had bothered him), now they were readily available and already paid for, it seemed ridiculous not to at least try them on and see how he felt. Unconsciously relieved he might not need to spend the next three hours pulling his pants back up to prevent any humans in the vicinity becoming uncomfortable with his appearance, he first drew the polo over his head before attempting to slip into the pants, the latter of which was stretchier than he anticipated and easily accepted his large Mobian feet.

More time than he would ever admit to those who asked was spent deciding if he preferred the shirt tucked into the waistband or not, but eventually opted to do so before retrieving and pulling on his leather jacket, leaving it open as he studied his reflection in the mirror mounted on the inside of the wardrobe door.

The change in appearance compared to wearing baggy clothes was… startling, and it took him somewhat off guard to see his on slim figure outlined by snug jeans and a well sized shirt, the dark leather of his jacket helping said polo define his lean physique when left open. Thankfully alone in his room, he didn't feel stupid turning slightly to examine how he looked from the side, admiring the fact that he did indeed have an ass to note, tight muscles honed from years of training and sprinting whilst on tasks for Towers.

I look… attractive. The thought felt weird in his mind, a word he had never associated with himself. Is this was Rouge saw, and what Amy sees..?

oOoOo

When a full ten minutes had passed, Amy was beginning to worry her gift had freaked him out and he wouldn't emerge again until he had to leave for GUN. If he even needs to come out, she reminded herself, aware that he was capable of Chaos Control, though she didn't know if he possessed a Chaos Emerald at present. If he does, he could just warp straight to GUN without needing to go past me…

Unease settled in her chest. Had she fucked this up already, after only half an hour? Should she have hidden the clothes until they were closer or just… not tried to interfere at all? Having never been in a relationship before - because she now realised the "relationship" she'd had with Sonic was a one-sided farce - she wasn't sure how much you should get involved in another's affairs, even if they were something as mundane as how they dressed. With a soft sigh she divided the chicken stir fry between two bowls, taking them both around the kitchen island to the bar stools that faced into the kitchen. She placed Shadow's in front of an empty stool before occupying the other, allowing herself one last glance at the closed bedroom door over her shoulder before beginning to eat.

At his acceptance of her staying with him, realities had begun to sink in quickly for the pink hedgehog; they wouldn't be able to stay in this apartment for long, as it one had one small bedroom. That would mean Shadow would need to come up with a new arrangement through GUN, or they'd need to find their own property. If it was the former, they might take the opportunity to alter his contract, and she was unsure how comfortable she was with the concept of her mate disappearing for days, possibly weeks or months at a time, leaving her worried for his safety while she raised their child alone.

If it was the latter, would that mean Shadow had been fired? Would he be able to find another job, given his reputation? What would they do for money?

She was so wrapped up she didn't hear the bedroom door open behind her, only noticing the dark hedgehog as he perched in the stool beside her and began inspecting his dinner, lifting a number of noodles and vegetables up to examine with his fork. A smile spread across her lips once more as she noted he was wearing the clothes she'd picked out for him, his old leather jacket drawn over the top of the polo but left open, gloves and socks now replaced with freshly laundered ones.

"It's stir fry," she informed him as he continued to frown at his meal, turning the fork so all but the noodles fell back into the bowl. "Meat, noodles and vegetables with some spices. It's good for you." She watched him eat the noodles - perhaps one of the only things in the dish he was familiar with - before poking at a vegetable tentatively, drawing a giggle from her fuchsia's lips. "That's broccoli, Shadow. It's a vegetable. It's not going to rear up and attack."

The other hedgehog snorted and speared the broccoli, raising it to his lips as he swallowed the noodles. "I know what broccoli is. It's just not something I have eaten often." He didn't see Amy's smile grow wider at his defensiveness as he took the forkful, nose scrunching slightly at the bitter taste poorly disguised by a sweeter sauce that barely coated the miniature tree.

He was not a fan of vegetables.

The pair sat in comfortable silence as they ate, enjoying the company of being in close proximity and sharing a common activity, forks clinking against china as their meal was devoured a mouthful at a time. Amy's portion was almost gone when Shadow finally spoke again, his own smaller portion now devoid of noodles. "The clothes fit perfectly." He picked through what remained to locate and spear the chicken he had left, not looking up even though Amy turned to look at him. "Those present in the meeting this evening will appreciate them more than me, certainly, but they are comfortable. Thank you."

Amy beamed. "It's my pleasure, since you made me feel do comfortable." He glances to her now with a slightly furrowed brow, remembering the letter he didn't quite understand that had been attached to them. Noting this, she tilts her head slightly, mirroring his frown with one of her own, but he shakes his head and places his fork down. The feet of his stool squeak on the linoleum as he rises to his feet. "Allow me to clean the kitchen, as you have done all the work so far. Once I am finished, I should leave for Headquarters."

Although he takes her bowl, he seems to wait for a nod of her head before taking them away and heading for the sink, leaving Amy once again to ponder as water begins to run into the basin. She's aware something she's said or done has made him uncomfortable, but she can't quite place what, though it obviously hadn't offended him since he had not lost his patience or threatened to throw her out if it continued. She licks her lips and clasps her hand together on the table, leaning on her elbows as she carefully chooses what to say next.

"Shadow?" He hums in acknowledgement of her query, not looking back as he halts the flow of water and begins to wash her bowl. The unasked question hangs between them as she tries to find a way to ask him that doesn't sound childish or ignorant, but the words dissolve on her tongue, vocabulary abandoning her at the worst possible moment. "Nothing," she finally says, giving a weak smile when he looks over, an eyeridge cocked inquisitively.

He returns the smile with half of one of his own and turns back to his job, scraping what was left of his own dinner into the bin as she studies him. It isn't what either of them expected to happen, but maybe - just maybe - this relationship was exactly what they both needed.