Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and some OC's.

Chapter 3: Somewhere I Belong

A loud blood curdling scream rang out through the small, dark house.

"Wh-Why are you doing this?" A small female voice wept.

"Because you're all whores who deserve worse than what I've given you," a male voice said. He sounded maniacal. "I'm ridding the world of the evil of woman, one whore at a time."

"But I'm not-" her words choked off as he ran a blade across her throat, not enough to kill but enough to draw blood. "P-Please don't kill me."

"Oh dear," he said getting close to her face. She stared fearfully into his black soulless eyes. "I'm going to do so much more."

A loud shriek could be heard for miles around the small house, but no one heard because no one was around, the small house shrouded by a thick ring of trees.


Amy opened her heavy lids, she hadn't slept that well in quite a while. At first she was confused as to the time, since the curtains were drawn. Her mouth felt dry and tasted awful. She looked at the clock and it said it was nearly one in the afternoon.

She swung her legs off the bed clumsily, before standing and almost falling when a wave of dizziness overcame her.

She caught herself on the side of the bed. "Sh-Shadow?" She croaked out, why was she so dry. She coughed to clear her throat and the door opened.

"Why are you out of bed?" He asked a brow raised.

"Bathroom," she stated. He helped her to the bathroom. "How long did I sleep?"

"Almost thirteen hours," he said. "But you needed it."

"I'm hungry and dry." She said once they stopped outside the bathroom.

"I make you some noodle soup."

"Ooh an upgrade," she said cheekily as she closed the door.

When she was back in the bed, she propped all the pillows around her to get comfortable.

"Wow," she sighed to herself. "This really sucks."

"What does?" Shadow asked as he set a tray on her lap.

"Being stuck in a bed, and too weak to do anything by myself." She said bitterly as she ate her soup and gulped down some water. "When I'm done I need to seriously brush my teeth...feels like it's been awhile."

"It's been over three weeks since you've probably last done so," Shadow replied. "I was more concerned with keeping you alive at the time."

Amy flinched at the reminder that she'd almost died, because she was selfish.

"You need to get used to it. You almost died, there's no getting around it." Shadow stated bluntly. "You need to realize how selfish it was, and that you need to get stronger so you can go back home."

"But I like it here so much," she said sarcastically sweet.

"I still don't understand what truly pushed you to that point." Shadow shook his head. He began to walk out when she wouldn't say anything or look at him.

"It wasn't just Sonic, that was just the icing on the cake." She said almost too softly to hear. "I'd been having a really bad week, so I went looking for something to take my mind off my problems when he snapped at me. I don't even know if he remembers or realized what he actually said.

"But it was just the last nail in the coffin." She flinched at her own metaphor. "It's been about fifteen years since my mom died, it was just a lot to take in. So when I found myself alone, my thoughts drowned me...I don't even want to know what my father would say about my actions."

"So you felt your best option was to kill yourself?" Shadow asked his brow furrowed. "That's how you would honor your mothers memory."

"I don't even know her," Amy said feeling stupid as tears once again fell. "Dad said she died in an accident...but I don't-"

"You don't believe him do you?" Shadow asked.

Amy buried her face in her hands. "I was a year old when she died, but I do have weird memories of blood...and lots of it."

"Amy I know the feeling of loss, trust me I do." He said resting a hand on her head. He sat on the bed next to her moving her now empty tray to the floor. "It never gets easier, but you have to let it go lest it eat you up completely."

"I don't-" she sucked in a deep breath. She looked up at him her eyes glassy. "How?"

"Just day by day, think about the good memories you have," he said with a small shrug. "Keep in mind that the person we're hurting over would like for us to be happy and healthy."


Amy looked around at the familiar surroundings she knew too well, her old childhood room. She was sitting on her bed, when there was a soft knock on her door.

"Dad?" She wondered. She got up and opened the door, but it wasn't her dad who waited on the other side. It was a female hedgehog the same shade as Amy, her eyes though were purple.

"Hello Amy," she smiled warmly at Amy.

"Mom...but..." Amy stammered unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

"Yes dear I am not alive, this isn't reality." Her mother said softly. "I have to tell you something...you're not as safe as you think you are."

"What?" Amy asked in confusion. "I'm plenty safe with Shadow."

"Just be careful you do not end up like me."

"I don't-"

"Beware you will have to choose eventually," her mother said ominously. "If you do not it will only tear you apart."

"Choose..." Her mother began to fade.

"No wait!" She reached out, but came into contact with nothing, and it faded to black.


Amy sat up in bed breathing hard, wondering if what she saw was real.

She didn't remember anything about her mother, just things she'd been told and pictures she'd seen, "what do I have to choose?"

She hadn't even realized she'd fallen asleep again, but she knew it wasn't very long this time. She leaned back against the pillows trying to remember her mothers face. When her eyes felt dry she touched her face to discover that it was wet.

"Dad what didn't you tell me about mom?" She asked softly glancing upward.


Sonic had taken to pacing nervously around Tails' workshop after they'd found the blood.

"Sonic you have to relax," Tails said sounding exasperated.

"I would but Amy could be out there dying," Sonic ground out.

"Or she could be-" Tails cut off at the sharp glare from Sonic.

"Well how do you expect me to find her just sitting around?" He snapped which caused Tails to flinch.

There was a knock on the door, which interrupted the tense moment. Neither initially moved to open the door, when a voice called out.

"Tails I brought back that metal detector." Rouge's sultry voice floated in. Soon she came around the corner. "I don't mean to intrude but the door was unlocked...oh hey Sonic."

"Leave it on the table over there," Tails pointed to a table in the corner.

"Tails I have to go, you can take care of the hero thing," Sonic said as he started to the door.

"Sonic you don't even know where to start looking for Amy." Tails pleaded.

"Amy?" Rouge asked her voice curious. "I was just with her the other day."

Sonic stopped in his tracks and whirled around. "Seen her...where? Was she ok?"

"With Shadow," Rouge replied only for her eyes to grow wide. "Crap I wasn't supposed..." Sonic was already gone.

"What happened to Amy?" Tails asked.

"I really shouldn't say anything," Rouge hurried to the door. "It's her story not mine." And she too was gone leaving Tails very frustrated.


Amy sighed as she forced herself out of bed, she knew Shadow had stepped out not too long ago, so she was basically on her own. She was frustrated as she tried to shuffle her way to the bathroom, it was awful being so weak but it was her own fault.

Just as she reached the door handle she heard the front door open and close, so she hurried into the bathroom.

When she got out she found Shadow waiting a smirk on his face, she blushed.

"What?" She asked as she made her way back to his room.

"You just have to be independent don't you?" He asked as he followed her back.

"Well I need to get my strength back and you helping all the time isn't going to help me," she replied sticking her tongue out at him. "Besides you're the one who keeps saying I'm annoying always asking you to help." She mocked him.

"Doesn't mean I don't like helping you," he said genuinely.

"You like helping me?" She asked her cheeks pink. "Well I can't get used to that, that's what went wrong with Sonic and me."

"But you know I'm not him," Shadow said stopping just in front of her door with her. "I don't take you for granted."

Amy felt all the blood rushing to her face, it felt so hot that she thought she might melt. She was also very aware of how close she was standing to the dark mysterious hedgehog. She felt her heart pound harder as he slowly pushed her quills out of her face.

"Do you not like my attention?" He asked, the emphasis on my made her stomach drop a tiny bit.

"No I-I trust you with my life," she said softly.

Neither had noticed that the distance between them had shortened significantly.

"But I can't get hurt again," she whispered. "I don't think my heart could take it." '

"Don't worry so much," his hand was now cupping her cheek and her eyes fluttered closed. "I've got you."

She felt the pressure from his lips on her own, and she sank into it with a tiny sigh. Her mind blanked on her except for a small part of her brain saying this was wrong, but then why did it feel so right. When he pulled away she felt lonely and leaned toward him. His small chuckle brought her back to reality and her eyes flew wide her heart dropped into her stomach. She couldn't believe she had just done that with Shadow of all people. She slowly backed away.

He noticed the weird look on her face as she began to back up, and it worried him. "Amy what's-"

"No! I can't-" She turned and ran as fast as she could away from him.

He felt like someone had just sucker punched him in the chest. He could tell she had been enjoying so why had she ran. There was only one conclusion, "Faker." His fists clenched, he wished she could just let go of that and move on. It would be so much healthier in the long run for her to move on and forget him. But it also might be healthier if she found someone else entirely.

He really wished that Sonic would grow a pair and man up.