A/N: The next chapter of Cold Compassion is finally up!

I'll talk away later.

"Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth."

- Benjamin Disraeli

Dedicated to Marianne

There was no warning, no explosion. One moment, everything was normal… and the next, everything was erased.

No more.

As if it had never existed at all…

Sonic bolted upright with a gasp. A cold, chilly wind blew through his open window, biting at his skin and freezing his sweat. He couldn't remember why his hands were so clammy, or why he felt so sick, or why the room was spinning…

For a second, he felt almost… scared.

The blue hedgehog shook his head, closing his eyes, as green as summer grass. He willed the spinning to stop, before slowly getting up onto his feet.

Gingerly, he walked over to the open window and closed it with a snap. He hated feeling cut off from nature, and he never really bought the idea of having a roof over his head. Sleeping under the stars with the moon raining it's soft light on him – he had always preferred that, no matter how much Tails teased him about it.

"Your heart's a vagabond," the two-tailed fox would say, laughing. Sonic smirked to himself before stretching lethargically.

"Be it rain, hail, or the end of the world," he would reply back, before ruffling his adopted brother's fur.

'The end of the world…' Sonic frowned a bit. He had too many close encounters with that already. He peered out the frosty window. "Wow," he muttered to himself. "It must've been some storm last night." He felt grateful that Tails had let him stay in his garage for the night.

Quickly, he threw on a hat and a scarf, which trailed behind him as if it was alive. He strolled purposefully to the door, before throwing it open. Tails would know that he had left, even if he didn't say goodbye. Sonic hated goodbyes.

The sun immediately greeted him, making the snow dazzle before his eyes. Icicles clung onto bare trees, refracting sunlight into a shower of rainbows. When his eyes adjusted, he plunged through the deep snow, feeling the still, cold air scratch at his skin and stick his eyelashes together. He could almost taste the cold on his tongue as air steamed in front of him with each breath. Clouds crawled by slowly above him, but besides that, the sky was a clear, deep blue.

The snow was very deep, and Sonic was having trouble running. He eventually gave up. He let his thoughts wander as his feet led him aimlessly around the metropolis of Station Square. 'Hmm… what should I do today?' he wondered. For as long as he could remember, he had always woken up to this question. He never had a strict schedule, but life always seemed to have something ready for him to take on. Not that he minded – he enjoyed helping people.

His feet suddenly stopped, and his mind was jolted from his thoughts.

'Is this… Amy's place?' His feet had never led him here before. He probably wouldn't have known if he hadn't peered through the frost-caked window and saw her face, peaceful as it slept.

Sonic blinked, not really sure if he should go in or not. She looked so carefree. He laughed to himself. Even when she was asleep, her feelings were plain for the world to see, written boldly on her delicate face. He always did admire her for that. She wore her emotions so proudly on her sleeve, never mind what other people think.

The wind was getting stronger. He looked up. "More snow," he muttered. 'I guess… I should go in,' he decided.

He approached the house. He noted that her old, dirt path was caked with snow. 'That's not like Amy,' he thought, confused.

He knocked on the door. Immediately, she saw Amy jump up behind the window panes. She looked at him once, widened her eyes, and immediately smiled. Sonic waved. Before he could so much as blink, the door was thrown open and he was being pulled inside the warm house.

"Sonic? What are you doing here?" she asked happily. Snow slid off his shoulders and onto her soft carpet. "Did I keep you waiting? Oh, I can't believe I fell asleep…"

"Amy…" His voice was soft. Amy faltered a bit in surprise. "You look tired."

Amy blinked. She had forgotten she was tired as soon as Sonic had appeared at her doorstep… as mysteriously as the babies had been left there too…

"I'm really not that tired," she insisted. Sonic smiled inwardly. It was just like Amy to tend to other's needs before her own.

Amy led him deeper inside. Strange how the only house that he'd never feel awkward in was Amy's, he mused. As he walked, he took off his hat, freeing his ears. They twitched, taking in all the sounds of Amy's home. Snow was sliding off the roof of her house, and her dishwasher was running somewhere. Fire popped and crackled in her fireplace, nearly drowning out the sounds of something crying…

He instinctively looked at Amy. He cocked his head to the side, confused. He was sure he heard crying, but Amy looked alright, though a bit tired…

"Amy, is something crying?" he asked.

Amy froze. Suddenly, the crying seemed even louder than ever, a forlorn sound that echoed along the walls.

"I'm… babysitting for someone," she said. It was the half-truth, anyway, she decided.

Sonic gave her a scrutinizing look. Amy shivered. His eyes! They were so intensely green, even greener then her own. He could probably drown her in them if he wanted…

"You're lying," he observed. Amy flinched. Were her emotions so plainly written that she couldn't hide them, even if she wanted? "You never were a good liar," he continued. Amy looked down at her feet. He was probably mad at her for lying to him now.

She heard him sigh. His breath tickled the back of her head. "But I won't pry if you don't want me to," he said. Amy felt her heart leap to her throat. It seemed to hang there, beating quicker and quicker until she was almost going to gasp for breath.

Amy looked up at his face. It was as smooth and unreadable as always. He could hide what he felt much better than she could. "You're not mad at me?" she asked.

Sonic looked startled, but shook his head. "Mad at you for what? Everyone has their secrets." He winked at her. Amy felt her face heat up.

The crying continued, wailing louder and louder until Amy couldn't ignore it anymore. "W-wait here," she stammered, before hurrying away.

Sonic let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and plopped down on the soft chair that was warming itself beside the fire. 'I think that's the first conversation she had with me that didn't end in a hug.' He chuckled to himself. Amy did seem a bit… changed? He wasn't sure if he liked it, but he defiantly didn't hate it either. Her footsteps were softer, as if they were afraid of disturbing something, and her face was tinged with a heavenly shine that he'd never saw on her before. The wild fire that burned inside her seemed to have died down to a hot, but tamed glow.

He heard it again. Those soft, gentle footsteps that barely stirred the dust that had settled over her carpet. He looked up. "Sonic… I think you should know about this…" Amy said. She hesitated, before handing him a soft bundle wrapped in water-blue silk.

A white hedgehog baby stared up at him. It's face shone with tears, it's eyes reflecting his astonished reflection like tiny mirrors.

"Amy… you…" He could barely choke the words out.

"They're not mine, if that's what you're going to ask," she said firmly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Sonic stared down at the baby again. Suddenly, it's face seemed to cave in on itself, and it let out another wail.

The weariness seemed to show on Amy's face. "Here's her twin…" She unwrapped the top of the other bundle. Another baby was nestled in her arms, sleeping peacefully, though it's face sometimes twitched as if it could hear it's sister's cries.

"Amy…" Sonic breathed, "Who left them behind? Was there a note?"

Amy shook her head. "I really have no idea how they were left there." Again, her mind flashed back to the time yesterday – had it only been a day? – when the snow had pelted down on her house, and two babies were left on her doorstep, waiting for her…

"So… what are you going to do?"

Amy swallowed back tears. That question had haunted her during her sleep. Having it voiced by Sonic made it seem worse… or better. At least now she had to answer it.

"I… I want to take care of them," she answered firmly. She looked at Sonic.

Sonic had that look again. That blank look that made you wonder what he was thinking. "How?" he asked.

The tears were coming. The little boy's face was blurring before her eyes. "I don't know… but I can't just leave them out there in the snow!" Her voice sounded desperate, but as hard as she tried to hide it, she couldn't. She clutched the baby tighter to her chest. "They're so little… they can't defend themselves…"

"Amy… you can't defend every single person in the whole world." Sonic shook his head.

"I can try," the pink hedgehog answered defiantly.

The little girl in Sonic's arms kept crying. The baby boy in Amy's arms was starting to fidget in it's sleep. But besides that, only the crying indicated that there was life in Amy's house, as the crying broke the silence like smashing glass.

Amy took a deep breath. The snow was starting to come down again, even harder than yesterday if it was possible. "Sonic…" she said, softly. "I can tell that you already love them as much as I do."

Sonic stiffened. 'She's right…' A part of his mind whispered. 'She might not be good a lying, but no one is as good as telling the truth as she is.'

Amy heard Sonic chuckle. She looked up in surprise. "A baby girl and a baby boy…" he whispered, just like she had only a day before. "I think I like that idea… maybe even a little too much." He laughed again, only louder.

The boy woke up and looked around curiously. Sonic nodded at the bundle in Amy's arms. "Does he have a name yet?"

Amy blushed. "Well…" she said, her voice shy, unlike the firm voice that she had used just a second ago. "I was thinking of the name… Nathaniel." Her blush heated up along her pale white muzzle.

"Nathaniel…" Sonic tried the name on his tongue, rolling it around like hard candy. "I like it Amy…" He saw her smile, and he smiled back at her. "What about the girl?" he asked, as she continued wailing in his arms.

"I don't have a name for her yet," she admitted, a bit ashamed. "I was… was kind of half-hoping… that you would name her…"

Sonic felt his hear jump. Name the little girl? He looked down at her. Find a name that would suit her?

He thought, unconsciously holding tighter to the little girl. She felt so fragile in his arms, her limbs like glass, but it just made him want to protect her all the more. And she seemed so sad… if only he could make her happy…

The name suddenly came to him, like it was just waiting for the right moment to appear. "Naomi," he answered. "We'll call her Naomi."

Amy smiled. "Naomi… 'The pleasant one'…"

Sonic looked down on the newly-named baby. "Naomi…" he whispered. Abruptly, the crying stopped. The girl looked up at him for a long moment… and smiled. 'Maybe she was only crying because she was waiting for her name,' Sonic thought with a silent laugh.

"A little boy and a little girl…" Amy felt herself love the idea even more, if it was possible. "Nathaniel and Naomi…"

Amy smiled at Sonic. 'He… he would make a really good…' She was careful not to finish the thought, as if she wanted to save the idea – the wonderful, almost impossible idea – for another time to savor.

A knocking at the door broke the silence.

"I'll get it," said Sonic, tenderly putting Naomi into Amy's arms.

When Sonic looked back at this night, he felt like he would always regret opening the door. He could still almost feel the carpet he had walked on sinking into the floor, as if trying to stop him before he could reach the door. The snow had tapped violently onto the glass, he would also remember, and the wind had stung his face when he had opened the door. The figure had been silhouetted against the overhang of icicles, like the figure had been inviting him into the mouth of a huge, unseen beast, waiting to swallow him whole.

And he would forever regret accepting the invitation.

A/N: So... yeah... all the usual stuff I say... hope you enjoyed the chapter, next chapter will be up soon, yadda yadda yadda... Don't you guys ever get tired of me saying the same things over and over again?? But I do think the chapter went a bit fast... it was kinda rushed... my brain was kinda fried from my math exam, but I guess I don't really have a "real" excuse :P

Anyways, my (as in, azngirlchibi) summer will start after my last exam... which is on Tuesday... so I'll finally actually update my half of the chapters earlier :)

Thanks for reading!

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