A/N: Hey, ya'll. Wass up? The Queen of Aces is in the hiz-ouse. Jk, just joking.

I am currently watching: The bride of Chucky, while trying to figure out my active ankles. You know they're mandatory now? Well, I didn't put them on right yesterday, during the game, and I scraped my ankles raw. They are a bloody mess, and now I have to go spike some more balls. Haha, ow. I have bruises in places I didn't know I had!

And cheerleading! DO NOT GET ME STARTED!

Whatever, enjoy the chapter.

Dedicated to Marianne

"I'll come back.
I always come back...
But dying's a bitch."
The story so far...

Sonic and Amy has had their far share of troubles so far after running away to protect the two mysterious twins that appeared on Amy's doorstep. They all know that the twins - or, at least, Nathaniel - are dangerous - one meeting with Shadow was more than enough proof for anyone.

The two are haunted by guilt - the guilt of leaving their friends in turmoil and hunting for them, the guilt of loving the twins, and the guilt... of loving each other. Sonic seems to have gone too far one day after kissing Amy by impulse, and the pressure crashes down onto Amy. She runs away, leaving Sonic, leaving the twins, leaving all the love she had worked so hard for.

She runs to her Grandmother's house, hoping to find happiness... or just peace, which would've been good enough for her. Instead, nightmares haunt her - not just her, but Sonic and the rest of the crew as well.

I want them back. She had told him. While she had cried, she had whispered, silently. But I have you.

She had fallen asleep listening to the news, her head lying on the pillows of her folded hands, legs curled beneath her and her breathing coming deep and soft.

Tails grabbed the blanket that hung over the arm of the couch and draped it over her small sleeping form. Cream didn't wake, only curling tighter, holding onto the blanket as one of her ears twitched. The skin right beneath her eyes was still red from her crying. But she looked so pretty. Tails didn't fight the smile that slowly took over his features, and he could feel the weight of the world being lifted from his shoulders, if only for a moment.

Knuckles and Rouge had not come home to his attic tonight. They claimed they had found their own home, and thanking him for his hospitality, they told him that the baby would not be keeping him awake anymore. For this, at least, Tails was grateful.

Sitting down beside her, Tails stroked Cream's smooth hair, his finger beginning to trace letters. He wrote a letter to her, as if hoping it could really sink into her mind, making it so he could tell her without speaking one word. He wrote about the constellations of stars, of the galaxies that were thought to exist beyond a border. He wrote down the way he felt when she smiled at him, using words that she would be able to understand. He told her that things would get better for them, that one day, no one would hurt
anymore.

He wrote about how much he wanted her to stay. That he didn't want her to go back up to the North, that he had come to need her, and it was then that he wrote, that she was the reason he stayed. He drew memories; a bouquet of times they had shared that would actually be enjoyable to think about. When he hoped this was enough, he stopped, leaning down and laying the smallest kiss on the corner of her smiling lips.

As he wandered into the kitchen, he thought about his best friend. What would he be doing right now? Would he be tucking those two children into bed, telling them stories that would send them into a frenzy of adventurous and impossible dreams? What were their names again? Nathaniel, Tails remembered, and...Naomi. Yes, they would be a year old by now. Probable speaking in bad grammar in their whole sentences. They might even be running, maybe they have even learned about who they really are. Tails leaned against the doorway, half wishing he knew these things, half wishing they were someplace easy to find.

Maybe Sonic was learning things about Amy, the same way he was learning things about Cream. Was he falling in love with her? Or did the closeness prove to them both that they were not meant to be? In some corner of his mind, Tails had secretly hoped his older brother would fall for the pink maiden. And it seemed every year he seemed to open up more, share a secret smile or two.

But apparently, they were closer than anyone else had thought.

After all, why else would Sonic do this to them? Morals were not the only reason, Tails sighed as he fumbled through the dark. Maybe it was because he had been faced with the decision to let her go, or come with her, and he had chosen the ladder. Maybe it was because Amy meant more to him than Sonic was willing to admit.

Sneaking a glance back into the room, Tails watched Cream's face, and turned away. He didn't want the earth to be destroyed; he didn't want the death of a million planets to be because he was not capable to killing two people. He was nine, and already, he had fallen in love and lost her to destiny. But he had gotten over it? Hadn't he? Why couldn't those two hedgehogs see that it was almost the same? That they too, would eventually move on. Two children dying did not mean the end of the world. Quite the contrary.

Even Amy would move on. As much as she held on, even she would have to let go.

Ruffling his fur, the fox breathed. "I wonder if-"

His thought was immediately cut short by the startling sound of the telephone ringing. Tails jumped, the sudden noise nearly giving him a heart attack. Fearing it would wake up Cream, he answered it before it could ring the second time. "Hello?" he whispered, a twinge of anger in his voice. He waited for nearly ten seconds before the voice replied.

"Hey."

There was no mistaking who it was. Tails gripped the phone, his heart pounding. Sonic, he thought, before shaking his head. "Why are you calling me?" Tails asked, but there were too many emotions in his voice, it betrayed his facade. Tails swallowed. "I could easily trace the call back. I'd know exactly where you are, you'd be captured in five seconds flat."

And the blue hedgehog simply replied. "Yeah." his voice seemed strange, empty. "I know."

But even Tails heard the words behind it: I don't believe you will.

Tails' face tightened. "What do you want?"

"To talk." Sonic sighed. "That's all. I just wanted to talk." after awhile, he spoke again. "How is everyone?"

He didn't play dumb. He didn't say what was on his mind: 'Apparently, you don't give a damn.' The thought was overwhelming. 'Apparently, there's only one person you care about. And she's going to be your death.' Tails breathed. 'Amy is going to be your downfall, but you could care less.'

Instead, the fox told him. "Rouge and Knuckles had a baby. Her name is Ruby. Ruby Ashley." he spoke to the hedgehog with the calmest tone. "Cream is all alone. Vanilla disowned her, and now she's nearly withering away right in front of me." Tails shook as he mentioned the rabbit, the words always in his mind but never spoken out loud. "Shadow is the same."

Sonic's reaction was simple. "Oh."

Tails sat down, still holding the phone. "Yeah," he whispered. As the silence overtook them both, Tails managed. "How is Amy?"

On the other side of the phone, Sonic frowned as he sighed into the pillow. He thought of Amy, of her eyes, the beauty of her simple movements. Sonic rolled over on the other side, switching the phone to the other ear. "I wouldn't know." he breathed. "She ran away." in the next hour, he explained the entire situation. He told Tails about the letter he had found, and about the impulsive mistake of kissing her. "At the time," Sonic explained. "It just felt so right."

Tails hated himself for being curious. "And now?"

"She's gone." Sonic replied. "Apparently, it wasn't so right." Frowning, he looked at the sleeping form of the twins. "They miss her. Especially Nathaniel. It's amazing, how much she has done for all of us. Without her here, we're all lost and confused." he told Tails what he would never tell Amy herself. "What if she doesn't come back?"

Tails waited for the longest time. He snuck another glance at Cream, wishing that he could be next to her. 'Sonic, you're hurting her,' he thought, angrily. 'And I just might hate you for that. We've been crying over you, we are miserable trying to hold onto you. But you still refuse to come back. You have chosen your own fate.' Tails glared at the empty air. 'We don't deserve this.' he blinked, thinking of Cream. 'She doesn't deserve this.'

Finally, in the smallest voice, Tails replied.

"That's not my problem." he spoke, and set the phone down, breaking the last connections between him and his former best friend.

The morning came sooner than she'd hoped.

Stumbling out of bed, Amy wiped her eyes raw and forced herself to breathe. It had been so real, the nightmare. But she knew by the way her heart was still beating, that nothing bad had happened in the wake of her sleep. She knew that he was still alive, simply by the way she was still able to breathe. The sun was shining bright, warming her face as she pulled the curtains open to let the entire room flood with light. Tucking a stray lock of pink hair away from her face, Amy looked at the bedspread, the one with pink flowers and glittering drops of sunshine. She remembered having to make up her bed first
thing on every Saturday morning.

She could even remember sneaking out this very window to go play without being noticed. This made Amy smile, a breaking emotion settled over her sadness, as she breathed and rubbed her hand over her cool exposed stomach. She was hungry, and by the smell that was slowly making itself known, Amy knew that Rose had made her breakfast. As she came out of her room, she wondered what she should say to her grandmother.

Running her hands over her face, she thought about it again.

It scared her, that nightmare. How much she had wanted to just, die. Despite the fact that she had a son, and a daughter, they had not even entered her mind until after she had awoken. In that moment, she was willing to throw it all away just to be with him. But what about Nathaniel? And Naomi? She wanted them both in her arms. As for Sonic, she wasn't so sure. She was so confused. She was supposed to come here, to find herself, but all she was seeing was who she used to be. Amy hated herself for being so weak, just at a simple nightmare. That was all it was, a nightmare.

But still...it felt so real. She could have sworn on her own grave that Sonic had really died. Rose should not have to be burdened with her foolish worries; she had enough to worry about. Amy made her way to the kitchen, before seeing that her grandmother jumped at her appearance. As she turned, she could see that she was holding onto something. A doll, a beautiful life-sized porcelain doll. It had cherry red hair, and enchanting blue eyes, along with a baby blue dress. Rose motioned towards her, and as she approached, she settled the doll in her arms. It reminded Amy so much of Naomi, even as she traced the cool fake skin.

Rose smiled. "I bought that for you a couple of years ago." she watched her as if she might be someone else. Amy held the doll, as Rose spoke. "I missed you so much. I kept thinking, every time a little girl knocked on my door, that they would turn around and it would be you." tears filled the woman's eyes.

"It never was, though." Amy looked down at the doll, wondering things that she could not possibly describe.

"I was thirteen when you bought this." Amy blinked. "I probably wouldn't have liked it." running her finger over the long eyelashes, she smiled. "It's beautiful."

Rose came closer. They were almost the same height now. Amy watched the old woman as she laid a tender hand on her face. "And now you've run away again." closing her eyes, she gave the smallest laugh. "Isn't it ironic? The way you run away from the people who love you when you're looking for yourself." taking her hand away, she sighed. "You remind me so much of your mother." Her eyes sparkled. "Why did you come back?"

Amy clutched the doll, hiding her face through her bangs. "I was hoping to find..." she held on tighter. "I just wanted..." she trembled. "I don't know." Looking up, Amy managed to smile. "Would you like to see the pictures I brought you?" she asked, as Rose nodded. Making their way to the living room, Amy spread the pictures she had brought like an offering. Giving her grandmother the childhood of her only kids, in exchange for the one she had foolishly given away.

The first one was of Nathaniel at a few months old. Looking over his shoulder, the little boy was grinning wickedly, his mouth open in an amused laugh. From this angle, she could see his birthmark on the small of his back. Rose eyed the picture. "Oh." she watched. "This is Nathaniel?" Amy nodded. "How old is he now?"

Amy felt a sense of pride. "He's one. He's already speaking. He can walk." she told her grandmother things she couldn't have known by looking at the picture. She showed her others, until she reached her most recent ones. "He loves music." Amy recited. "His eyes sparkle when he gets excited. His middle name is Oliver. When he cries, his tan skin turns purple, and he hates to take baths. His favorite show is something about a cow who loves to play with other barnyard friends." she smiled. "When I hold him, he likes to rub my earlobe, and he can do a front flip."

Rose took all this in with just as much enthusiasm. "My." she breathed.

Amy took out her second set of pictures. "This is Naomi Rose-Mary." Amy laughed. "She is the most beautiful baby girl I have ever seen." touching the doll, she explained more. "She loves heights. When she hurts, she bleeds." Her eyes shook. "Her favorite color is purple, she loves Mickey Mouse pancakes." Amy turned away. "She loves show tunes, and she knows every Disney princess under the sun." touching the top of the doll's head with her shaking lips, Amy finished. "She has no powers. But she is every bit as brilliant."

As she moved on, she found that she had brought pictures of Sonic. "Oh." Rose blushed a graceful pink. "I can see why you like him." she awed. "He..." she breathed. "He must be so amazing."

As Rose waited for details, Amy found herself searching for words to describe him. Finally, she decided. The word fitting perfectly with her feelings. "Yes." Amy whispered, smiling. "He is mine."

The child would not stop crying.

Rouge desperately rocked her baby, sobbing out lullabies that were lost along her screams. Ruby writhed in her grasp, still new to this world, wrinkled and ugly, face red and crying as though the whole world was after her. Rouge cursed in her mind as the child suddenly lurched forward, spewing up her lunch all over the front of her shirt. Not that it mattered, she wasn't going anywhere. Rouge growled as she angrily rocked Ruby closer to her, patting her stomach hatefully as the baby burped.

Ring around the rosey...

She hadn't slept in days. She had lost five pounds in three days because the child did not even allow her to eat. Her daughter cried and cried all day long, only giving her mother a few precious hours of quiet when she slept. She spit up everything she ate, it seemed, and every time Rouge turned around, there was another diaper to change or she was hungry or she wanted to be held. Rouge did not know why her baby was crying half of the time, and only satisfied her needs when they were obvious.

Pocket full of pansies...

She was hurting everywhere. Her entire body stretched like a stupid balloon, especially her bust, which had nearly swelled so much that she felt she was about to explode at any minute. She dreaded every feeding; knowing her daughter would latch onto her so roughly and greedily that it left her crying from the pain. Rouge imagined she was drinking from the bowl of her heart, sucking it dry until she might at well be dead. And even then, she always wanted more. Ruby was a devil child, Rouge was convinced. It was in her evil smirk before she started to cry, or in her dark chuckle as she quieted as soon as she was put in someone elses' arms.

Still screaming, Rouge suddenly flung the child away from her, holding her at arms length as she stared straight into her own demise. "You filthy brat." She addressed, as the baby stopped, eyeing her with her own eyes. Rouge tightened her grip, feeling a surge of happiness when a look of fear passed into her daughter's eyes. She wanted her to see how much she was hurting her own mother. How Rouge didn't want her. "I hate you." the words passed so easily, she gave a laugh and said it again. "You hear that? I hate you." the baby tilted her head, as Rouge tightened her grip even more, making marks on the
exposed skin of her daughter's underarms. "I hate you so much."

Ashes, ashes...

"Eg." The baby whimpered, as Rouge begun to go out of her mind. She started lightly shaking the child, watching her head being thrown back and frontward. Rouge growled, shaking her even harder. All the time, she was sobbing. "Why did I have you!?" she screamed. "Why does everyone want to watch me suffer!?"

Then, the child began to scream. Wretched sobs that finally broke the last of Rouge's sanity. Planting a hand over the girl's mouth, Rouge shook her lightly again. "Stop crying!" she was balling, unaware of what she was doing. She held the child's nose and mouth tight. "Stop! Stop! Stop!"

The little girl suddenly slumped in her arms. For nearly an hour, Rouge stood there, still out of her mind. When at last, she seemed sane; she looked down to find that Ruby was still. There was a huge bruise across her mouth, and her nose was red, her skin even paler than normal. Rouge concluded that somehow, she had put her daughter to sleep at last. Carrying her to the nursery, the bat lay down Ruby, before turning away in hopes of catching an hour of sleep.

We all fall down...

But as she entered the bedroom, Knuckles announced that he was home. Rouge stilled, cursing and waiting for the sobs that would force her back. But nothing came. Rouge smiled out of pure relief. Knuckles entered the bedroom, eyes bright. "Where's Ruby?" he asked, as he showed his wife the teddy bear in his arms. "I have a surprise for her."

We all fall down...

Turning her heavy and exhausted body, Rouge faced him, bringing a single finger and placing it over her rounded mouth. "Shush," Rouge informed. "I've finally put her to sleep."

"How are you?" She asked him, as the blue hedgehog smiled at the sound of her voice.

"We're holding up." he managed. "How are you doing?"

Amy smiled, clutching onto the phone with one hand while she led a horse to the stable with the other. Her grandmother called the horse: Winry. Amy had rode Winry all day, surprised that a creature with such low speed could make her feel so alive.

Amy listened to the sound of children laughing, and took a second glance at her grandmother, helping a child onto a small pony. She watched the image of her father in the cornfield become dark through the setting sun. She wanted to stay, now, that the nightmare was over. Because she felt more at home than she had in her entire life. Her father had even nodded at her, and she learned that he helped raise money for children for cancer when he wasn't too busy working at the factory. Amy secretly hoped that maybe she could even get him to smile at her.

Finally, she spoke. "It is so beautiful here." she stroked the long mane on her horse, giggling. "I wish you could see it." she whispered, frowning.

"I would love to see it with you." Sonic replied, knowing full well that he couldn't. "What is it like?" he just wanted to hear her voice.

Amy described the hills, the same color as her eyes, and the sky that was the prettiest shade of sky blue. "You've never been here." she replied. "You wouldn't have been able to leave." Sonic tightened. Amy continued. "There's a horse here, the one that looks exactly like the one in Nathaniel's storybook. You know, the one Naomi always used to steal from him?" Her eyes softened. She decided to give him a piece of information. "My dad is here."

Silence overtook them both. Then, Sonic whispered. "What is he like?"

Amy sunk into his voice. "He has skin the color of honey." she described. "He has black hair, but my eyes. He has the same three bangs as I do, but he is so handsome. He calls himself Leighton." Amy smiled. "He reminds me so much of you."

Sonic blushed. "When are you coming home?" he asked, his voice tight.

Amy looked around, unable to say. "Soon." she finally replied. "Real soon. I still haven't found what I'm looking for." she mentioned nothing of her nightmare. But simply patted Winry on the back as she spoke. "Just believe me when I say I'm coming back."

Silence.

"I had a horrible nightmare." Sonic spoke without thinking.

Amy stilled. "Nightmares can't hurt you." she remembered Rose, of what they had spoken of last night. Amy frowned. "It will be okay."

Sonic held the phone close. "You didn't see what I saw."

"See-Saw!" she heard Namoi giggle in the background.

Amy laughed. Sonic didn't. "What are you looking for?" he asked, as Amy waited. The answer still never came.

Finally, with a sigh. Amy replied. "You are falling in love with me." She spoke soft. "In the middle of a great tragedy. Which is exactly how it's going to end. In a great tragedy."

"I am not." Sonic blushed the deepest red. "You're my best friend." when he said this, he stopped.

Amy replied. "And you're my best friend." she said this with a beautiful smile. "For years, I wanted you to fall in love with me. Now that you are, I don't want it." she sighed. "I do, but...not yet. Not until this whole mess is over." Amy frowned. "Maybe if I stay away long enough, you'll fall out of love, for now."

Sonic blinked. "If you stay away any longer, I will personally go insane." He listened to her laugh. "You can't tell me what to feel."

Amy felt her heart ache. Suddenly, she recited. "2819 Georgia Lane, in Judaea Valley. The house with the red shutters." she told him her location, before swiftly saying. "Come here, meet my family, listen to my childhood." She grinned. "And let's see how much you love me then."

A/N: Azngirlchibi. I owe everyone a huge apology for not posting for... well, forever. This chapter had been done for a long, long time, but I just never found the time to post it. I'm trying to juggle school, social life, and family life here... Not easy, though fun and all. Fanfiction writing is just... not exactly high on my list of priorities... sorry guys. Sorry Marianne. I know that you're really counting on this, but I'm going to go crazy if I have to fit in everything so strictly.

Big sighs, big apologies. That's all I can really give you guys, so once again, really, really sorry. Don't blame The Queen of Aces - she's keeping up much, much better than I am.

Hope the "Story so far" section wasn't too... corny.

Sheepishly yours,

Azngirlchibi

and

The Queen of Aces