=Chapter 4=

By the time the day was over, Amy was dead exhausted. She was too tired to even take a trip to the library and read for a bit. When the ladies were finally done with the 'wedding chores', Amy tiredly went towards her dorm, ready to turn in even though it was only 6:30 in the evening. Instead of going to her dorm however, she decided to go into the Rec Room. Tails, Vector, and Espio were already inside. Tails and Vector were sitting on the floor playing video games on the TV, while Espio was at an arcade cabinet.

"Hey Amy." Tails greeted. "Wanna play?"

"No thanks. I'm just gonna sit down." Amy replied as she plopped down on the couch.

"No offense, but you look kinda awful." Vector pointed out.

"That's because the girls had me on my feet all day." the cherry-pink female muttered. "And I've been up since 5:30 this morning."

"Dang."

"Yeah, I hear Rouge is keeping you really busy." Tails added without taking his eyes off of the TV screen.

"That's about the size of it." Amy replied.

The sakura hedgehog curled up on the couch and watched them play two-player mode on their video game. Their shouts and hollering at each other kept Amy from totally falling asleep while she dozed off. Soon, Espio got tired of the arcade games and decided to join Tails and Vector.

"Got room for three?" the ninja chameleon asked.

"Sure." Tails replied.

Amy watched them all very quietly from the couch that the guys would've forgotten she was there if she hadn't let out a yawn every five minutes.

XXXXXXX

Shadow came down the hall to visit his bride-to-be in her dorm, but found her in the Rec Room instead. He saw her all curled up in the corner of the couch, nodding off while watching Vector, Espio, and Tails yell at each other as they got heavily absorbed into their game. He silently went inside.

"Hi Shadow." Tails said quickly before promptly returning his focus on the game.

Hearing the ebony hedgehog's name being spoken gained Amy's attention, making her slowly pop her head up a little. Shadow walked over to her as she did.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Tired." Amy sighed.

Shadow leaned over and gently pushed her towards the other side of the couch and sat down. Then he gently pulled the cherry-pink female into his lap. Amy nestled into his arms and buried her face into the white tuft of fur on his charcoal colored chest. A few minutes later, the midnight hedgehog started playing around with Amy's soft quills. Meanwhile the guys continued hollering at each other as they played.

"No, no! Go left, go left!"

"Which way is left?"

"Where the hell are you guys?"

Shadow watched them with a dead-pan expression as he carefully fingered each of Amy's quills as if they were fragile. Amy's ears went flat down as she rested in Shadow's lap. She nuzzled against his chest, prompting him to gently kiss her on the head.

"Aw dammit, I just died."

"Where do we go again?"

"Where's the damn pistol when you need it?"

"Playing Halflife?" Shadow asked.

"Yes." Tails, Vector, and Espio said in unison.

"Thought so."

"You've played this game before right, Shadow?" Vector asked.

"Beaten it six times if I recall correctly." the crimson-splashed male replied.

"Maybe you can give us some pointers?"

"I'm afraid that's classified information."

"AWWW, COME ON!"

Shadow smiled slightly. Then his ears twitched to a new sound being created in the room. He looked down and saw Amy was fast asleep and emitting a light purr. His blood-red eyes softened at this.

"I'm taking Amy back to her dorm." Shadow said.

"'Kay. See ya!" Vector replied.

The ebony hedgehog got up, carefully scooping Amy into his arms, and walked out of the Rec Room. While he was headed for the young flower's dorm, she began to stir a little.

"Wha...what's going on?" she rasped a little tiredly.

"We're going to your dorm." Shadow told her.

"Oh."

Amy let out another yawn.

"Do you have your card with you?" Shadow asked.

"I think so." Amy replied.

She reached into her pant pocket and got out her card. Shadow took it from her and unlocked the door. He set Amy down and she went into her bathroom for a minute or two. Shadow took off his knee-length leather jacket and set it on the chair half-pushed into the desk. Amy came out of the bathroom clad in flannel PJs and rubbing her tired eyes. Shadow went over to her and scooped her up again. He carried her to bed and gently placed her onto it. Then he got in with her.

"What are you doing?" Amy tiredly muttered.

"I'm just going to make sure no one else will bother you." Shadow told her.

"...okay."

The sakura hedgehog was too tired to really think about it anyway.

XXXXXXX

Amy was deeply enveloped in dream land until the sound of rain lightly pattered against the window, making her ear twitch a few times. Then she felt someone's fingers gently run through her quills. It felt rather nice, but the curiosity of who was doing it, prevented Amy from falling into another lull. She cracked her jade eyes open and blinked a couple of times to get her blurry vision back into focus. The room was a little dim with a bluish tint to it. Leaving Amy to the implication that it was still a bit early in the morning. Then as her eyes wandered about the room, she suddenly caught sight of fluffy white fur, making her freeze and her body tense up.

"...Shadow?" Amy quietly called.

"Good morning, my flower." the ebony hedgehog softly greeted.

Amy jolted up in surprise to see Shadow in her bed.

"Did we spend the night together?" she exclaimed.

"Yes." Shadow answered. "Does that bother you?"

"Well, are we technically not supposed to do that? I mean we're not married yet."

"Rouge and Knuckles shared a bed before they were wedded."

The cherry-pink female let out a whine and laid back down, burying her face into Shadow's tuft of fur. Shadow resumed stroking her quills.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked.

"..Nnnoo." Amy muttered, pushing her face further into her groom-to-be's chest.

"Very well then."

Amy snuggled up against him and holding him as if he were a huge teddy bear. Shadow wrapped one arm around her and used the other one to stroke her quills. Then, he started nuzzling her neck, making Amy emit a few moans. Suddenly, they both heard a rumble from within the sakura hedgehog's belly. Amy's face went red from embarrassment.

"Are you hungry?" Shadow asked.

"...yeah...a little." Amy muttered.

She let out a whine of complaint.

"What's wrong?" Shadow asked again.

"I wanna eat." Amy explained. "But I'm still too tired to get up and go to the Dining Hall."

"Do you want me to order in room service?"

"...No. Besides, I have no place to eat."

"You have your desk..."

"That's true. But I don't want to make a mess either."

Amy lifted herself up, stretched, and let out a yawn. Then she noticed that Shadow was clad only in boxers. Her face went red again.

'Okay, not something I needed to see.' she thought. 'But might as well get used to it.'

"Something wrong, Rose?" Shadow inquired.

"No..it's nothing." Amy replied.

The sakura hedgehog disappeared into her bathroom and began taking a nice hot shower. When she got out with a towel wrapped around her frame, she saw Shadow. Now fully dressed in a different outfit and lying on her bed, watching the TV set.

"Did...did you leave and come back?" Amy asked.

"I did." Shadow replied.

"How did you get back in?"

"I borrowed your card."

"Oh."

Amy went over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of undies, jeans, socks, a white tank top, and a green knitted sweater. Then she went back into her bathroom. A few minutes later, the cherry-pink female came back out with a tooth brush. The midnight hedgehog on her bed brightened up at her appearance.

"You look nice." he quipped.

"Thanks." Amy said while brushing her teeth.

Shadow continued watching the news on the TV while Amy went about her morning routine. Finally, she finished up in her bathroom and joined her groom-to-be on her bed. The ebony male pulled her into a deep affectionate kiss. Amy returned the feelings happily.

"Mmmm. You taste like mint." Shadow purred when they broke apart.

"Thanks." Amy giggled.

"Come. Let's get you fed."

They left the dorm and headed to the Dining Hall hand-in-hand.

XXXXXXX

Later that morning, Amy was being pulled along by Blaze through the 3rd floor hall.

"Where are we going, Blaze?" Amy asked.

"You'll find out." Blaze snickered.

Amy let out a sigh as the lilac cat pulled her towards a conference room.

"Aw crap, are we having wedding meetings now?" Amy exclaimed.

"Nope." Blaze replied with a grin.

She opened the door and inside was Sally, Rouge, and Cream. The room was decked out with balloons and streamers. Amy looked completely dumbstruck.

"Happy Bridal Shower!" Blaze gleefully sang in Amy's ear.