Eeep, you're all still here, great! Glad I didn't scare you all off, but I did warn you this story is intense! This chapter is a bit more chill, so you can relax a bit.

Thanks to Blancis16 (x2!), kimchi-tan, NeckBreak, Amefloza13, Lynkia, Deathclaw2010, IT'S NO USE I'M OUTTA USE, MewMew for your reviews!

By the way… uh, get used to the cliffhangers. Pretty much every single chapter ends with one, so. Heh. Enjoy that!

Chapter 4: Numbers

AMY

To say today hadn't perfectly gone to my plans had been an understatement. But who can really plan when they have Sonic in their life? To be fair, he wasn't back in my life until only a few hours ago, so I couldn't have planned around seeing Sonic again today. I never could, and that was part of his charm. I thought that very charm had worn off on me, but apparently not. I was still swooning as some of his confidence was coming back, the way he held me, the way his lips turned when he smiled, the way he tried to brush off everything and face it head-on and fearlessly. I'd missed him dearly. And it was so good to have him back, in any form.

We were still stuck in this weird bubble of him running as fast as he could to break his old record. I had to admit I was getting exhausted, and all I was doing was lying down in Sonic's arms. I couldn't complain too much, but I was bored almost. I'd spent so long wanting and waiting and dreaming of just this thing, and now that it was here, I was starting to just stare at the clock instead of enjoying his presence.

Be careful what you wish for…

Speaking of that line of thought, I'd spent so much time just wanting to know why Sonic left us, and now that he told me the truth, I wasn't sure what to think. Would I have been better of not knowing? It had all been a shock at first, and I was still processing the details. He'd told it all so fast, and he did a good job despite being emotional. And I still had so many questions for him, but since we were taking a break from talking, it left me with time to just think and process. Now I was starting to realize who he was, who he'd become.

He was a victim of sexual abuse and manipulation. He felt like he lost himself and his sense of agency and self worth. He was mentally disturbed and suicidal.

And he was asexual.

Now part of me was thinking maybe all of those were related. Maybe once Sonic was better, once we did this stupid record-breaking run together, maybe he'd magically go back to normal. And that would be good for him, perhaps, but for me? My own heart was confused about what I desired. Did I really want someone like him back in my life? The life I'd worked so hard for, every day, to get to something resembling normal? Sonic was very good at throwing a wrench in carefully laid plans. He had a way of just tossing them all out the window at a whim to do his own thing. I was done with that way of living, or so I thought. I craved stability and reliability. Was it being selfish to think, maybe I didn't want to deal with his messy situation? He'd never really been a good friend to me, so why did I feel I owe him anything? He'd never been there for me, ever, when I needed him. Maybe he'd saved my life a few dozen times, but he'd done so with others, too. I wasn't special to him.

Not like he was special to me.

Did he even love me and care about me like he said, or did he just feel guilty? Was he just using me to get better? Was I just here because I was the only one who still cared for him?

Sonic talked about not wanting to have sex, which was perfectly understandable given his situation. But would that be something that would go away? He'd seem to insinuate that was a natural part of him. But how could it be? How could he just not want sex? Everyone did. But he said he'd gone on a journey to try everything, after the fact, and still came to the conclusion that he just didn't care about it or like it. Would that be something I could deal with in the long run? Could I date Sonic and not have sex with him? The idea was so foreign to me, it'd never even crossed my mind. Maybe, if he truly did love me like he claimed, if he had feelings for me, he'd be willing to try. And maybe I could be good enough to get him to enjoy it. Maybe he just hadn't done it with the right person yet - that person being me, obviously. Yes, that was it.

That was my plan going forward. I'd be patient with him, like I always have been. God knows that I'd tried to get over him, and had already accepted that wasn't a possibility. I'd always love Sonic, as I said, and I knew deep down that meant sticking with him through thick and thin, through his frustrating decisions and quirks.

Didn't mean I was ecstatic about it.

I closed my eyes and settled into his arms once again, smiling as I felt their strength and care. He was trying so hard not to hurt me.

"Ames." He tapped on my legs. "Don't go to sleep on me."

"Mmmph," I muttered, blinking. "Sorry, I'm just getting bored. And a bit sleepy. We still have five hours left."

"Plenty of time to talk about you."

I rolled my eyes. "I already told you what I was up to. I work at a perfectly average job, dated a handful of perfectly average guys, and live a perfectly average life. Nothing quite as interesting as your adventures. For the longest I thought I was happy just being normal, and not in the craziness that having you in my life meant. I spent a lot of time going back and forth to wanting you back, and trying to build a life without you. There were lots of days and nights pining after you. And each day I'd get home from work, cook dinner, and go through my routine, and I knew this wasn't me, wasn't what I wanted. I felt like something was missing. And that something, I always knew, was you."

He smiled down at me, making my heart flip-flop. "Well I'm here now."

"Watch where you're going," I said and gave him a playful shove.

He lost his balance for a millisecond. "Hey, be careful! You may have just reset the time. I'm not sure if that counts as me continuously running!"

"Don't you get it? That's my plan. To make you run with me in your arms forever. After all, I could stay here until the end of time." I cuddled closer to him, wearing a warm smile as I studied his face.

He did that adorable nervous chuckle thing that made me want to squeal at how cute he was. His cheeks were even turning red. Awwww….

"Heheh, so, how many guys did you sleep with?"

"What?!" I was indignant. That had certainly come from left field. "How is that fair? You didn't give me your number." I crossed my arms, feeling embarrassed.

"I told you it was a lot, what more do you wanna know?"

"Are we talking 10, 50, 100, 1000?"

"Uh…"

"10,000?"

"Amy! Probably more like.. 200? Ish? Maybe more? I dunno, it's not like I counted. Or can remember them all."

200? Damn. Well, what could I say. He was an absolute stud, and with Sonic's speed and ease of finding a partner, I could see it. I wasn't mad… just a tad jealous. Okay, maybe a lot jealous. It wasn't fair, at all. They got to be with him despite not knowing him, or loving him, as much as I did. He was out fucking girl after random girl while I was waiting for him to come back to me. He'd even tried out other guys for goodness sakes - not that it really bothered me (hell I'd do a threesome with Sonic and literally any other dude any day), but still - would I be given the same chance, or had he used up all his (admittedly small) desires and curiosity and I was left with nothing? On the other hand, if we did sleep together, I would be an addition to his lengthy list. Would I be just another girl to him? I was uncomfortable with the thought. Either thought.

"So, how many, Amy…?"

"You keep trying to get information out of me," I protested.

"I'm just tryin' to pass the time. 'Sides, I'd rather not think about my past for a little bit at least. Is that too much to ask? We can talk about something else if you want."

My mind wouldn't let go of the thought of Sonic in bed with other girls. What was he like? He was obviously fast and strong, but how would that translate in bed? What I wouldn't give for that chance to find out. I could feel those old desires reignite inside of me. Right now I was feeling those strong hands on my back and knees, but I couldn't help but imagine them all over me - especially since his legs couldn't stop moving - mmmm - what I wanted to do to him - to feel him inside me, pleasuring me with his unmatched speed -

"Amy?"

I broke out of my fantasy. "Huh?"

"Whatcha thinking 'bout?"

"Can't a girl have a moment in peace?" I snapped, feeling my face grow hot. "Fine. My number is four. Pretty much all of them were a disappointment. Because they weren't you."

Sonic seemed exceptionally proud of himself for a moment, then looked confused, then horrified. Seeing the range of emotions on his face was pretty amusing.

"All I wanna know is, are any of them anyone that I know?"

Ugh - I'd rather not open that can of worms. "Nope, don't think so."

"Good. I don't know if I could deal with you fooling around with Tails or Knuckles."

I almost barfed. "Sonic. They're like my brothers. No. Just no."

"Shadow?"

I tried so hard not to smile, unsuccessfully. I watched Sonic's face so closely and how he was eager to hear the truth.

"Amy. Please tell me you didn't fuck Shadow."

I held back laughter until I snorted, enjoying this way too much. "Oh, so you can sleep with over 200 girls, but I can't get me some other handsome hedgehog that's just like you…?" I teased him.

"He's so not just like me! Goddammit Amy. I'm never gonna forgive Shadz for this."

I planted a kiss on his chest. "Sonic, I'm just kidding, I didn't sleep with him. He took your place in a lot of ways, but not your place in my heart."

He exhaled. "Good, that's a relief. By the way, how are the guys?"

"You know I'm not gonna tell you. You should go see them yourself. They won't be angry, and, you don't have to explain anything to them. They'd be thrilled to see you, trust me."

"You can't tell me anything? Not even a little hint?"

"No. You gotta do that yourself."

"Okay. So what do you wanna talk about?"

"How about… what we're gonna do after this is over?"

"Well, that'd depend on whether I can stop running or not, don'tcha think?"

"So let's say you do. What happens next, for us?" I looked up at him with big eyes.

He shrugged. "I dunno Ames. Let's just take it as it comes. I'm bad with the future."

Of course, asking Sonic what he was going to do a second from now wouldn't yield a straight answer, let alone in a few hours. Or days. Or years. I rolled my eyes and frowned. "And you don't want to talk about your past either. So I guess we just talk about you running with me here in your arms."

"Are you comfy? You need a break?"

I shook my head. "It's not fair I can take a break and you can't…"

"Is what it is. No sense in complaining about it, I'm actually having fun running for the first time in a while. 'Sides, what happened to I can stay here in your arms forever, huh?"

I didn't answer immediately, instead just snuggling closer to him. Sensing my doubt and low mood, Sonic gently rubbed my shoulders.

"Hey, cheer up. Don't worry so much, 'kay? We'll be fine. I'm not going to leave you. I promise, Amy. I need you way too much. Here, let's talk about something completely unrelated."

The next few hours went by extremely slowly. We talked a bit, even played some word guessing games, and Sonic even tried to be funny by playing I-Spy when he knew I couldn't see our surroundings. It was a sudden reminder that I was completely dependent on him for my safety. Sure, I trusted him. He would never hurt me, at least physically, on purpose. It made me realize how quick we'd gone back to normal in some ways.

I looked down at my watch and saw with relief that we only had an hour left. I panicked for a moment, suddenly unsure. What would happen then? If he was able to stop himself - would he just take me home and leave me again, breaking my heart? Would he go back to old Sonic? Would he stay? He'd never stayed with a girl before, other than that bitch. Would he stay for me? Despite his words, I still had no idea. But I had to do something to try.

"Sonic I know you said you didn't want to talk about your past, but… I have a question."

"Shoot."

"When you were doing your experimenting, why did you not come back to me? You know I would have accepted you with open arms, and gladly had sex with you. I still would." I couldn't resist running my hand across his chest, fully enjoying his sexy patch of longer fur. This was one change on him I was totally digging.

He suddenly turned stiff as a board, clearly uncomfortable. I removed my hand.

"Amy. I don't know what to say. It's just, at the time, I didn't want to face you. And not just that - I didn't want to do that to you."

"Do what?"

"Use you like that. Those girls meant nothing to me, they were just experiments. I didn't treat them with respect, or like I cared at all. I was selfish. I didn't want to treat you of all people like that. You mean a lot to me."

"But Sonic, maybe that was true then. But what about now?" I had to know what he was thinking. Was there no chance at all of us being intimate?

"Now? Well, now would be worse, wouldn't it?"

I seriously wasn't following his line of thought. "How would that be worse?"

"I mean, I disappear for years and then as soon as I come back, we have sex? After I tell you my sob story and basically manipulate you into bed with me - take advantage of you - that's not what you want is it? Don't you want a relationship that means more than that? And aren't you still a teenager?"

I hated that excuse. "No, Sonic. I'm an adult. Just like you. We're on equal footing here. I know what my choices mean."

"Still. I can't just do that to you… you're different."

My heart would not stop fluttering around him, disappointing myself. Sonic brought out all of my weaknesses. His words gave me hope, even though I knew he'd just let me down. If he just didn't find me attractive, then why didn't he say so? Did he view me as a sister or something?

"What do you mean, different?"

"Yeah, Ames. That's kinda what I've been meaning to say to you. You mean more to me than just, heh, a quick fuck I guess."

My eyes flew open, shocked by his sudden candor. "Well, thanks, Sonic. I guess some other girls were at least that to you, huh? What did they have that I don't?"

"No, no, you don't understand, ugh - It's not that they had something you don't, it's that you have something they didn't…"

"And what is that?"

A red blush covered his face, but I wasn't in a patient mood. I didn't even try to hide the annoyance in my voice. "Well, if you don't want to have sex with me then - "

"Amy, this isn't fair. It's not that I don't love you. It's just, you're too special to me. I'd be afraid of hurting you. Or disappointing you. You have all these fantasies and expectations of me that I'm sure I can't live up to. I'm just so meh about sex, but I'm not a fan of saying never ever, so... " He let out a huge sigh. "Maybe, one day, later, I'd be willing to try some stuff with you. Okay?"

He'd said it. "Really? What kind of stuff?"

He was so embarrassed it was adorable. "You know… stuff stuff, that you like. But! Not for a while. A long time. And maybe, maybe not ever? I'm bad with the future, Ames, so this isn't a promise. But when, if, we do it someday, I want it to be perfect as our first time. I already know I've broken your heart enough times, I don't wanna do it again."

He was beyond frustrating! Sonic couldn't give a straight answer if he tried. Out of all the people in the world I could love, it just had to be him, didn't it? "Since when did you care about breaking my heart?"

"Since always. But I still messed up a ton anyway. I just wanna start all over, forget about our pasts, and move on. Can't we do that?"

"No, Sonic. That's not how you solve problems. That's how you let them linger. We need to talk about this, you can't just run from your past."

He didn't say anything, but the saddened expression returned to his face, tearing at my heartstrings. No surprise, Sonic was confusing me. I'm sure I would ruminate forever about his every word later. But now, I just wanted a straight answer.

"Well, how about this, then." I paused to clear my throat, and waited until I had his eye contact.

"What am I to you, Sonic?"

He paused, and I could see the wheels spinning in his mind at the speed of sound. All I could do was wait on the one who could outrun the wind. When his gaze turned back to me, my heart melted against my will at his soft smile and perplexing answer.

"You're Amy."

The answer was just so Sonic that I wanted to scream. "Yes, I am. Glad you can remember my name. Now, answer my question."

"But I did, Ames. You mean more to me than any other girl I've been with. You've known me for the longest time, you're the only one who's always been there for me, who's never given up on me, who's seen me at my absolute worst and is still here supporting me. You're the only one who can make my heart feel so amazing, and you give me butterflies and rushes of feelings. You're the only one who can make me think about romance, and impressing you, and living up to your dreams. And so I can't treat you the same. I can't use you for an experiment. I've gotta protect you. And your heart, too. You're unique to me, different. You're Amy. You're special. And I love you."

What? Was this Sonic? He really had changed, because there's no way the Sonic I knew would say something like this. Something so tender, so nice, so caring - not towards me. He never had, never did. I could feel my eyes welling up with tears, but I sniffed them back. My heart couldn't take him, with how much he played with me. I'd forgotten how strong my feelings were for him. But they were overwhelming me now, and I couldn't move, couldn't breathe.

I wouldn't let myself be weak to him, though - even though I just wanted to give in to his irresistible charm.

"Sonic, but how? If you really feel that way about me, then why do you act like this? You're so, eager and impatient about everything else, but then, when it comes to me, you're suddenly hesitant and patient to the point where you never wanna do anything with me. You dive headfirst into danger and challenge without a second thought, but then there's me and you just stop and I wish, for once, you'd throw that abandon to the wind with me just like you do everything else"

"That's because, Amy - I've searched this entire planet up and down, but you're the only thing I've ever found that's worth waiting for." He smiled down at me, and then planted a kiss on my forehead before continuing. "That thing, that you have that those other girls didn't? That'd be my heart."

Oh. my. God. That was the single most romantic thing I'd ever heard anyone say, ever. And it was from the love of my life, to me.

"Sonic…"

"I don't wanna hurt you Ames. That's all. I want things to be perfect with you."

That's what I'd always believed. And hearing him say it, in this crazy situation, him suffering some mystery illness, it was hardly what I'd daydreamed of. But it was real, it was happening, and if I was dreaming, I didn't want to wake up. I hugged him tightly.

"I love you, too, Sonic. So very much. Even when you were gone, I knew you were my destiny. No matter what we go through, our love has always proven to be stronger."

I settled against him, my heart beating right next to his, our rhythms matching in perfect harmony. I had a bit of hope again, enough to keep me going. I was the right person for him. And I'd get him to love again, I just knew it. I could fix him. He was almost there.

I looked down at my watch. "Sonic! Less than ten minutes." We were brought back to the reality of the nine hour ordeal we'd both been living in.

He gasped. "I really hope this works. I don't want to live dependent on needles forever."

We both stared at the clock ticking down the seconds, not saying much, just living in the moment. I knew these last few minutes would take forever, so I just held onto Sonic and hoped, prayed, pleaded that this would work and he'd feel better. I hoped that after all he'd done, all he'd shared, it was enough to give his heart and soul peace. He'd broken more records than just running continuously - he'd broken his record of silence and holding in his feelings. That had to count for something. I knew I'd stick with him even if he was did have to rely on sedatives and stimulants, but I wanted this for him. I didn't even really care about myself anymore, and I scolded myself for the past few hours of selfish thinking. Here I was worried about getting laid and Sonic was just worried about being able to lay down ever again.

One minute left. 59. 58. 57. 56. 55...

I felt Sonic's grip on me tighten from anxiety. His pace was picking up, and I had to close my eyes to not get overwhelmed with the passing scenery. I'd just let Sonic do his thing, I was just here for moral support. I gave him a squeeze to remind him I was here.

40 seconds. Tick. Tick. Tick.

30 seconds ~

The air between us with thin, and I couldn't hear anything but the sound of Sonic breathing. He was so focused.

20 seconds ~

10 seconds ~

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick…. - This was it, the moment of truth.

Nine hours, four minutes, eight seconds.

I held my breath, and waited. Just waited. Sonic was still running. My heart sank - was it all a failure, all for nothing? But then - ! Slowly, gradually, the world around me became more clear, as if the supersonic veil had been torn down to reveal a lovely open meadow full of flowers that we were in all along, but hadn't realized it. Sonic's legs slowed, and he gradually came to a stop. I was almost afraid to look at him, in case I ruined it or messed something up. He was still breathing heavily, his chest going up and down, and finally I risked a peek at him.

He met my eyes, and broke out in an unbelievable grin.

"It worked. It actually worked. I can't… Ames. Look." He looked down at his feet, and kicked them both, laughing. "I can control them again."

He looked so purely happy I couldn't help but share his joy. "Sonic, you did it! You're better now!"

"I am. Not sure what normal is for me at this point, but… this is a good first step. Literally, ha! Beat that, legs!" He ran a lap or two around the meadow and stopped on a dime, grinning each time he felt the rush of speed.

"How do you feel?" I asked, searching his face, and very aware that he was still holding onto me.

He exhaled, still grinning. "Incredible. I feel like I should be exhausted, and part of me is, but I'm just so pumped. I haven't felt his happy in forever. Amy…" He gently set me down, but put his arms around me, holding me very close to his face, his hands at my waist to make sure my wobbly legs didn't betray me.

"Thank you - I couldn't have done this without you."

I couldn't help it - I kissed him. After all he'd been through, he deserved everything he was feeling right now. I wanted to celebrate. He kissed me back with passion, his lips going crazy against mine, quick but also gentle and loving. I grabbed the back of his head, angling both our heads for comfort as we shared the incredible feeling of healing. We kissed and kissed, until one of my legs popped up - and then, as wobbly as they were from lack of use, my knees buckled and my legs went out from under me.

Of course, Sonic reacted quickly to my fall, catching me with grace, but I just smiled playfully, grabbed his chest fur, and pulled him down with me. We fell to the ground with a thud, him with his perfect body on top of mine as we lay in the grass, surrounded by millions of lovely flowers.

"Mmmmph! Ames, I'm sorry - "

"Shut up and kiss me."

He didn't waste any time and obliged, his lips finding mine again. I loved the way they felt… as they caressed mine, they melted my heart and washed away the years and years of pain and rejection I'd felt from his departure. None of that mattered anymore. I didn't care what he'd done, where he'd been, what mistakes he'd made - that all faded away. All that mattered was here in this moment, we were together, we were in love, and no one was between us. Our bodies fit together, Sonic was just as incredible as I always knew he'd be. He was fulfilling my lifelong dream just by being here with me. And I regretted nothing - I was so glad I'd chosen to come with him, even if it meant putting aside the rest of my life for a little while. That was all secondary to him.

Sonic had always been my life, and he always would be, and I'd have it no other way. Maybe he frustrated me, maybe he wasn't perfect, but I didn't care. I wasn't perfect either. We were just made for each other.

After a few minutes of intense kissing, we broke to just cuddle together. We rested, not saying much, holding hands, watching the setting sun paint the fluffy clouds orange and pink.

"Sonic?"

"Yeah?"

"It's getting late, and dark."

He turned to the side to look at me. Goodness, my heart couldn't take how handsome he was. Especially the the sunset reflecting in his green eyes. "Do you want me to take you home?"

I held him closer. "Can we spend the night together?"

He hesitated, and I was quick to respond. "We don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with. I promise. I just, wanna fall asleep in your arms tonight."

Sonic's face visibly relaxed. "Of course, Amy. I want that too."

"I promise I won't hurt you, I won't make you do anything you don't want. Okay? I don't want to hurt you, just be close to you. I think we should both get some rest. You don't have to take me all the way home, just to a hotel or something. That way we can also avoid the press that's probably still looking for you." I suddenly remembered.

"Good point." He turned to his back again. "I am pretty tired." With that he leapt to his feet and scooped me up. I gladly wrapped my arms around him.

"Now let's see if these legs still have some speed left in them."

Sonic took off again, now fully in control of his body and powers, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Things were finally going right for us, even if I couldn't shake the feeling that for some reason, this wouldn't last. What would happen in the hotel room? Would Sonic still be there when I woke up…? I clutched Sonic close, wanting to trust him more than anything. But my heart had been hurt too many times to put all my faith in him.