Chapter 7

Something Better

The rain hammered down in heavy sheets and the thundered boom in the far distance. The storm hadn't fully arrive yet, but it was almost here.

Shelly gripped the lamppost, staring out at the ocean as it swelled and crashed against the cliffs of Apotos. A man raced by, rushing towards his home to take shelter from the storm, paying her no mind.

Why would he anyway? It's not like anyone cared.

Shelly sniffed, and stiffened as a gust of wind flew in, she gripped the post even harder, shivering. She stood there, soaked to the bone, her hair plastered to her face, fur matted down.

She took a deep breath leaning forward a bit into the wind. A gust of wind came from behind, gently pushing her forward, but she remained firm.

"That's an interesting spot to see the ocean."

She growled gripping the post tight her other hand curling into a fist.

"Although not the best conditions seeing the weather,"

She rolled her eyes, "You just always like to show up out of nowhere, don't you Blue?"

"It's what I do," Sonic said, raising his voice over the pounding rain. "Are you alright?"

"I thought you hated water?"

"That's not answering my question," He paused for a moment, "Any reason why you're out here?"

"Any reason you should care?"

"Eva called me," he answered, "She said you left in a hurry. So I came back."

Shelly scoffed, griping the lamp-post so hard she could have sworn it cracked, "All the way back from Empire City?"

He paused, "I didn't make it the whole way," He said slowly. He took a step forward she could hear him. Shelly stiffened and he stopped. "Eva's worried about you."

She glared down at her red and swollen fist. "You're lying."

"No I'm-"

"They always lie," Shelly cut in.

Sonic shifted, "What?"

"People always lie, you lie, Eva lies, they are so afraid of telling the truth they lie." She shook her head, "But Mike told me the truth."

"So this is about something Mike said?"

She could practically taste the poison in his voice. "Yeah,"

"Shelly….What did he say to you."

She sniffed, tears mixing with rain, "What do you care?"

"A lot actually,"

"Liar,"

He sighed, "Shelly tell me." He paused, "Please."

She thought for a moment, "Mike said I was useless, no one cares about a person like me."

"You know that's not –"

"Just shut up!" Shelly snapped, he anger boiling over, "Just shut up! You act like the world is perfect, and everything can be fixed, but it's not!" She turned to face the azure hedgehog. "You can't fix me, I'm not some broken toy! There is nothing you can do to help!"

He held up his hands, "Shelly calm down,"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" She snapped, "All of my life I've heard how many people call me useless. How the world would be a better place if I died. How no sooner I leave one man I find another, how I cling worthlessly…." She sank down a bit, "How I'm a whore."

Sonic's ears tucked back, "Did Mike tell you all of this?"

She turned silently back to the ocean, her sobs drowned out by the waves and the rain. Sonic made no movement behind her; she knew he was staring at her. Shelly wondered what his expression was, was he looking at her with disgust, or perhaps sympathy for some worthless creature.

She glanced back, her hair falling in her face. To her surprise, he wasn't judging her. Instead, Sonic's eyes seemed sad. He just stood there, looking sadly at her and beyond, thinking over what she said.

"Planning on calling me a fool. And that suicide is not the way," she inquired.

"No."

She looked down at the ocean. "So you don't care what I do."

"No, I care," he said, "I'm just thinking about what you said and how wrong you were."

"How so?"

His phone went off then, he swiftly silenced the phone without even a glance and shut it off. He looked at her as he stuffed it back into his quills, "You are special Shelly. I care about you and Eva cares about you."

She scoffed, "Yeah right."

"Well if I didn't I could just walked away when Mike was hurting you, or never came at all." Sonic sighed, "You're a beautiful girl Shelly. I see how you are when you are happy. Mike was the wrong man for you, and the only reason he says those hurtful things is because he's the one messed up."

"But, but," she mumbled, "Me hoping from one man to another…."

"Everyone wants someone Shelly," he said, "I don't blame you." Sonic glanced off, "I cared for someone once, but I'm pretty sure all I will ever be is her friend…." He looked at her, "You're a special girl with a great personality Shelly. You have a beautiful laugh, a lovely smile, and eyes that put the stars themselves to shame." He pointed at her, "Mike was wrong about everything. You're so full of life Shelly. One day you are going to find the most amazing man, and you two will be perfect for one another."

Shelly looked away, shaking her head.

"Maybe you'll even even have kids, beautiful children. And you will be so happy you know that? They'll grow up and have kids, and you'll go on with your husband, on to your golden years. You will have a happy long life. Doesn't that sound awesome? Or you could go out on your own. See the world, help people, become a famous doctor, or a singer. Whatever you want to be, it's your choice you know that? Right? "

Shelly bit her lip, he sounded so sure, and she wanted to agree, but refrained from doing so.

"You just have to let Mike go. Don't even think about him," Sonic said, "I know that's hard to do, but I'll help you okay?" He smiled softly, "I want to see you smile again Shelly. I want to see the woman you were meant to be. Whatever you say you will be, not someone else."

She slowly turned her head, as he finished speaking. Her hands gripping the pole.

He had his arms outstretched, warm and inviting, as if he was merely offering her a hug. , "Just come back okay?" He wiggled his fingers a bit in an inviting gesture, smiling tenderly It's time to start over."

Shelly gasped softly, "You don't mean that," she winced at how hoarse she sounded.

"I do, with every part of me, even my socks and shoes."

She thought for a moment, looking down at the waves below. Exhaustion and numbness swept over her, she slowly nodded, "Alright I'll come down."

Sonic smiled widely, "That's my girl."

Shelly slowly crouched down, taking one foot of the railing. Her knees buckled suddenly and her mouth opened in a soundless cry as she fell backward, and off the edge.

She could see the ocean, the waves smashed against the cliffs breaking off pieces of rock they hit so hard. They were ready to smash her to little bits as well; she would fall into the water and be smashed between rock and waves.

Everything became black and hazy and her body went numb. She watched silently as the cliffs rushed past her and the water rose up to meet her. She knew she was going to die.

There was a pressure on her arms, and Shelly found herself suddenly flying upward. And he was right there, oh Lord he was there. Everything was a blur as Sonic's arms wrapped gently around her rearranging her into a bridal style hold, and pulled her back onto solid ground. How had he gotten there so fast? Had she really been falling? How did he? She looked weakly down and watched as his feet touched the pavement and began walking briskly away from the railing.

It wasn't until he was holding her that she realized didn't really want to die. What had she been thinking? If Shelly couldn't have been anymore broken down then she already was, she proved her body wrong. Breaking down into heaving sobs she clung onto him, shuddering at the thought she nearly killed herself.

He was whispering in her ear, his warm breath nearly felt like a hot blaze against her cold wet skin. "I'm take...home...You'll be .kay. ...Promise." His voice sounded so far away, he was close, she could feel him, but he sounded so damn far away.

It seemed everything around her was a huge blur, as he moved. Shelly tried to look at her surroundings but her mind was all cloudy and exhaustion swept over her. Was he running? She could see a blur of streetlights even people, all passed faster than sound it seemed. But that wasn't possible was it? No one could move that fast.

Shelly felt Sonic shift suddenly, and the heard the faint ringing of a bell. Was that the church bell? It sounded so far.

The wetness of the rain disappeared and warmth washed over her in a warm glow. There was a orange glow in the corner of her eye, it looked like a fire but she wasn't sure.

Sonic's words were no longer audible she stared up at him weakly as his lips moved. He seemed to be shouting.

While everything around her was a blur, Sonic seemed to come out in vivid detail. She could see the quills shimmering with water, his emerald eyes with so many hues of green. Little water droplets ran down his face. Making little rivers along his cheeks, flowing over his lips and down his neck. Small orbs flew off his eyelashes and nose every time he shifted. Faint scars invisible to the naked eye seemed to peek out of the quills at her. How could such a happy man get so many scars?

Somewhere in the back of Shelly's mind she was confused to how vivid he seemed. He seemed like a painting, a masterpiece, and she couldn't explain why. But she found it harder to think, and even Sonic began to blur.

There were more voices, faint and jumbled. But one sounded like Eva. She must be at Eva's hotel.

Sonic was moving again, taking her up stairs, her body seemed to lose all feeling again and she sagged, her head swinging and nausea took over her. She let out a groan.

"Sonic...hurry..." Eva was speaking.

"I'm..oing..."

Another door opened and by now the nausea was worse, a second door quickly opened and she felt her body lower quickly to the floor. Her hands and legs making contact with a cool smooth floor.

Shelly panicked first, reaching out blinding for some security. When the hands were back again, gently grabbing one of her arms, the other on her shoulder. His voice was back again. Soothing and safe.

"You're...going...fine."

The nausea jerked up, and she gasped. The hands quickly guided her to a circular bowl and she gripped onto it, heaving hard.

She tried breathing but her body refused. It continued to heave up everything it could. Dinner, water, it kept coming till she dry heaved. All the way the hands rubbed her back, warming her skin through the soaked clothes.

Slumping against what she now assumed was the toilet, Shelly let out a weak moan. The voices were back once more, talking in hushed tones.

"I'll take it fr...here."

"But...can't leave...er."

"I'll...clean up don...worry."

She momentarily stopped listening as her body started spasm and shake. She found herself dry heaving again. God what is happening to me? She thought, every heave felt agonizing, and she felt like she was dying. The whole time however his hands remained on her shoulders keeping her grounded, physically and mentally.

After what seemed like and eternity, her vision cleared a bit and she stopped heaving, slumping down on the toilet, she was sure of that now. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to whoever was listening that the torture was finally over.

Her vision was shaky, she noticed that as she looked at her hands, they wobbled and shook as if she was stuck in the middle of an earthquake. It suddenly dawned Shelly that it wasn't her vision that was shaky but her hands. Her whole body in fact was shaking violently. Her body felt off, feverish, and somewhat sluggish.

"Eva she's shaking. She has a fever." Sonic whispered, "Is she going to be alright?"

"She's been through a lot Sonic, her body is reacting to the sudden change."

"I've never seen someone do this before..."

"She's been in an abusive relationship only Lord knows how long dear. You freed her from that and her body is ridding of all the stress." Eva reassured.

He seemed wary, "Still...:

"You need to get to Empire City, you're friends need you."

She shifted her gaze a bit and noticed Sonic was shaking his head, his hands still firmly on her shoulders. He looked up at Eva who stood at the entrance to the bathroom. "Eva she needs me too. I just can't leave her here. I'm sure Tails and Knuckles have the situation under control."

"I'll take care of her till you get back."

He glanced down at her, eyes full of worry, "Are you sure?"

"I took care of you didn't I?"

Sonic seemed to ponder for a moment before dropping his head with a sigh, "Alright,"

Shelly let out a soft sigh, her eyes slipping closed. Her head was pounding and she could barely stay awake now. She didn't want him to leave, but she felt safe with Eva.

"You'd better hurry." Eva said, "I'll get her fever down and in bed."

Sonic seemed to move slightly. Suddenly he moved close leaning close to Shelly's ear, his breath tickling her fur, "I'll be back...promise." he whispered. He then pulled away, his feet shuffling.

" I'll be back in the morning to check on her, Eva."

"I'll be here with her. Be careful."

Shelly knew Sonic was gone now, as a faint breeze brushed across her skin. Eva's soft wrinkled hands gently pulled her up, helping her move to the bedroom.

Everything was slightly blurry now. She might have put on her pajama's, and might have drunk some more water. But she couldn't eat, her stomach threatened to attack if she did. The whole time Eva was there though, gently guiding her along until she collapsed in bed.

Eva was murmuring something, entwining her aged hands with her bruised and scrapped ones. She struggled to hear the elder's words, but nothing coherent formed. Shelly subconsciously squeezed her hand, almost in attempt to reassure herself, the Eva was there. Eva squeezed back, a warm gentle squeeze then there was a kiss, a soft sweet kiss on her forehead. It was then Shelly felt safe, and she slipped off into oblivion.

Eva stared sadly down at the young mongoose, before her. The poor child was utterly spent, with tear-stained eyes and scrapped skin. How someone could hurt a girl like her most people would never understand.

But Eva knew.

"Oh my dear," Eva sighed, she looked to the ceiling blinking back tears. "I know what you're going through sweetie. I do. I had a friend when I was your age. She went through the same thing."

She wrapped her wrinkled hands around a furry one, "I tried to help her. But I couldn't save her from making the fatal choice that she did. I'm so glad Sonic was there, I couldn't bear to see you die."

Shelly squeezed her hand suddenly as if to reassure her and Eva let out a broken laugh tears welling. "You're will be okay Shelly dear. Sonic and I will be there for you." She squeezed back, watching as a gentle smile formed on a the female's lips and she rested.

"I'm proud of you my dear." She whispered, "You made a brave choice today, you saved yourself you know that? Sonic will merely be there to guide you along, but it will be you're path that you make.

She laughed, tears of joy now. "I'm so proud of you. You're leaving the old life behind dear." She knew the road ahead would be hard. She would help in any way she could. Sonic would be there as well, but Shelly still had a long way to go. "You left the bad behind," she leaned down and kissed Shelly gently on the head.

"And traded it for something better."

I'm too sleepy to really say much about this right now, it is literally midnight where I'm at. I failed at the beginning, and was somewhat hoping to make it more dramatic, but it got slightly better as I moved along. That and this is all middle of the night typing.

The things I do for you. *Cough* SonicFantaticInc Review* Cough Cough* Hint Hint. *Cough* Make Me * Cough Hack* Feel Guilty *Cough*

Anyway, see in a bit for probably the Lost World ;) Blah it's such a short chapter but I'm too tired to write anymore! Blast this keyboard and making my life difficult!

Later All!