Let's see who it is.

Again, like the broken record I am, thanks for reading. And thanks to anonymousWriter37, AN-DoubleRainbow-NA, xXxJAMIE-JULIA-RAVENxXx, and DIM666 - Insane Leader for reviewing.

Don't worry. Your suspense will end soon. But trust me, there's more than one surprise (or visitor in this chapter). You've been warned.

And sorry, I would have had this up sooner, but I went to the movies and I had to submit a summer assignment. I know, I thought you didn't get summer homework in college, but I digress.

Disclaimer: I do not own SEGA. Or anything SEGA related that follows.

READ.

Chapter 12: Keep Coming

I just wanted to go to sleep. To forget that pain existed.

But there she was, my very unwelcomed visitor. Fiona Fox.

"You mind if I come in?" she asked bluntly, somehow coming out more as a demand than a question. The words were polite, but her tone was not. I blinked at her, trying to determine if her presence was real. Maybe I was more tired than I thought. How the hell did she know where I lived?

"I-uh..." I began, moderately confused. Before I could properly respond, the vixen waltzed past me and was already in my apartment. She certainly was a sly one...

Well, she was a fox.

"Thanks," she replied before her orbs darted at mine. I resisted the urge to blink. Her gaze was intense, giving me a chilling vibe. And the fact that I didn't know why she was here did nothing to help the situation. I was tired. I wanted to escort her the hell out and collapse into bed. But I was a courteous person. I needed to learn her intentions of being here before I act so harshly. Even though her sinister eyes made me want to kick her out anyway. Hadn't she heard of calling first?

"Okay then..." I said, not entirely sure that I should close the door behind us.

"Shut the door," she snapped, as my eyes narrowed. Who was she to tell me what to do in my house? But even with her behavior, I was into much physical agony to truly care about her bitchiness. It could very well just be her personality. And if it got too out of hand...I'd confront her about it.

"Alright," I said, closing the door behind me. I was hoping that the passive expression on my face would mask any anxiety I was feeling. I sighed. Suddenly I was a victim of my own house. It was sad. "Do you need anything?"

"Yeah," she said, her fists clenching. Oh boy, here comes trouble... "Scourge."

I cocked a brow. "Didn't you two break up?"

"Didn't you two break up?" she mimicked in a high pitched shrill tone. I tried to blink away how offended I felt. I knew I had a high voice, but I didn't see why she had to come to my apartment to mock me.

"We did," she reluctantly agreed, returning to her normal sultry tone. "But you can't have him."

I rolled my eyes, not quite ready to fight with this woman. "And why not?"

"Because he's mine, Pinkie," she spat. Her hand grazed on the counter top (which I will now have to disinfect) as she turned sharply towards me.

"He's just using you, darling," she said like it was a common fact. Her eyes now burned with a playful murderous intent, the way a predator's gaze does before preying on their victim. I was the victim.

But I wasn't going to take it.

"Don't call me darling," I could only come back with, slightly irritated that everyone seemed to have a nickname for me. I wrinkled my nose. But now was not the time to be bothered about that. It was a trivial matter. Call me straight forward, but I just wanted this viper out.

I narrowed my eyes, holding my ground. After all, this was my house.

"I bet you probably lost you're virginity to him too, didn't you?" Fiona continued to taunt, my eyes hardening against hers.

"What difference does that make to you?" I said, both angry at her and myself. I practically confirmed her instincts. Good going, Amy.

"Whoopsie, thought you were a prude..." the maroon vixen studied me sharply, her sinister eyes devouring my frame. Is that the best she could do? Stare at me aggressively and determine my sexual status? I shook my head with a scoff, annoyed that I was so quick to unknowingly open the door to her. Just because I thought it led to the promise of Scourge.

"And no he's not. He's not using me," I fought back. I refused to be taken down by her. Not in my domain.

"Why don't you ask him?" she taunted, folding her arms where her heart should be. It was probably filled with ice to match her cold, bitter eyes. "Do you think he loves you? No one would love a desperate, little girl like you."

"I don't know, and I don't care," I shot back, ignoring her insult to me as Fiona's eyes widened slightly. I had always put too much expectation on relationships, and Scourge and I were just taking it as we went. I was fine with that. For the past nine years I was professing marriage to a guy I wasn't even in a legitimate relationship with. Now that I was in one, as indeterminate as it may seem, I was in no rush.

"I'm fine where we are now."

Fiona sneered before emitting a foul laugh. I frowned. It matched her disgusting character.

Leaning against the counter now, the half grin on her face was uncalled for. "You're going to fall in love with him—if you haven't already," she sneered, nearing closer to me as I held my gaze, "and you're going to be fuckin' disappointed when he doesn't return the favor. Pinkie."

"So let me guess? That happened to you?" I asked, undeterred by her shallow questioning. I was taking a shot in the dark, but the way her eyes broadened in shock assured me that I hit my sorry target. Gotcha.

She scrunched her nose in scornful contempt, before summoning a wicked smile. "Face it, Pinkie. Scourge is like me. Can't you see it in our eyes?" she said, letting a hand graze over her too shiny bangs above her orbs. "He's evil, honey. I'm evil. And I'm his immoral muse."

I scoffed. Now this was sickening. I thought I was desperate when it came to love, but Fiona topped me. Was she really trying to intimidate me? Even the blind could see that she was down right unpleasant. Why would anyone like her? I mean, I could sense that Scourge had a darkened aura, that matched hers to an extent, but he wasn't vile. Not like her.

"And before you pull some shit about how you're gonna change him..." she began again, her nose so close that it was almost touching mine, "know that you're nothing but his sorry ass tease-"

Smack.

The wretched vixen clasped onto her injured cheek as she stared at me in repulse. I didn't want to use my hammer, but she was practically begging for it. Repulsing me like that.

I rose my free hand, pointing at the door. "Get out."

She stood up straight, a devilish smirk appearing on her face in an effort to dismiss the pain. But who was she fooling? Her cheek was already swollen, bloating rapidly by the second. She's lucky that her words hadn't penetrated me. I was only irked off that she stormed into my home with a silly attempt to deter me from Scourge. But oh. Had I been furious...She'd be clinging onto dear life. Not her cheek.

Fiona rubbed her cheek before shaking her head at me slowly. Her eyes burning with rage. Yet only harmless words escaped her mouth. "Fine, you slu-"

"GET OUT!" I cut her off, summoning my hammer before her once more. Raising her preoccupied hand in defense, she disappeared with a smirk, and I quickly locked the door behind me.

Psycho bitch.

As fired up as I felt, I still couldn't shake off my exhausted spirit. But I couldn't go to bed. No, not after that.

Part of me wanted to charge after her and continue to beat her senseless. But would I really want to go to jail for assaulting her? She wasn't worth it.

And then that left Scourge. As much as I wanted to march up to him and demand the truth, I didn't how I would react in the jolted state I was in. The latter part of me naturally didn't trust Fiona, and I didn't want to give her the satisfaction that her words affected me by running off to my boyfriend...lover...fling thing.

I was in no place to take offense. It was like my whole situation with Sonic all over again. Only this time there weren't any chilly dogs and I hadn't stumbled upon my own trouble. Now trouble had just slithered out of my door.

I just didn't want to question the authenticity of our relationship. It was a game I had already played with Sonic and frankly, I was sick of it. When I was losing all my senses over Sonic, I didn't realize that I didn't have a right to him. Aside from the promise-kiss to the cheek he had given me years ago, and me giving him death hugs just last week, we didn't have a very physical relationship. I just loved him. It was all emotion and happy mental feelings. The relationship was only real in my head.

But it was different with Scourge. I had given myself to him. Twice. Even if I wasn't his girlfriend or anything, it was safe to say that we were in some sort of romantic relationship. And unlike Sonic, if I didn't have the slightest claim on Scourge—that is, if he was still in a relationship with Fiona—there would be a serious problem.

I would feel humiliated. And then I would know what true devastation felt like.

What I witnessed some days ago in Sonic's bedroom was child's play compared to this. This was real.

Banishing the troubling thoughts overriding my head, I decided to do what most tired people did after being threatened.

I went for a walk.

With the sun setting behind me, I let the cool air relax me, practically using it as drug to lessen the influx of overwhelming thoughts I had.

What the hell do I do?

I glanced around the fairly filled parkway, as the Sunday night gave me no inspiration. I was restless, but I couldn't bare to pace around in my home or even attempt to fall asleep. No. I was confused and I needed help.

I released a sigh as I instinctively walked toward my car. I needed someone to talk to. Someone impartial. Completely objective in this matter.

I groaned as I sat down, taking in the hot air my green-house of a car was producing. Clicking on the ignition, I knew where I had to go.

The only question now was if they wanted me there.

I drove north until I had reached the outskirts of the town. I parked my car as I reached the home, still fueled on irritation. The drive here only made me replay everything that just happened, making me wonder why it was impossible for me to not be a troubled soul.

I guess that was why I was here, because they were a troubled soul too. Seclusion was their name, and indifference was their stride.

I knocked on the dark door, tapping my foot impatiently. I knew I had no reason to be. It was late and I was an uncalled visitor, but I didn't care.

When the door finally opened, exposing me to the dim lighting of the house, I bolted through the barracks, seizing the the space, the dark castle.

"Shadow," I said, meeting his unheeding ruby gaze, before he lightly cocked a brow. "We need to talk."

The harshness in the male's face slightly fell, before he closed the door behind him with the tips of his fingers. "I could say the same."

I blinked at him a few times, trying to gage his angle without withering underneath his daunting presence. I didn't know what he was talking about, but I knew why I was here.

"Apparently your little faker isn't very good at concealing sources," Shadow continued, his eyes narrowing.

Oh right.

The chilli-dog blame game. I had completely forgotten about that. I shook my head. I was too steamed to be fazed by that. After all, Shadow kind of deserved it after the way he treated me at the bar. Although I wasn't completely innocent either...

No matter. I wasn't going to let these thoughts weigh me down. No sir. I needed advice. This was suppose to be relatively painless and insightful. I was ready to move on from this topic.

"That..." I said, taking a seat on Shadow's sofa, trying to assert some dominance. "I'm sorry. But sit down, I need to talk to you." Shadow glared at me, clearly uneager to take a seat. However, with a sigh, he came down, his form settling against the black leather.

"Need is a strong word," Shadow said, his eyes staring off before trailing back to me, "But in any case, I'm glad to see that you're finally sober, Rose."

I gave out a smug pout, "Oh, ha ha Shadow," I humored, a slight smirk bringing amusement to his face. I sighed.

"Come to loose your virginity as well?" Shadow suddenly shot out of nowhere, thee way I had when we were at the bar. I glared at him in shook, my nose flailing.

"W-what?" I stammered, trying to process his words. Where the hell did that come from? Was Shadow trying to make a joke?

"Back to stuttering again, I see?" Shadow noted, reasserting the dominance that I had foolishly tried to claim by barging in here. By coming here. "Are you sure you're not drunk?"

I shook my head rapidly, trying to regain my composure. I didn't want to play victim. I wanted to play two adults talking, but Shadow was a predator and I was his pathetic prey.

"For your information, I already lost it," I blurted, attempting to gain some control by the bluntness of my statement, catching him off guard. But Shadow's crimson eyes merely focused on mine, his smirk still intact.

"I did notice a different glow to you," Shadow considered, his sideways smirk diminishing. "Well then, who was the unfortunate being?"

I scoffed before looking away, "That's none of your concern!"

There was a bit of vexation in his eyes as he replied. "Rose, you made it my concern the moment you asserted yourself in here. I would like to know. It's a simple request."

I groaned. I had come here to talk about my feelings that revolved around the green hedgehog. Not this. But as I remembered, Shadow was pretty open when he told me who he had done the deed with. It was only fair that I did the same.

"Scourge," I simply said, looking down. I wasn't ashamed, it was just...weird. I hadn't told anybody yet.

"Scourge? Not the faker?" Shadow repeated, as I nodded, unable to read the emotion on his face.

Silence.

Then more silence.

Shadow began snickering. Then he was laughing.

"Stop it!" I screeched, baffled at Shadow's chuckling form. I didn't even know that Shadow was capable of laughing. Telling him that I had slept with Scourge was uncomfortable. This was unbelievable.

And he wasn't stopping.

I sat there until his laughing seized. "Wow, that was out of character," I said back as he brushed it off, an amused grin resting on his face.

He shrugged. "Well, your actions clearly convey the same," he asserted, before the grin on his face vanished, his usual temperament returning.

"Now why are you here, Rose?" he asked sharply, as if I hadn't just witnessed his laughing fit. "You've succeeded at amusing me. Now either leave or continue on."

I sighed. "I'm trying. It's not like you're easy to talk to," I said, slouching further into the sofa.

"Is that so?" Shadow said.

I nodded. "But you're unbiased, and if I'm going to talk to someone, I'm going to talk to you."

"Well then, carry on," Shadow said.

"Okay," I said, tapping my fingers against the cool leather, hoping to produce thought. "I'm in a relationship with Scourge. I don't know what it is, or where we're going really, but I do really like him and I could see it going further. However, when I was at home, his ex-girlfriend Fiona confronted me."

"Did she threaten you?" Shadow asked, as I shook my head.

"Well no...but sort of indirectly. Like if I don't leave him alone she's going to do something bad to me," I explained my eyes falling to the black stone fire place. "But she was saying how he belonged to her, and then cursed me out."

"Have you talked to Scourge?" Shadow suggested. I shook my head again. As much as I wanted to, I didn't want to give Fiona the satisfaction that her words had affected me.

"No. I didn't really know what would happen if I did," I considered, twirling a finger thoughtfully through my quills. "I mean, I was angry. I still am. And she probably knew that if I went running to Scourge at that state we would probably break up."

If we could break up. I knew it was safe to say that we weren't exclusive, but that didn't mean I was fine with him going off with other girls or anything.

"So," Shadow stated, pausing shortly to draw a conclusion. "You're ultimately saying that you don't know what to do with what the girl has told you, am I correct?"

I nodded, confirming his words, "Spot on. It looks like Fiona is just talk, but part of what she says is eating at me. Maybe I am just his tease..." I said, putting my face in my hands.

From what I've seen, men were two faced. I knew Sonic (aka Mr. Righteous) was. Hell, even Shadow as he sat before me all stone faced and put together probably had some ulterior agenda.

"The solution to your problem is simple," Shadow began, as I rose up slightly to take in his words. "You need to stop fooling around with Scourge and evaluate your relationship. Or whatever you call it."

I nodded. "But what about Fiona?"

"The only reason why you are fretting about Fiona is because you're confused. You know, more so than usual," I narrowed my eyes at the onyx hedgehog as he shrugged.

"You're associating yourself with Scourge. Having sex with him. But you are doing yourself no favors. Decide if you actually want to be in a committed relationship with him, or find someone else."

I bit my lip, agreeing to his words. I was in lover's limbo all over again. Only this time, instead of being neglected, I was being attained to, and we were driving off in some unknown direction. That's why I couldn't talk to Blaze about it. I didn't need to be judged. Because I didn't know what this was myself, and only someone as blunt and objective as Shadow could help me see what I must do.

I rose up from the chair, my eyes falling to a large clock mounted on the wall. 10:00pm. It was getting late, I was still tired, and I had gotten much more than I needed from Shadow that I couldn't have gotten anywhere else. I shook my head. Ugh, that came out wrong...

Bottom line, right now he was like the ultimate relationship guru. Even if he didn't know it.

"Thanks Shadow," I said, as he rose as well. "You helped me a lot."

Shadow nodded. "You're welcome, I suppose," he said, as I rolled my eyes, still smiling, however. "Just don't return to bare your relationship issues on me. I've had enough of your nonsense."

And then the smile was gone. "Whatever, Shadow," I said, heading for the door. "Just take a compliment."

"From you?" Shadow said, his eyes slightly playful. "I'd rather die."

I scoffed. It wasn't possible. He was freakin' immortal.

With that the door slammed, and by the way Shadow had turned on me just now, I was assuming that I was to pretend that our conversation never happened.

Fine by me.

So Shady appears! With this update, you're probably wondering, how the hell does she update so fast? I've already written the story, but I edit, and tweak up each chapter before submitting it. But your reviews help me with that process. That's why I didn't just upload the entire story. I change things based on how you guys respond, and how I watch the story progress day by day. I think I'll follow the same format for my other stories. Other times I've tried to upload a story chapter by chap, I usually hit writers block, and end up forgetting about the story entirely. When it's written out completely, I'm so eager to publish it, and present a finished project. I started writing the story in April, and sort of wrote it on an off until the end of July. So I'd say it took me a little over three months, but had I just sat down and wrote the entire thing (forced myself to be inspired) it would have taken about a little less than a month. But I think it gets easier to write as time goes on.

So enough of my blabbing, I just like to tell you guys whats up with the story since I have the luxury on fan fiction with these author's notes. So, all in all, I do have a life. Well, not really, because I'm still packing...But this is my escape. Thanks for joining me.

I'll be back again, tomorrow.

~Koko B