Disclaimer: Shadow the Hedgehog and all related characters in the Sonic the Hedgehog games, shows, movies and etc. belong to Sega, the Sonic Team and all other affiliates.

Note to all readers: The horizontal line in-between paragraphs indicate a period of time that has passed. Just so you know, so you don't get confused. :)

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Chapter 5

Shadow merely stood near the tank jaw-dropped. He rubbed his eyes to make sure what he was seeing was real. He saw Amy motionless and tension filled his body.

"What!? Are you kidding me!?" he said. "Amy, hold on!" Shadow looked around for something to break open the glass tank. He walked over to a large metal machine and grabbed onto a thick, round pipe coming from the top of it. With brute strength and a burst of adrenaline he ripped the part off of the machine and walked back toward Amy. Wailing with anger he took the pipe at one end and swung it furiously at the tank that held Amy. It struck the glass and cracked slightly. Again, Shadow brought the pipe back to him and swung it. It hit the same spot again and the crack grew and reached both the bottom and top of the holding tank. Amy's body remaind lifeless.

"Break!" Shadow yelled. With one last swing, the pipe broke through the glass and the pressure from the liquid forced the rest of the cage open, bringing Amy's body to the floor, wet and cold. Shadow dropped the pipe, sat next to Amy and cradled her head in his hands. He lightly tapped her on the face attempting to wake her up.

"Amy Rose, come on, wake up!" Shadow commanded as if she were able to hear him. He put his ear next to her mouth to listen for a breath but got nothing. He laid her body on the ground and attempted to revive her. He put both hands on her chest and pushed a few times. He listened for another breath but there was still nothing. He tried pressing on her chest again and this time he was able to get something faint, like a small wheezing sound. He grunted.

"Ugh..why?" he whispered. He opened Amy's mouth and put his lips on hers. He let out one huge breath and suddenly Amy's eyes opened and she pushed him away.

"Woah, woah, woah!" she gurgled. Shadow sat there while Amy turned onto her stomach and fluid emerged from her body through her mouth. She coughed as she gasped for air. Shadow came back to Amy and rubbed her back. Amy wiped her mouth and turned to face Shadow. She then looked around at all of the things in the bright room and she gulped.

"I'm guessing we aren't back at home." she said. "What happened Shadow?"

"You were kidnapped." replied Shadow. "And so was the rest of the team besides Sonic and I."

"Sonic's here?" Amy asked. Shadow had a look of disapprovement and annoyance.

"I came here with him but we were gassed and I woke up in this room. When I saw you in that tank I couldn't help but get you out."

"I don't even remember being put in there." said Amy. "I don't even remember being kidnapped. But I am so glad that you came for me, Shadow." Amy hugged Shadow and he just stayed where he was. It was a few seconds before he let his straight face turn into a smile and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm just glad you are safe." he said as their hug broke apart. Shadow stood up and stretched out his hand towards Amy. She grabbed his hand without any doubt and weakly stood up.

"Since when do you care about..me?" asked Amy curiously. Shadow looked longingly into Amy's green eyes and then shifted his eyes to her feet.

"I..I have always cared." he forced out. "The last two days have been an eye opener for me. I have no idea what's going on inside of me. However, I find out something new about myself every so often." Shadow looked back into Amy's eyes and he smiled slightly when he saw Amy's surprised look.

"Wow." Amy let out. "I never thought you cared..about anything." There was a short silence until Shadow let out a scream. He fell to the ground and grabbed his head with both of his hands.

"Not again!" he screamed. He grunted as the sharp, stabbing pain grew.

"Shadow! What wrong?" Amy exclaimed worringly. "Shadow!" She knelt down to him and ran her fingers through his red and black quills.

"Amy, stop! Get away.. I don't know what's going to happen." Shadow struggled to lean on his hands and meet his face with Amy's. Amy could see the passion in his eyes and she backed away.

"Back!" Shadow yelled again. Amy backed up to the tank that she was once in and began to tear up.

"Shadow, I'm scared. What's happening?" Shadow rose to his knees and stared at the ceiling.

"Coward, show yourself!" Shadow cried out ferociously. His voiced echoed in the giant space and a malicious cackle was heard. Shadow cried out again. "Bitch, come on!"

"Now is not the time, Shadow." he heard the voice say. He let out a bloodcurdling scream and fell to the ground unconscious. Although startled, Amy ran over to Shadow and she sat with her legs crossed. She turned Shadow on his back and laid his head in her lap. She gently caressed his cheek and tears swelled in her eyes.

"No, Shadow, wake up!" she pleaded. As a tear fell from her cheek and landed on Shadow's forehead, he opened his eyes and put his hand over hers.

"It's ok." he whispered. "I'm fine."

"What was that voice?" Amy asked.

"It's the creature that is responsible for all of this." Shadow answered. "I was too weak to keep it out. It's in my mind and won't go away. We need to stop it.."

"Shh." Amy shushed as she put her hand on his forehead. "Rest for now, Shadow. You're in pain. You can explain everything later."

"We might not have later." Shadow pushed.

"But we especially won't have later if you fight when you're already hurt." Shadow blinked a few times and looked up at Amy. She eyed him innocently and he smirked. He tried to sit up but the pain in his head prevented him from going all the way and he laid back down on Amy's pink, furry legs.

"You're exhausted." Amy sighed. "This is my fault. If I would have been more careful..if I'm here that must mean Cream is here too! Oh gosh, what did I do.."

"It's not your fault." Shadow interrupted. "Don't say that. Just..Amy Rose..don't leave my side." Shadow's eyes closed and he relaxed as if all of his tension left his dark and strong body. Amy couldn't believe what she had just heard him say. "I won't." she thought. Amy leaned her head on Shadow's, and she closed her eyes. She could feel the beat of his heart in the veins of his head and it was slow and steady. Soon, both of them, tired, confused and cold, fell into a light sleep..hand in hand.

A little while later Shadow woke up and noticed that he was still asleep on Amy's lap. He sat up and saw Amy sleeping on the floor. Her hand was still in his and he gently removed his hand to help him stand up. He walked over to one of the machines in the room and examined it with only his eyes. There was no indication of buttons or that it was even functional. Next to the machine he noticed an opening through all of the metal. It was a slightly small space but he squeezed through and touched a wall. This part of the wall, however, was different. Although it was lit up just like the other walls it was cold on Shadow's fingers and seemed to wobble.

"What are you doing?" said Amy from behind him. She was standing right behind Shadow with a smile on her face. "Are you trying to push open that wall?"

"Amy, I'm eating a sandwich." Shadow said sarcastically. "Of course I'm trying to push it open! We need to get a way out of here."

"My you're cranky when you wake up." Amy giggled. Shadow rolled his eyes and gave up trying to push the door open. Instead, he turned to the machine and using his feet to push on the adjacent panel the machine slid across the floor, screeching and making both of the hedgehogs' ears flinch. Shadow then started walking opposite the direction of the wall and when he was across the room he turned back around.

"Move, Amy." Shadow commanded. Amy shuffled away from Shadow's path. He started running and bashed into the wall with his head. Nothing happened but he let out an "ouch."

"Shadow, you silly! Don't do that! You will hurt yourself!" Amy said. Shadow looked at her as if he was annoyed.

"How else do you expect us to get out of here?"

"Have you tried looking for a panel or something with buttons?"

"Yes.."

"I bet you haven't looked over here!" She pointed to the opposite end of the room. She jogged over to where she pointed and began searching for something to push. "Shadow, have you ever just sat back from a problem and found the answer right under your nose?"

"No." he replied.

"Well, I hope you know that you don't know all of the answers." said Amy. "Sometimes you need the help of others to figure out solutions."

"I know that."

"And sometimes you can't even do anything! You have to rely on others to find out stuff without you."

"What is your point?"

"I'm just saying."

"Saying what?"

"That I can help you." Shadow shut his eyes half way and eyed Amy's pinkness.

"I don't think you can help me right now. You don't even know how you got here."

"Sure I can. Maybe I can't help you get out of this room but I can help you with other things." She shut her eyes and put her head down while smiling.

"Huh?"

"Shadow, you asked me not to leave your side when your head was hurting..and I didn't." Amy turned around and stepped towards Shadow. "Why do you admit that you have always cared? You left us..you left me. If you cared about us you wouldn't have left."

"Amy, it's not like that."

"It's not, is it!?" Amy exclaimed. "Don't you remember our talk, Shadow? Before you left you took me aside and asked me to do something."

"What? I don't remember-"

"Yes you do! We were all at Sonic's because we just got done beating up Eggman again and you took me outside and told me."

"Told you what!?"

"That when you left I was to NOT follow you. You said you didn't care about anyone except yourself. You asked me to.." Amy sighed and tears filled her wide eyes.

"What?"

"You asked me to find someone else! You said that you didn't want any part in my life and that you were never going to come back." Amy collapsed to the floor and sobbed in her hands. Shadow's jaw dropped and he replayed that night in his head. "Oh yeah.." he thought. "At Sonic's in his front yard. That's when I left. I left without saying goodbye.."

"I don't expect you to remember." Amy mumbled. "It was a while ago. I went inside the house and when I turned around..you weren't behind me." Amy's sob turned into an uncontrollable burst of tears. Shadow's ears folded back and he kneeled down to Amy's level. He lifted her chin with his hand and seared into her soul through her eyes.

"I left because I did care." Shadow committed. "I cared enough to the point that I didn't want anything bad to happen to anyone. Especially..you."

"I don't understand." Amy said. "I thought after that whole Eggman incident that you wanted to stay with me. I thought that it was just another Sonic issue. I was falling for someone I couldn't have."

"Amy I left so that nothing bad would happen to you!" Shadow scolded. "Every time something happens to you guys it always ends up being my fault so I figured if I escaped the scene no one would miss me and no one would get into trouble. As you can tell it obviously didn't work." Amy gasped and slapped Shadow across the face with her small, gloved hand. Shadow just sat there in shock.

"Shadow the Hedgehog! When you're part of a team you stick by each other through thick and thin, the bad times and the good times! Shame on you, Shadow! Everyone wondered what happened when I walked in without you. Sonic joked that I scared you away. Then when I told everyone what you said they couldn't believe it. No one thought you would leave the way you did no matter how antisocial and mean you could be sometimes." Amy turned her head away from Shadow. "I thought I wasn't good enough for you."

"Amy Rose don't you ever say that." Shadow demanded. He grabbed her head in both of his hands and brought her eyes level with his. "I saw the world crash and burn in your eyes that night. My heart shattered when I said the words I did. But I thought it was the best thing to do at that time. You can't blame me for trying to protect you!" He took a deep breath and let go of her face. Amy leaned her head on Shadow's shoulder and he put his arm around her.

"But when you saw me the day I got lost..you acted as if I wasn't even your friend."

"When I left Amy, it took me a little while and eventually I lost all feeling about everything. I had been alone for so long. Then I saw you again, standing there in your little pose and those feelings began to surface. After all this time they have come back and I realized that there was something about you."

"And what was that?" she sniffled.

"That if you weren't important enough..I wouldn't have cared so much in the first place." Amy smiled and wrapped her skinny arms under Shadow's strong ones. Without hesitation he embraced her and tilted his head so that it leaned on hers. With one hand he caressed her back and sighed. "I care about you, Amy Rose..and you are more than good enough for me."

"I've been waiting to hear you say that, Shadow." Amy said softly. "I've been waiting for a long time.