I'm back!

"No problem" - Chance the Rapper

Chapter 18: Garden

The day started out way too early.

The sun wasn't even up by the time everyone in the house got up. Sonic had barged into Amy's room to find her sprawled across her bed deep in slumber.

Remembering it was embarrassing.

Ever since the talk with Sally she couldn't help but feel nervous whenever they shared contact.

Confess, Sally had said. Amy awkwardly sat on a chair with a bunch of Bernadette's bridesmaids in a room. She was beginning to get second thoughts on whether she should or not.

Bernadette wore a beautiful long white dress and they were all fixing her veil. Amy stared warmly. A wedding day, something as simple and amazing as getting married made her giddy. To fall in love with someone and be liked back just as much, it is said to be a wonderful feeling. A feeling Amy has never felt before.

"How do I look?"

"Aw, Bernadette," The girls cried for her and they all giggled. Amy smiled slightly seeing them look so youthful.

"Amy. What do you think?" Bernadette suddenly asked Amy.

"Ah, you look really pretty," Amy commented making her step mother blush. This was no fibber. Sonic's mom was beautiful and her dad was such a lucky hedgehog to have her, she thought. The sound of a text startled her and she took out her phone to see it was Sonic who had texted. The rush of nervousness that hit her wasn't unpleasant. Doing everything possible to contain it was harder than studying and that was a fact.

How's mom doing?

She's almost done. And my dad? She texted.

He's getting there. Hey, after they get fixed up I'm going to go look around the garden. Want to come?

Her heart fluttered feeling excitement rise up just like blood pressure, but she quickly reminded herself to whom her heart was racing for. She took a deep breath. This was family.

"All done!" One of the bridesmaids shouted happily.

Amy's head turned up to see that Bernadette was done. Amy rose from the chair and quietly made her way out of the small room. She exited through a door that led into a passage way and she went out into the outside. The wedding was in a private garden. The preparations were ready and the invites were coming soon. She didn't think spring would come so soon as if time didn't wait up for her to enjoy the moment long enough.

A new family. What to expect.

The problem with Sonic was still at hand she didn't know whether it would be smart for her to confess to him and move on or live with that trouble if she told him for the rest of their time together.

"Argh!" She gasped holding her head. "Stupid heart! Anyone else could've been fine."

From a distance, Sonic caught Amy in the middle of the area where the tables were set holding her head in her hands while facing the floor. Concerned, he walked with pace over to her. "Amy?"

Her head flinched up as Sonic approached her. He was already wearing his black suit with a red bow while she was still wearing her regular red dress. She immediately covered her cheeks thinking they were bright red and that Sonic would notice, but he didn't and wondered if she was okay.

"Hey, you're not dressed yet."

"Y-yea, but I will later."

"Ah, okay. Is my mom finished?"

"Yea. Just now actually."

Sonic's eyes wondered about on her hands covering her cheeks. His head tilted to the side and asked, inspecting her face, "You good?"

"Yea! It's the nerves. Getting the jitters before the big show, you know." She rectified, averting her eyes unwittingly. Sonic's eyes firmly caught a hold of that. It'd been happening since that disturbance with Jet and it hadn't been cleared yet. He sighed looking outward.

"Um, my text. You never answered back, but I'm going to the garden. I heard there was a Hedge Maze here. You wanna come?" He wondered making a move backward. Amy gasped lightly. That was right. She didn't reply back.

"Ah, I saw it. I was going to reply but your mom was done at that moment so I left." She explained and trailed off at the end when she suddenly saw a smile curl up on his lips. "What…?"

"Nothing, you just look really tense." He stated and watched her draw back which made him laugh. Much to Amy's surprise, Sonic had been in a good mood lately. With the nod of his head he gestured for her to follow him.

She couldn't deny the thrill in her heart, but she hid that feeling away from him and followed along with a cautious smile.

The garden was filled with all different types of green colors along with the color white of the roses around. Sonic and Amy both stared in awe at the beautiful decorations. Amy took a quick peek at Sonic to see his expression.

He was already looking at her.

Amy jerked her head away and nervously laughed looking around. "So, are you excited?"

Sonic raised an eyebrow. She wasn't looking directly at him, almost as if she was intentionally avoiding eye contact. No, wait; he was sure she avoiding eye contact. He crossed his arms and looked up at the blue sky.

"I am," He said simply.

Amy still wasn't looking at him. "Me too…"

"Hey, want me to tell you a secret?" Sonic suddenly asked leaning in close to see her face. Amy turned around at that moment meeting him at close proximity. His eyes were inches away from her. She could feel his breath brush softly on her face making her flinch back. Sonic moved back surprised.

"W-What's the secret?"

Sonic smirked and stopped walking turning his whole body to her. "Living with you these past months weren't so bad. To be honest it was fun."

Amy's eyes widened and for a slight moment Sonic saw them glint with delight. "R-Really?!"

He rubbed the back of his neck looking away with a light smile. "We didn't really start on great terms so I'll apologize for that, but I've learned you're a lot more interesting than I thought."

"Interesting?" Amy repeated in a daze. This hadn't been the first time he's opened up with her, but he was opening up his feelings about her which made her blush furiously but she found it hard to look away from his charming smile.

Sonic chuckled seeing her, in his eyes, so confused. He raised his hand up, wanting to pat her head, but refrained from doing anything to confuse or scare her off. He took his hand back and scratched his head instead.

"Just thought I'd be good for you to know." Sonic finished somewhat uncomfortable.

Amy rubbed her arm and her eyes looked around aimlessly. Some of the organizers around ignored them but thought from a far the two looked like hopeless and confused lovers. It was too cliché to stop and completely think about it so they carried on with their jobs.

Amy chuckled lightly. "I…feel the same way."

Sonic felt his smile creep back and hearing that made his uncomfortable feeling disappear. To know she felt the same way was soothing and relieving. He still thought she held some resentment for their past, but even she changed while getting to know him. Now that he thought about it they shared a lot of moments together without her objecting.

From afar, inside a building, Eliot watched as his daughter and Sonic smiled warmly at each other. Carefully watching them laugh and talk as they walked off looking around the entrance of the garden Eliot rubbed the tip of his chin until one of his friends called him.

"Someone came to meet you!"

"Ah, coming." Eliot took one last look outside the window before letting a smile rest on his lips and leaving the room.

The music played as the groom waited for his bride-to-be at the altar. Looking over their shoulder, at the end stood a blue hedgehog in white with white flowers in hand. Sonic and Amy, who sat at the very front, eyes opened wide.

Bernadette was emitting a resident shine as she smiled up at Eliot. Walking down the aisle, Amy made a quick look at Sonic's eyes. He watched as his mother took Eliot's hand and faced the old priest. A light smile took over her face as he observed quietly.

As the vows started, Amy wondered how he was feeling. His mom was his greatest treasure and to see her happily besides the man she loves was he happy for her?

"Do you, Eliot, take Bernadette to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health until death do us part,"

At that moment, Amy's mind set off. She wasn't one to dream off about who she was going to marry and when, but for some odd reason she could picture herself in Bernadette's place smiling up at the man she would be marrying.

The very face that appeared: Sonic.

Flushing furiously, Amy awake from the thought and covered her face shamefully. This wasn't the time to be thinking about that, she told herself.

Sonic watched her carefully as she lowered her head and covered her face with her hand. He wondered if she'd begun to cry. Convinced she was, he smiled looking back at their parents and placed a hand on her back. Amy flinched up glancing at him side-long.

He didn't have to look back at her, but they both knew he was trying to be nice. He was always being so nice to her that she couldn't help but fall in love with him more. The timing was all too great for the image reappeared in Amy's mind.

"I do,"

"Do you Bernadette…."

Amy bumped shoulders with Sonic forcing him to look. She was smiling at him lightly blushing, a blush he noticed. Therefore he realized she was crying. He quickly removed his hand looking apologetically at her. She silently made a giggle face not understanding why he looked like that.

"I do."

"You have declared your consent. I now pronounce you husband and wife,"

Amy preferred not to watch her dad kiss Bernadette so looked away. Sonic didn't mind it that much; he clapped along with the rest behind him as the newly wedded waved at everyone. They briefly looked at Sonic and Amy and both happily looked back with a hint of shyness coming from Amy. Eliot took Bernadette, arms locked, down the red aisle.

Sonic got up from the chair and fixed his bow. It had become itchy. Amy followed up and looking up at Sonic.

"This is the first time I've been to a wedding. It's a lot more intensive than I thought." Amy explained nervously.

"Intensive? That's new. Girls usually say it's romantic." He teased, his bow now fixed.

"Are you telling me I'm not a girl!?" Amy growled.

"You certainly aren't any normal girl." Sonic laughed.

Amy smacked a laughing hedgehog's shoulder. It died off, but he warmly added, "I never said that was bad."

Flushing, she pouted to the side. "Weddings are romantic. It's just it could get a little embarrassing. Especially when they…kiss…"

"Is that why you looked away? Because they kissed? What are you six?" Sonic said turning away going to opposite way everyone else was going which was to congratulate the wedded. Amy followed and from behind Eliot watched as they both walked off into the garden.

"Don't judge me!" Amy querulously, crossing her arms and facing the side.

"You're at that age where kissing shouldn't bother you, Amy. Everyone kisses," Sonic told her without much thought to it. It wasn't till a second after he said that that the memory of a drunken Amy kissing him hit him spot on. He didn't think he'd receive a repercussion after that.

"I've n-never kissed anyone before!" Amy's voice cracked mortified.

Sonic's jaw set and cast her a surprised glance with eyebrows shooting up despite himself. "You've never kissed anyone? Are you serious?"

Amy covered her redden face and avoiding his eyes. She couldn't bear the look on his face. "Oh you ever so experienced one," She began sarcastically. "I wouldn't be telling you this if it weren't true,"

Sonic sudden whipped his head away with wide eyes, but immediately composed his features. A part of him didn't want to keep something that important from her, but if he told her it would cause problems. How to decide the correct thing to do, he thought. "Ah, no, I just didn't expect that, but it's not bad."

Amy was looking at the ground with doe eyes and a small blush. "Don't tell anyone…"

With a small smile Sonic replied, "I won't."

The two hedgehogs approached the maze hedge and stopped at its entrance. Sonic turned to her. "Um, I'm heading in now. I don't know if you want to go back or…"

Amy took this time to think about two things. Whether she should really confess or not. She didn't feel the confidence but after what Sally told her she couldn't keep it away from her head. The thought was difficult to decide on.

"No, I wanna explore it too." Amy finally decided.

A smirk appeared on his velvety muzzle as if he'd grown an idea. "Then how about we play a game,"

"A Game?"

"I want you to catch me."

"Huh?!" Amy exclaimed with one eyebrow raised.

Sonic went through the entrance and turned around to face her. "You heard right. Give me five seconds and then come and catch me. I'll stay within the maze, so I won't leave but I'm giving you time to find me,"

Sonic went ahead of her but left Amy dumbfounded. "W-Wait! What do you mean?!"

"If you find me. I'm going to tell you a secret. If you don't then I won't tell you." He finished and faced Amy one last time before offering her that rare placid smile that lit his face with delight. "Start now,"

He disappeared when he sped in a direction to his right. Not knowing what to do but to follow along on what he told her to do, she began to count. "Uh-five, four, three, two…"

By the number two Amy was running pass the hedge entrance and going the same direction Sonic had disappeared into. As she ran down the narrow path she looked up and around the plant walls. Tall in height, she discarded the idea of jumping on top of one to see if she could see Sonic. Although, she didn't stop running.

"Sonic!" Amy called out, but realized that if she kept calling out his name he'd keep running away from her. She was going to have to 'sneak attack' him. Amy stopped running to think. How could she possible trap or sneak up to Sonic. From the past experiences she's noticed that he was much slicker and much wiser than her.

As her eyes looked around, her eyes were stopped by a sight. There was an open hole in the middle of all that plant that made up the hedge wall. She smirked.

If she could hide in that little opening and wait for Sonic to pass she'll catch him easily. And she bent down to fit her body inside the opening.

.:xXx:.

It'd been almost an hour and Sonic hadn't spotted Amy around. Did she give up? He looked up at the sky. It was still bright as day although the sun was moving towards the horizon and their parents were probably looking for them.

He sped down each path finding the exit eventually. He didn't see her on the way.

'She gave up,' He thought flatly.

He ran off back to the party hall where the party had been long started. Everyone was dancing and the music was playing. His mom and Eliot were sitting near a table with their friends around, but Amy wasn't anywhere to be seen.

He approached the table quietly and went over to his mom's side. "Mom, have you seen Amy around?"

Even through the loud music playing, Eliot's ear twitched in hearing him.

"No. Why?"

So, she hadn't come back?

"Ah, it's because I don't see her. I'm going to go look for her." Sonic said loudly through the loud music. Leaving, the animals on the table looked at Sonic in awe.

"Your boy's so handsome," One of the bridesmaid told her.

"What's his name again?"

Bernadette laughed, "Sonic."

Eliot leaned over to Bernadette with a smile. "Did I hear Amy wasn't with him?"

"Don't worry hun. Sonic is going to find her." She told him and he rubbed his chin without letting go of his smile.

.:xXx:.

"Amy?! Amy where are you?!" Sonic shouted through his cupped hands into the entrance of the maze. Sonic scratched his head tired. Was she doing this on purpose? Sonic entered the maze again without speeding inside. If he carefully inspected each part of the maze maybe he'd find her. Did she pass out?

Now Sonic was beginning to worry. "Amy! Amy come out!"

Sonic kept turning and returning looking around and jumping high above to peek over the hedges, but there was no pink hedgehog in sight. He made a sharp turn around a corner and was about to make another one when something tripped him and he stumbled before keeping his balance.

He turned around with narrowed eyes when a body glomped him and both fell down to the ground. Sonic's eyes shot open to see Amy on top of him with a grin look. "Caught ya,"

Sonic got up rubbing his head. "What the hell? Where'd that come from?"

"Haha! I tricked ya this time! Patience does pay off!" She said proudly as she rose off him. She extended out her hand to help him up and took it without hesitation.

Sonic rolled his eyes. He looked around and noticed the small opening where she surprised attacked him. The game had changed, instead of her looking for him he ended up looking her. She'd got sneaky and for the first time he fell into her trap. He slowly smiled. She got wiser, he thought.

"You got me. I'll admit." Sonic said chuckling a bit and Amy's grin widened. She clapped proudly and leaned in closer.

"So, what's the secret?" She asked curiously.

"What? No. First of all you didn't look for me. Second of all I had timed you to see if you could find me in time therefore I'm not telling you." Sonic explained crossing his arms.

"But why did you want me to catch you?" Amy finally asked pouting. "That's almost impossible with how fast you are."

Sonic opened his mouth but nothing came out before he closed it back again. He gave out the impression of being nervous which was a rare sight and Amy's head tilted addle-headed.

"I…didn't mean it literally." He finally spoke not looking at her.

Amy's confused look didn't leave but her eyes narrowed as if in thought. If he didn't mean it literally then that meant that this was an implication. So what did he mean?

"Sonic," She began getting his eyes to look at her. "Can we exchange secrets maybe…"

Sonic's eyes glowed but his eyebrows lowered. "Exchange? Sure..."

Amy blushed furiously and shook her head. "Tell me yours first?"

"You didn't follow my rules. You go first"

"What?! No fair—"

"You weren't fair!"

"Hey! The only rule was to catch you!"

"You cheated through an unspoken rule. It still counts!"

"Fine!" Amy snapped crossing her arms and pouting.

She didn't know the kind of face he was going to make or what was to happen afterwards. Confessing was much harder than she'd hope for. Then again, that was to be expected. She opened her mouth and tried to say the first word but nothing was coming out but a small sound that cut clean. Sonic watched as she struggled and began turning red.

Sonic eyed her cheeks as they glowered and her eyes that nervously moved around. She looked bashful and it was strange. He squinted a bit confused and stepped forward making her flinch and step back forcefully.

Her eyes looked shaken and her face stunned.

"Amy?"

"I-I-I—"

I wonder. "What's wrong?"

"No, it's just I…" Amy nervously looked away feeling trapped. She didn't know how she was going to confess. She never planned to begin with and now she was winging it. Real bad.

"Close your eyes," Sonic finally said.

"Wha?"

"I said close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Because I said so," Sonic stated plainly.

She stared him down for a moment until she finally gave in with a sigh and closed her eyes. Sonic sighed and leaned in close. "I can't really tell you my secret, but I can show you," He whispered, making Amy flush but she maintained her eyes closed.

"What is it?" She asked in a low voice.

Without replying he leaned forward pressing his lips on her cheek. A light kiss on her warm cheeks made Amy's eyes shot open wide just as Sonic was moving away with an impassive look. Amy's jaw fell slack. Her hand lifted up to her cheek wondering if this was a dream or an illusion. Sonic looked as if he hadn't done anything and she wasn't able to read what he was thinking.

"If you didn't feel anything then pretend this didn't even happen, but know that I meant that right now." He explained averting his eyes to the side and turning around

Left appalled, Amy shook her head, "S-Sonic—"

Her eyes caught a figure in front of Sonic and her voice trailed away. Both Sonic and Amy's eyes widened at the sight of Jet suddenly standing in front of them with wide eyes and a half open beak. Amy, out of panic, turned to face Sonic in SOS but upon seeing his astonish look she knew he was just as shock as she was.

Jet's shocked look reverted into a fiendish smirk. "Kissing your sister? How illicit,"

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Jet is at the party. BUT WHY!?

That cheek kiss!

Confessions?

Until Weeks pass...

1:34pm 3/11/16