Yes! I didn't take me a stupidly long time to update! :)
Thanks to Skyelara, Super-Shadow1248, XoxoSonamy4440oxoX, zEBRA, doctorcookiemonster, Miss Topaz, Hollie the hedgehog, Lightning Eyes, burlesquesparkles, Chilly Night, Code1295, LuvyRosy, Valerika, Juliix, Kaikai Kitsune and Mi. There's quite a lot of you now and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you all taking the time to read this story and telling me what you think. ^_^
I worked hard to get this chapter right, and I hope you all enjoy it. :)
Chapter 11 – Shake on It
Amy felt her pulse speed up and cursed herself for how much Sonic affected her. He was staring out to sea, sitting with his arm rested on his knee while his other leg stretched out.
Rouge prodded her and said, "Go and talk to him."
Amy hesitated. She still felt that she was treading on eggshells where Sonic was concerned. She didn't want to mess anything up, so she was surprised to find her feet moving automatically, taking her to him.
.
He didn't even look up as she sat down beside him. His lime-green eyes were set firmly on the horizon, and Amy wondered if he'd even noticed her at all.
"Hey," she said nervously.
"Hey," he replied.
So he had noticed her. "Where did you go?"
He shrugged. "Just for a run." His voice was blank and unemotional.
"But… why did you want to run?" she asked, unsure if she'd been too forward.
Something glimmered in his eyes and for a moment it seemed that he would reveal what he was thinking, that he would finally show her what was going on inside the mind of Sonic the Hedgehog, but whatever it was, he held it back. "Sometimes I just like to take a time out," he said.
"To think?"
"I guess."
.
Amy willed him to look at her but his gaze stayed locked onto the ocean. Once again, she found herself struggling to think of something to say. She was ransacking her brain for replies when she was granted her wish, and he turned to face her with a gaze so serious and concentrated that it blew her mind.
"Andy," he said, "is it really true that you've known Amy all her life?"
"Yes," she answered, distantly conjuring all the possible reasons why he'd asked her that.
"So then you must have noticed how weird it is that she left a note saying she was 'clearing her head?'"
"Erm…"
.
"Don't you think it's odd that she just disappeared like that?" he pressed, his eyes becoming animated. A sudden passion seared through his gaze as his numbness dissolved. "If you've been friends with Amy for that long, then you know that it's not like her. It just feels wrong, you know?"
Amy stared. She didn't know whether to feel excited or guilty. There were no two ways about it: Sonic didn't believe her excuse. At all. He'd probably never even believed it for a second, judging by the look on his face.
.
The only thing that Amy didn't understand was how he'd known. They didn't exactly get much one-to-one time and she sincerely doubted that he listened to much of anything that she said to him. And yet here he was, firmly denying that Amy would ever run away for such a mysterious reason. Could it be that Knuckles had been wrong? What if Amy and Sonic knew each other more than they realised they did? Or maybe Sonic was jumping to conclusions and just happened to be right? But his expression was so intense, and it was so unlike him to dwell on something for so long…
.
"Andy?"
Amy snapped back into reality and focused on Sonic. Realising from the burning question in his eyes that he wanted an answer, she managed to stutter, "Y-yeah. I know what you mean. It is weird."
Something like relief settled in Sonic's face. "Nobody else seems to have noticed it," he said. "No one seems to think anything of it. Even Cream doesn't find it suspicious and she's really close with Amy. But there's definitely something wrong here."
"Yeah," she said vaguely. "But, erm, she did say that she'd be back as soon as possible."
.
Sonic frowned. "I'm pretty sure that's just a cover-up. Did she tell you anything that was bothering her? Has she ever mentioned running away?"
Amy made herself shake her head. "No… she seemed fine. There's no reason I can think of," she murmured, uncomfortable with lying to his face.
"That's what I thought," he said. "So then I decided that I was gonna find out what this is all about."
"How?" she breathed.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. If you've known her all her life, then you could figure out where she's gone, right?"
.
Amy didn't know how to respond to that. She couldn't help feeling anxious about where he was going with this. "I guess so…"
"In that case," he said slowly, determinedly, his gaze intensifying, "will you help me find her?"
"What?"
"When I first read that note I kind of assumed that she'd be back by now. I didn't think that Amy could stay away from her friends for more than a few days but, if you count how long it's been since the last time anyone's seen her, she's been gone for almost two weeks! So I think it's time to find her and figure out what's really going on. I've tried already, but speeding 'round the planet isn't gonna help much."
.
Amy stared at him. She hadn't expected him to say that. She thought maybe he'd ask her a few more questions, but asking her to help him find herself? It was complicated to say the least. She couldn't seem to get her head around it, while part of her was simply trying to control the ecstatic side of her mind. How could she not feel just a bit elated that he wanted to look for her? Wait, didn't he say that he'd already tried looking? Amy had the sudden urge to fling her arms around him and it took a great deal of self-control not to. Oh, he really does care, she thought dreamily.
.
Her mind spiralled off into romantic thoughts of Sonic travelling the world for her, just to find her. It was as if she was in her own fairytale, where the hero does everything in his power to find the girl. She fought to keep a grin off her face. Surely, this was proof that he liked her as more than a friend? But then, she supposed, she wouldn't be here in the first place. Don't get your hopes up, Amy, she managed to tell herself, wishing that she could ignore the fizzling excitement inside of her.
.
He was still watching her expectantly, growing impatient with her stunned silence.
"So, you want me to help you find her?" she said, but it was more of a statement than a question.
"Yeah."
"But… do we really need to?" she asked feebly, hoping to put him off. It wouldn't be fair to make him trail around looking for her when she was there the whole time.
He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Don't you want to find her? I thought she was your friend."
"Of course I do. And yeah, she is, but maybe… maybe she doesn't want to be found."
"All the more reason to find her and figure out why. So are you with me?"
.
Amy wasn't sure. The less she had to lie, the better. But if she agreed it was yet another chance for her to spend time with him, and if she was acting as her best friend then that would be the wisest option; she could keep an eye on him and keep the suspicion off herself. She sighed inwardly, feeling trapped under the pressure of the situation. She couldn't get his hopes up by going along with the search; that wouldn't be right.
"Andy," Sonic said, breaking her out of her thoughts once more. "Are you gonna help me or not?" His tone was serious and it sliced through the atmosphere like a hot knife through butter.
Amy frowned, frantically trying to make a decision. Should she help him? It wouldn't really be helping at all, though, would it?
.
"I… I'll help you," she said, suddenly thinking of something, "if you help me with my battle skills."
Now it was Sonic's turn to look surprised. He paused, as if taking a moment to make sense of her. "This wasn't really supposed to be a bargain," he said hesitantly.
"Yeah, but I really need some training, and who better to teach me than Sonic the Hedgehog himself?" Amy said, growing slightly in confidence. "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. That's fair, right? I could just as easily find her myself." She was, to some extent, impressed at herself for staying so collected but it felt unnatural to be deceiving Sonic. It was something that she'd practically never done before, and now she knew why. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.
.
Sonic remained quiet, pondering her offer. His mouth became set into a line as he thought it over. For someone who loved speed so much, he was taking his time. "Okay," he said finally. "I've gotta admit, it's a good deal."
Amy was surprised. For a moment there, she thought he'd turn her down. Relief settled in her stomach, but something tugged at her conscience, reminding her that she could be digging herself into yet another hole.
.
"Shake on it?" Sonic said, holding out his hand.
Amy looked at it and clasped it with her own hand, shaking it firmly. For some reason, that single action added the weight of the promise to her shoulders, tainting her victory. Still, she would reveal herself to him eventually, and that would count, wouldn't it? For now, she would simply enjoy the fact that he'd agreed to teach her some battling techniques: something that she couldn't get him to do as herself.
.
She smiled at him and, thankfully, he smiled back. "So, when do we start?" she asked.
"Well I wanted to start looking first thing tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" she echoed. "Oh… Erm, okay."
"I could meet you at your place," he said. "Where do ya live?"
Amy pictured his potential reactions to the true answer. None of them were good. "In Mobius," she said, almost automatically. To her relief, he laughed.
"I kind of guessed that. What's your street?"
"How about we meet in the park?" she said quickly.
.
"Okay," he replied as they got up from the sand, but Amy didn't fail to notice the bafflement in his eyes. "Meet you there at ten?"
"Sure."
"Cool." He gave her a thumbs-up. "See ya tomorrow, Andy." He was gone as soon the final word escaped him, and Amy was free to let the tender smile form on her lips as she watched the blue streak fade into the distance. If only he knew what an effect he had on his 'new friend'.
.
She heard the sand shift behind her as somebody drew near.
"How'd it go?"
Amy turned around to see Rouge and smiled. "It went okay," she said. "He asked me to help him look for the real me."
"Oh? And what did you say to that?"
"I said that I would if he helped me with my battle skills. But, Rouge, he'd already tried finding me!" she cried happily, feeling the need to release all of her confined emotions to her friend. "He'd actually tried looking for me, Rouge! Can you believe it? He told me that himself!"
"Keep your hair on, Pinky," Rouge said, raising an eyebrow, but she smiled. "Anyway, while you were off talking to your knight in shining armour, everyone else has gone home."
.
Amy looked past Rouge, realising that she was right. The beach was empty, except for the few people clearing away their things. The sky was slowly becoming tinted with a navy blue, and the wind had already gained a slight chill.
"Time flies when you're having fun," Rouge commented, smirking, as if to read Amy's mind.
The rosy hedgehog felt her cheeks flush. "Yeah, well... Sonic has that effect on everybody!"
.
"Everybody, meaning you. Anyway, it's late and I need my beauty sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." Her wings sprung out from her shoulders, poised and ready to fly.
Amy grabbed her arm. "Wait, Rouge! I'm… doing something tomorrow. I'm helping Sonic. You know, to… search."
"Do you need any help?"
"No, thanks."
A curved smile crept up Rouge's lips. "Want some alone time, hmm?"
"Not like that!"
Rouge just grinned. "Whatever helps you sleep at night. I'll see you some other day, once you've had your fun," she purred with a wink. Then she flapped her wings and soared into the sky, leaving her hedgehog friend alone.
.
As soon as Amy got home, she opened all of her windows to try and ventilate her house. After a long and tiresome day, some much needed air was more than welcome. She trundled into her kitchen, deciding that a hot chocolate wouldn't hurt either. Having found the chocolate powder in the cupboard, she turned to look out of the window and froze. Sonic was walking down the path to her house. He was moving at a surprisingly normal speed but that didn't stop the panic that clutched her insides.
.
She ran to the light switch on the other side of the room and slammed it down. Her kitchen was swamped in darkness. She crept over to the window, holding her breath. Her crush was walking with his head down, thinking, and she thanked her lucky stars that he hadn't seemed to have noticed the lights being on in her house. He paused when he reached it and, finally, he looked up. He stood tall, his arms staying straight by his sides, his fists clenched slightly. The moonlight lit up the side of his face, making it seem as if he were glowing in a way that held Amy's gaze captive. His lime-green eyes scanned over the building as he stood quietly, his brow furrowed. Amy found herself mirroring his expression. What was he doing there? It was fairly late and he had no reason to visit her home seeing as - to his knowledge - she wasn't there.
.
Curiosity begged her to stay put and watch him but, for once, her brain won the battle. She made herself creep back to the counter, feeling her way with her hands and making a conscious effort to ignore the handsome blue hedgehog outside her house. She was fairly certain that Sonic couldn't see her in the gloominess of her kitchen, and the pitch-black sky probably helped, but paranoia insisted on following her around the room. Her hands came into contact with the mug she'd found for her hot chocolate, and she picked it up, determined to finish the task even in the dark. She turned to feel around for the kettle, when suddenly her head crashed into something solid.
.
She stumbled backwards, dropping the mug. It smashed against the floor. The sound echoed painfully in the fading silence and, thanks to the open window, drifted outside to the nearby ears of a particular blue hedgehog. He stiffened and his gaze snapped onto the kitchen window. Rubbing her head and wincing, Amy glanced up and noticed that she'd left the cupboard door open.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. She stayed crouched down, afraid to move a muscle.
.
Sonic was watching the house with his senses fully alert. "Amy?" he called.
She gripped the counter behind her, holding her breath. He didn't really think that she'd been at home all this time, did he? Then again, that smash had been loud. Too loud to ignore. And who else would be at her house?
"Who's there?" Sonic shouted, his voice suddenly hardening.
Oh God, now he thinks I'm a burglar! Amy stepped back, hoping to leave the room before he got any closer, and crashed into a pile of saucepans.
.
The clatter was even louder than before, and she jumped. Sonic moved towards the house, his face the very picture of indignant anger.
"Hey!" he yelled. "Who's there?"
Panicked, Amy lurched out of the room and hurtled up the stairs. A furious banging was erupting from her front door. Each individual slam made her jump out of her skin and she shakily moved to her room, her ears strained. Sonic was pounding on her door, shouting angrily.
This is crazy! she thought. I feel like a criminal in my own home!
.
She clenched her fists, frantically trying to find a plan of action. Maybe she could hide? No, he'd find her. Perhaps he would just give up. Sonic the hedgehog… giving up? She almost laughed at the idea. Suddenly, the sound of splintering wood reached her ears. Her front door was cracking open: a direct result of the powerful blows from her hero. He was breaking in.
.
Amy backed away from the door, imagining him storming into the house, hunting for the supposed intruder. She could picture him racing up the stairs and finding 'Andy' there. She could practically see the energy that would be behind his angered eyes, fading to shock, then to confusion and an ache of betrayal as he would try to understand what Andy Rhodes was doing in Amy's home. It would ruin everything. All of her careful planning and narrowly-avoided disasters would go to waste. She would be forced to reveal herself, and that could not happen. She'd worked too hard to lose everything now.
.
Her gaze darted to the window. The door had apparently taken its final strike as a mighty smash could be heard, followed by the scraps of wood scattering hollowly on the floor. Amy hurriedly scanned over the window, contemplating leaping out and onto the tree that stood right outside her room. Perhaps that was a bit excessive. The unmistakable sound of sneaker-clad feet tearing through her house sent her adrenaline racing. It would be a matter of seconds before Sonic found her. Excessive or not, she needed to get out of there now.
Do the cliffhangers never end? :D
I hope that I managed to convey the excitement of this chapter properly; things are supposed to get more exciting from now on, so fingers crossed you'll enjoy the upcoming chapters (once I've planned them - I might get stuck again).
Anyway, hopefully you enjoyed that, I look forward to hearing your feedback! :)