You all know the drill. Exams suck. Thanks to ChillyNight, IHeartSonAmy, Super-Shadow1248, Miss Topaz, Hollie the Hegdgehog, Danielle Fenton, Lunar Sapphire, XoxoSonamy4440oxoX, doctorcookiemonster, DrianeTheHedgehog, November Ember, Mi, RachieFly, Juyune, Romantic Person, Skyelara and Kaikai Kitusune. All I can say is wow. You guys are so lovely, thank you so much :') I'm having to juggle a lot lately, and I know a lot of people are too, and your reviews just make it all so worthwhile. Thank you! So hopefully a mid-week update will please you, though I won't update over the weekend because I'm away and exams are still on the way, but I do try my best. Enjoy!

Chapter 13 – Reminiscence

For the rest of the day, the two hedgehogs wandered through the town, visiting all of the places where Amy could usually be found. They'd been trundling through every single part of Mobius and asking members of the public if they'd seen anything. Thankfully, they'd managed to have some fun while doing it. Amy had been worried that Sonic would close himself off, but that wasn't the case.

.

They'd been chatting for hours and Amy was feeling happier than she'd been for a long time. Everything was going smoothly apart from the occasional hitch where Amy would do or say something stupid that would almost reveal her identity. They were few and far between, though at one point she'd walked into the ladies' toilets looking like a boy. She was embarrassed to say the least, and Sonic laughed his head off for a good ten minutes. For many reasons, she decided it was best not to go into the men's toilet and to wait until she got home.

.

Aside from that little incident, she'd enjoyed the time with Sonic and the two of them had ended up talking about almost everything one could think of. Amy learnt so many things about him that she hadn't known before. They were small details but they were what made her feel like she knew him all the more. She'd found out that his favourite colour was in fact blue, when she'd thought it was red the whole time she'd known him, seeing as his sneakers were red. When she told him so he replied that it was a good point but he chose red only because blue sneakers would have looked really weird on him.

.

With every little fact she learnt about him, the happier and more curious she felt, whether it was that he secretly loved flowers or that blood freaked him out. She discovered that he didn't like rain not only because it was wet, but because it looked too much like tears. Amy had never thought of Sonic being so sentimental, though she remembered him saying once before that he hated to see people cry. He was by far the most mysterious and captivating person she knew, and she was more than happy to simply listen to him talk about himself.

.

Of course, in turn, she'd told him things about herself. Things that she was sure he didn't know. Things that she couldn't have told him when she was Amy Rose; he would never have stopped to listen. She'd even told him why she loved romance films so much, even if it was weird for her male persona. She'd explained that it was nice to escape into a world where happily ever after comes at the end of the story, and where no matter what happens between the characters, their love overcomes everything. She didn't care if it seemed unnatural for a boy to say that; this was her chance for Sonic to get to know her. Naturally, he'd been surprised.

.

"I don't think I've ever heard of a guy who loves rom-coms," he'd told her, raising an eyebrow and grinning. "Or at least, not as much as you do. But… it's cool that you're not afraid to admit it. I respect that."

Amy had smiled brightly, basking in the strengthening friendship between them. Although, she hadn't expected what he'd said next.

"You know, with your obsession with romance and hatred for horror movies, you remind me of Amy."

"Hah, yeah, I guess we are kind of similar after growing up together," she'd nervously replied. How did he know that she hated horror movies? She'd always thought that he knew nothing about her, but lately she'd started to wonder…
Still, there were definitely things that he did not know until she'd told him today.

.

Amy had never spent this much time with Sonic before, and it only made her want to do it more often. She'd never known what it was like to be around him, not properly. It wasn't that he completely avoided her. He did talk to her every now and then but she knew, every time, that it would be a matter of minutes before he'd get uncomfortable and rush off. It was as if she could see the uneasiness inside him, like a huge wave, rising and rising until it got too much for him. It hurt so much when he did that, but Amy was trying not to think about it.

.

This was different. Here she was, joking around with him and having a great time. She'd learnt so much about him in a matter of hours, but the only thing that she desperately wanted to know was why he ran from her. If only she could stop thinking, Was I that bad to hang out with?

Despite that, she was determined to have a good time with him, and she did. Every time she learned something new about him, every time he smiled at her or she heard his laughter, she found herself falling in love with him all over again. And she was loving every second of it.

.

She stayed in a permanent state of bliss throughout the entire day, right until they reached their final destination. They came to a halt in Silver Valley, and Sonic frowned.

"Andy, we've looked all over town and there's no sign of her," he said. "We've asked tons of people and none of them have seen her for weeks. It's like she's just disappeared."

"Maybe we were just asking the wrong people," she replied, feeling guilt creep up on her.

.

Sonic sighed. "That's not the point. We've been searching all day. We must have checked Emerald Coast at least a thousand times! What other places could we possibly have checked?"

Amy was silent. Perhaps it was adding insult to injury that was she'd been beside him the whole time. What was she supposed to say? Sonic had a point: they'd looked practically everywhere. There weren't any more places, were there? Unless… Oh, she'd completely forgotten that one... "Sonic," she said quietly. "I just remembered… Emerald Coast isn't Amy's favourite place."

"Then what is?" he asked, surprised.

"I'll show you."

.

Without another word, Amy made her way through the trees and climbed up a small, rocky hill with Sonic following closely behind. She pushed aside branches from overgrown plants, stepping carefully into a clearing. She heard the crunch of Sonic's footsteps behind her, and then a sharp intake of breath as he realised where they were.

.

"This is… Amy's favourite place?" he said in awe.

Amy turned back to him, her eyes shining. "You recognise it?"

His eyes moved over the scenery, absorbing everything. The trees, the lake, the wild flowers that were sprouting from the grass and that one spot in the middle of the clearing that held so much importance for the two of them. "Yeah," he said distantly, still taking it in. "This is…" A fond smile appeared on his lips. "This is Never Lake… where me and Amy met."

.

Amy nodded, thrilled that he'd remembered.

"Did she tell you that this is her favourite place?" he asked.

"Yeah. It always has been, or at least, it has since she met you," she said, watching his eyes meet hers, anticipating his reaction.

He broke the gaze after barely a second had passed and looked away, slightly flustered. "That's so typical of her," he said, though his voice was quiet and humbled. He was honoured that the place that Amy valued the most was where they met but it clearly made him uncomfortable, and Amy just couldn't understand why. He shook his head, forcing a chuckle. "I guess this is the first place that I should've looked in." He sighed.

.

Amy sat down, hoping that he'd follow suit, and he did. He continued to observe the landscape, and Amy could picture the rush of memories flooding his mind. "What are you thinking?" she questioned him softly.

He shrugged. "The usual. You know, running, chilli dogs, kicking Eggman's butt," he laughed.

She made herself laugh along with him but she didn't believe him for a moment. His mind was obviously elsewhere; she just wished that she knew where that was.

.

Silence surfaced between them. Amy frowned, exasperated, wondering how many times these awkward silences would arise. The gentle wind ruffled their quills as both hedgehogs replayed the same memory in their mind. They'd been fairly young when they'd met but Amy had been insistent that she was destined to meet the blue hero, so she'd set out to find him. Following her tarot cards had brought her to Never Lake and there she'd seen him: the boy that she would chase after for years to come.

.

It was just as vivid now as it was then. Sonic could still remember the way it felt when Amy first threw her arms around him, announcing that she was biggest fan. It brought a smile to his lips as he pictured himself as a young boy, extremely embarrassed that a girl was touching him. His cheeks had flushed and he'd stared at the girl clinging to his arm, wondering what on earth was happening.

.

He remembered being unable to move, both shocked and entranced by the pink hedgehog before him. He remembered staring at her, open-mouthed, his mind spinning. He'd never seen such a pretty girl before. She wore extremely brightly coloured clothes and her quills stuck out in different directions, but her peculiar sense of style just made her more intriguing. She was beaming at him, her eyes sparkling. He didn't think it was possible for someone to look as if they were glowing, but somehow she was.

.

She was talking to him, clasping her hands together excitedly and telling him about the effort she'd gone through just to meet him, and little Sonic could only stare. He couldn't quite get his mind to work properly but he did hear her tell him her name. Amy Rose. He'd mulled over those two words over and over again, thinking how much they suited her, though with the way he was gaping at her it probably just looked like he didn't understand. He refused to speak in case he let slip what was on his mind. 'She's so pretty…'

.

He often wondered what he would have done at that moment if Dr. Eggman hadn't shown up. In seconds, the girl was snatched away from him by a metal claw, and the joy in her eyes snapped into terror. She screamed and reached out for him, pleading him to rescue her. That was all it took. His adrenaline kicked in, his mind whirled into motion and his feet started running before he'd even told them to. It was just like every other time he would have to free her from Eggman's clutches. The one thought going through his head was always the same: save her. And with that single motive, he had enough power to do anything.

.

Sonic's heart suddenly ached, interrupting the memory and dragging him back into the present, as he pictured her. It was strange, but he'd never really had the chance to miss her before; she'd never been away from him for so long. He didn't think it would affect him this much, but it was really troubling him. He was overwhelmed with a sudden urge to see her face, to hear her voice, to hold her and apologise for acting like he didn't care…

.

He clutched the grass below him, trying to shake off his thoughts. He didn't need her like that; it was just odd not having her around. Still, it was silly to brood over things he couldn't change, and it wasn't like he really ignored her, was it? He treated her just as he would his other friends, though he did sometimes feel nervous, and then he'd feel the need to run… But that was just him being Sonic. It wasn't a big deal, and Amy was never really that upset over it, was she? That wasn't why she left… was it?

.

Amy stole a glance at her hero, surprised to his body tensed, his fists closed around clumps of grass. What could be bothering him so much?

"Andy…" he said, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes were still locked onto his sneakers. "Did… Did Amy tell you about anything that was… upsetting her? Any reason why she might have left?"

"No…"

Sonic bit his lip, his eyes narrowing. "Then… I might know why." He swallowed thickly, feeling almost as uncomfortable as he did with Amy herself. "I think it might be… my fault."

.

"What?" Amy cried. "No, Sonic, it's not-"

"I think it is," he said firmly, forcing his gaze off the ground, "because the last time I saw her… Well, I… I was distant with her. I mean, I sort of ran from her and maybe… maybe that's why she left."

Amy was overcome with the impulse to hug him tightly and reassure him that it wasn't his fault, though in a way, she supposed, it almost was. She was carrying out this crazy scheme just to form a stronger bond between them, thanks to his urges to rush off and leave her. But right now, that didn't matter to her in the slightest.

.

Sonic's lime-green eyes were soft and exposed where he'd finally released his barriers and opened up to her. It was so touching and yet heart-breaking to see him so vulnerable; she nearly wanted to cry. To think that he blamed himself for her disappearance, when he was usually so carefree… "Sonic… don't blame yourself," she pleaded. "Besides, it's not the first time that that's happened."

"I know, so it was the tip of the iceberg," he said.

.

Amy paused. It was so hard to sit there and attempt to comfort him while restraining herself from throwing her arms around him. Although, she would admit that a tiny part of her wanted him to feel a bit guilty. "Look," she said slowly, "I'll be honest with you. When you run from Amy… it really gets to her. She gets upset because she doesn't understand why you do it. She just wants you to treat her like… like you care."

He stiffened. "It's not that I don't care about her," he objected. "It's just that I feel kind of awkward sometimes."

.

"Why? She tries so hard to make you happy."

"I know that," he said, "but when she acts all… you know, starry-eyed around me, I just… It makes me feel nervous."

"But why?"

"I don't know," he said, his voice rising as he became more flustered. "Wouldn't you feel like that?"

"Well…" She considered. If Sonic followed her around she'd love it. But then, if Sonic didn't return her affections that would explain why it made him uncomfortable… No, he did care about her. Perhaps he just needed a little push to admit his feelings, and that was why she was here. "I guess I would," she said eventually. "Anyway, forget about that.

.

"It does upset her when you react like that but I'm sure that it's not why she left. She must have had a good reason to, and I know that she wouldn't want you to blame yourself for it. She'd never want to upset you. So, lighten up." She lightly punched his arm. "Dude," she added. To her intense relief, a smile stretched across his lips.

"Okay, homeboy," he laughed. Then he allowed sincerity to sink into his gaze once again. "Thanks," he said. "You're a good friend, Andy."

.

Amy felt her heart soar. That one phrase echoed in her mind.

'You're a good friend…'
An unstoppable grin worked its way onto her face, as her insides danced. He'd called her a good friend. He'd opened up to her, he'd told her things that he'd kept close to his heart, and now he truly thought of her as a close friend: someone who he could confide in. She could hardly believe it.

.

All of her problems from the past few weeks were suddenly worth the trouble, because she'd finally achieved one of her goals. She and Sonic had grown so much closer, and she was convinced that that wasn't going to change, even when all of this would be over. The only problem was that he would undoubtedly be angry when he found out she'd been lying to him.

.

Next to injustice, deception was at the top of Sonic's 'hates' list. He couldn't stand dishonesty, and part of Amy was terrified that he'd never trust her again. But, he would forgive her, wouldn't he? When he saw how much she'd improved their relationship, he couldn't possibly hold it against her. Or at least, she hoped he wouldn't.

.

She beamed at him and rose to her feet. "So are you," she said earnestly. "Hanging out with you is… awesome." She offered him her hand and hauled him up beside her, and he returned her grin.

"Thanks." He stretched out his arms, heaving another sigh. "Well, when do you want to try again?" he asked.

"Erm… maybe… I was thinking…" She faltered. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I was actually hoping that tomorrow you could start training me. You know, fighting skills and stuff. You've got to hold up your side of the deal, too."

"Oh. Right," he said, unsure. Then he shook his head as if to wake himself up. "Silver Valley at twelve?"

"Okay!"

.

Amy sent him a thumbs-up. He laughed, mirroring her.

"I think I'm rubbing off on ya," he remarked.

"Maybe just a little bit," she giggled. "But that's not so bad, is it?"

A mysterious smile captured Sonic's mouth. "Not at all."

^_^ Ah, I honestly can't wait to write their battle practice! But... my lips are zipped as to what it entails ;)
Anyway, thanks again for reading this, it means so much. Your reviews are appreciated. :)