Yes, I am alive. So maybe it's been a month but hey I'm just happy it wasn't 3 like last time! :D
A massive thank you to hot pink 123, Skyelara, sonicathehedgehog, November Ember, SmileRen, Shadow's party girl 96, Super-Shadow1248, Zoom the Hedgehog, shirinuigoddeviantart, Juliix, IOwnSonicX, Comrade Athelwine, XoxoSonamy4440oxoX, ChillyNight, Danielle Fenton, ShadAmy4Eva (I'll reply to you below :)), Lightning Eyes, Alexandra the Leopard, RaeRaethehedgehog, Mi123, Lola, Rosy the Spazz, Xanelia the Cat, Romantic Person, Rainydaysandnights and anon.Flippin' heck! xD you guys are amazing. Just.. thank you. :')
Reply to ShadAmy4Eva: Don't worry, I know Sonic's not gay ^_^. Haha, I do feel special, thank you! :D You'll find out whether or not you're right.. eventually xD. I just wanted to assure you that I agree, Sonic is not gay. :) Thanks again!
So, once again, thank you for your feedback, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 15 – On the Case
"This is getting ridiculous," Sonic muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples in frustration. He didn't get tired of searching for Amy, he never would, but he was growing tired of not finding her. It was really getting the better of him.
Andy turned towards him. "Huh?"
Sonic left his trance. "It's nothing, I just… I thought that we'd find her by now," he said.
Andy's expression became a haze of emotions; unreadable. "Well… We could always try another day or-"
"No," Sonic interjected. "No, we've got to keep looking." His friend looked surprised, and he forced an apologetic smile. "Sorry. It's just that… Amy wouldn't ever stop looking for me. It's only right that I do the same for her," he said, clenching his fists as that familiar sting swept through him again. It happened every time he thought about her leaving, and it hurt.
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He shook it off and they continued walking, leaving the outskirts of Mobius and venturing into the less familiar towns.
"So… is it just a morals thing?" Andy asked.
"What?"
"You're not just doing this because you feel that you have to, are you?"
"No," Sonic said slowly, raising an eyebrow. "I already told you, I want to find her. I want to find out what all this is about. I want to… make sure she's okay." I want to tell her I'm sorry for being such an idiot…
"Oh, okay. I just wanted to be sure…" Andy drifted off, and Sonic found himself wanting to see the other hedgehog's expression behind those sunglasses of his. It was surprising how much harder it was to read his emotions when his eyes were hidden, but Sonic could usually figure them out through Andy's voice.
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Sonic's expression must have showed his confusion, because Andy looked away and said, "She's like a sister to me. Sorry if I'm a little forward."
"Oh, erm, no problem," Sonic said, becoming slightly uncomfortable as the conversation touched on that kind of topic. He was mentally kicking himself, already feeling like an idiot for yesterday's incident. He hadn't meant to stare at Andy like that but his eyes… They were just like Amy's! They were exactly the same, Sonic was sure. And maybe he'd told a tiny white lie when he'd said he didn't pay any special attention to her. He'd caught himself staring at her quite a few times, in fact. But that information was his and only his. If anybody else noticed, he could be sure they'd say he… loved her or something crazy like that. Sonic wouldn't deny (to himself, at least) that Amy was attractive, and he was starting to miss her… to some extent.
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He sighed. Really, who was he trying to fool? He missed her like crazy. Every day he thought about how much he was craving her presence. He missed her laugh, her hugs and her lovely smile that took his breath away.
Sonic's breath hitched and he swallowed. He hated it when this happened. Why was it that he could control time and space and yet he couldn't even control his thoughts? Perhaps Amy's absence was just getting to him. Maybe the fact that the one person most devoted to him had left him without a second thought bothered him.
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That was why he'd stared at Andy like that. Because in that moment, he'd been reminded of her, and of how much he… needed her. No, not needed. That was excessive. He just missed her; that was all. And he'd gotten so carried away that he'd been unable to break away from Andy's gaze, because it resembled hers so closely. Thank goodness Andy got off of him because he was so lost that for a moment there he thought he was going to do something really stupid. He supposed it was partly because Andy had also been his relief. While he'd temporarily lost one friend, he'd gained another. And, in a weird way, Andy reminded him so much of Amy it made him feel better about her leaving. He guessed that Andy and Amy were so close that they shared attributes, though for some reason Sonic didn't like the idea of Amy having a long-term friend that nobody else knew about. Why should it be a secret? Why couldn't they all have met Andy before now? He couldn't help but wonder…
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Even so, Andy had very quickly become a close friend who Sonic trusted, and was generally a great person to be around. He was clumsy, funny, and a little bit crazy, but Sonic liked that. And, most importantly, Andy was never afraid or ashamed to show that he cared. Sonic greatly respected that. He'd never been able to show how much he cared. Of course, he could with friends, but not with Amy. She was different. But Andy made him feel better.
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He didn't know if it was because he reminded him of Amy or just because of the excitement from having a new friend, but Andy seemed to be able to free him from negativity. He made him laugh like no one else could, mostly because of his clumsiness and fiery temper, but either way Sonic was just glad to have a friend like him. It was almost impossible to be unhappy around him. Hanging out with him made Sonic feel so… light and carefree. It was so strange; no one else could do that. Nobody else except Amy…
.
Sonic frowned, willing these thoughts to go away. He hardly understood his feelings anymore.
I need to chill out, big time, he thought.
Andy cleared his throat and Sonic practically jumped. He tuned back into reality, realising that they'd already gone through the entire town. For how long had he been stuck inside his head?
"I'm sure we'll find her soon," Andy said quietly, clearly uneasy with the continuous silence.
Sonic felt guilty, knowing that he'd made it awkward. "Yeah," he murmured.
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Amy paused, staring quizzically, as Sonic suddenly halted in front of her. He spun around and snapped his fingers, grinning.
"I've got an idea," he said.
"What is it?" Amy asked, feeling his contagious smile pull at her lips.
"I'll show ya," he replied, winking. He grabbed her arm, and before she knew what was happening the ground was rushed away from her feet and a sudden wind was blasting through her quills as she clung onto him for dear life.
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She screamed, before biting her lip to stop herself, knowing that she sounded like a girl. The world around her was a blur of rapidly changing colours, whizzing past her. The only thing that she could focus on was the back of Sonic's head, and his hand firmly grasping her arm: the only thing keeping her from flying off. She tightened her grip and ducked behind him, squinting as the wind pierced her gaze, making her eyes water. She'd found a serious downside to being a boy: when Sonic ran he didn't carry her like he did when she was Amy. He used to hook one arm under her knees and the other around her back, cradling her closely to him so that she could bury her face into his chest, feeling like she couldn't be safer. But he didn't run with boys like that; that would be weird. So instead he'd grab their arm and break into speeds of around seven hundred miles-per-hour, leaving them flailing behind, usually yelling at the top of their voices.
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Amy gritted her teeth, half terrified and half fascinated at the scenery around her. It was as if someone had smudged an oil painting with countless colours, but it was constantly moving. She lifted her head slightly, afraid that something would break at the speeds that they were moving at. But in a matter of seconds it had stopped, as Sonic slowed to a halt. He caught her as she stumbled forwards, grinning at her.
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"Enjoy the ride?" he said.
She blinked, waiting for the world to stop spinning. "Ugh…" she moaned.
"Be sure to leave a review of the service! If you recommend it to a friend you get a fifty per cent discount!" Sonic joked. Seeing her expression, his smile dropped. "Or not. Are you okay?"
She wondered how she was supposed to answer that question, when she noticed his lips quivering, as he was clearly trying very hard not to laugh at her. "What?" she snapped.
His lips curled inwards as he tried to suppress his grin, and his eyes drifted to her quills. "H-have you ever heard of the phrase, 'dragged through a h-hedge backwards'?" he stuttered, his voice cracking from holding back laughter.
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Amy glared at him, feeling fairly sure of where he was going with this.
"Y-you know," he said, "they s-say that drying your hair naturally is the way to go b-but blow-drying just… stands out so much more!"
Amy's hands flew to her quills, and she was horrified to feel that they were so windswept and they'd gained so much volume that they'd practically doubled in size.
Sonic was now grinning like a madman at her expression. "Aw, come on, it's not th-that bad," he spluttered. "Poodle-style is supposed to be the latest fashion!"
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Finally he couldn't take it anymore and he burst into hysterics, clutching his sides and howling with laughter. He was laughing so hard that he was shaking, while simultaneously moving away from Amy who looked as if she was about to explode.
"My hair!" she shrieked, frantically smoothing down her ruffled fur. She flattened the top of her quills and neatened the shaped angles at the ends of them, hoping that her perfectly moulded disguise wasn't ruined.
"Stop laughing! It's not funny!"
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This only made Sonic laugh harder, as he clung to his stomach with one hand and held out the other for protection. Amy growled, deciding that perhaps it was time to put her newfound techniques to use. She lunged at him, trying to punch him anywhere she could to shut him up. He was holding her back, trying to control his laughter. Her fist lightly brushed the side of his stomach and he jumped back, holding out his hands.
"N-no, please, not my sides," he said, sounding a little more serious now. "They're… sensitive." He wiped his eyes.
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A smirk began to replace Amy's frown. "You mean you're ticklish?"
"No… I never said that," he replied, but his grin became sheepish. He backed away from her. "C-come on, Andy. You can't seriously…"
Amy advanced on him, arms outstretched.
"No. N-no, please, Andy," he begged, out of breath. "Come on… As if you'd really tickle another guy, that's- AGH!" He was cut off as Amy pounced. She tickled him mercilessly, pushing away his arms as he feebly attempted to defend himself.
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He burst into laughter all over again, only this time it was more high-pitched, interrupted by the occasional plea for Amy to stop. Her smirk broke into a full-scale evil grin. Revenge was sweet. And the fact that Sonic was secretly ticklish reminded her of how cute he was, not that she ever forgot. Her eyes momentarily left his face to drift onto their surroundings, and Amy regarded the building in front of them in surprise. In all this time, she hadn't noticed that Sonic had taken them to the Chaotix Detective Agency. She relinquished her hold on him and he staggered backwards, panting, with a light tinge of red on his cheeks.
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Amy swallowed as it dawned on her that it wasn't exactly normal for a boy to tickle another boy, was it? Oh well, the damage was done, she supposed. It was becoming routine that she would do something clumsy or stupid, and she'd already made it obvious that she was no normal 'boy'. She was too interested in where they were to bother about it now anyway. Why had Sonic taken them here? Surely he wasn't going to involve the Chaotix in the search?
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Although the eccentric trio were good friends and fun to be around, their investigation methods were hardly ever sensible, mostly thanks to the boss, Vector. They weren't too successful either, despite Vector's principle of helping any customer that paid. The small, quirky building seemed to reflect the nature of the team, with slanted roofs and bright green window frames of different shapes and sizes. A tilted sign hung above the door, with bold, black lettering stating: 'Detective Office'.
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"The Chaotix?" Amy questioned Sonic, observing the house. "Why are we here?"
He straightened, his smile returning to a normal size. "I figured we could use some extra help," he said.
Suspicions confirmed, Amy thought.
"Amy's mentioned them?" Sonic asked.
"Yeah. From what I hear they have very… unconventional methods," she said carefully.
He chuckled. "Yeah, they're pretty wacky, but they're good friends of mine and they're always willing to help."
The two hedgehogs stepped onto the wooden, makeshift decking that surrounded the office, and Sonic rapped his knuckles on the door.
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A young, excited voice rang out from the inside the building. "I'll get it!"
"Charmy, no!" shouted a deeper, more gravelly voice that could only belong to Vector. "Charmy! Get back here!"
The door swung open, and a hyperactive bee hovered in the doorway. "Hey, Sonic!" Charmy cried.
"'Sup, Charmy?" Sonic said, gently bumping his knuckles into the young bee's as their greeting.
Suddenly Vector appeared in the hallway, red-faced. "Charmy!" he growled, running up to the door. "I told you not to- Oh, it's Sonic!" His expression instantly morphed into a smile. "Hiya, Sonic! How're ya doing? Come on in!"
"I'm good, Vector. Thanks."
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Sonic and Amy entered the house, smiling. It had been a while since either of them had seen the Chaotix team.
"Who's your friend?" Vector asked, eyeing Amy as they walked into his office.
"This is Andy. He's a close friend of Amy's," Sonic replied. "And now ours too," he added, unknowingly making Amy beam.
"Well, a friend of Sonic's is a friend of mine! Welcome, buddy!" the crocodile announced loudly, slapping Amy on the back.
She winced, briefly feeling sorry for boys and the way they treated each other. "Thanks," she wheezed.
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"Sit down, sit down!" Vector said, gesturing to two armchairs behind the hedgehogs. "Espio, get in here and say hello!" he yelled.
The purple chameleon in question calmly appeared in the doorway, obviously used to Vector's demanding attitude. He greeted the two hedgehogs and sat down beside his boss, who leaned back in his chair, smiling.
"So, what can I do for ya?" Vector asked.
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Sonic began to explain to him the long and slightly complicated story of Amy's absence. Amy put in the occasional remark when prompted, but otherwise she remained quiet, feeling like she was insulting them all just by being there. She kept her gaze down, trying to ignore her uneasiness. When they'd explained everything down to the last detail, Vector nodded slowly, contemplating the situation.
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"Hmm…" he murmured, stroking his chin. "I see what ya mean. It is unusual for something like this to happen. And it doesn't sound like Eggman had anything to do with it, for once."
The crocodile observed Amy, his eyes narrowed. "Do you have any idea of where she is?" he asked.
"Err… no. No, she never said anything about leaving. But I'm sure she'll come back soon," Amy said quickly.
"She's already been gone for almost two weeks."
"Yeah but… She will come back soon. I know she will," she protested, feeling a bit targeted.
"Hopefully," he murmured.
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"So, will you help us look?" Sonic asked.
Vector paused for a moment. "I already have my suspicions of where she is," he said, looking at Amy again.
She winced. He couldn't have recognised her, could he? Then he brightened up, straightening.
"Sure, we'll help! You can count on us, Sonic!" he cried. "The Chaotix are on the case! I'll call Tails's Workshop when we've got a lead, but we might need to go over some of the details."
"Cool. Thanks," Sonic smiled.
.
With the Chaotix now involved in the search, Sonic and Andy continued to look for Amy in the outskirts of Mobius until the sun began its gradual path back into the horizon. Sonic noticed that Andy had been slightly quieter since their visit to the detective agency but decided to think nothing of it. He was probably just worrying about Amy. Sonic could certainly relate. Though at the same time, he couldn't help but think that Andy wasn't as bothered by her absence as he was. The other hedgehog claimed that it was because he knew they'd find her, but Sonic just wasn't feeling the same determination and concern that he felt himself.
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In fact, it was clear, Sonic thought as they began to return home, that he was the more dedicated of the two. It was no wonder that Amy hadn't mentioned Andy before if he was always so dispassionate. Sonic frowned as they walked, annoyed at himself. Why was he thinking that? It was ridiculous. He looked at the hedgehog beside him, ashamed of his thoughts. Andy was a great friend. Of course Amy would be friends with someone like him. It was only natural that she and Andy had grown so close, and Sonic could see why. Andy was an all-round good person and Sonic, too, had grown close to him. It was unusual; Sonic hardly ever let his guard down for anyone and yet he'd known Andy for about a week and he trusted him completely.
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His friendship with Andy only grew stronger as the days passed, and they alternated every day between searching for Amy and teaching Andy battling techniques. Andy was becoming more and more skilled in fighting, and he developed an instant confidence in his abilities. Sonic was proud to say that he'd helped in the creation of another freedom fighter. Andy was thrilled every time he mastered a new move, with an almost childlike excitement that never failed to make Sonic smile, and the proud hero would always praise Andy's achievements, encouraging him as much as possible.
.
These sessions were enjoyable for both hedgehogs, and Sonic never tired of being in Andy's company. However, while their friendship grew, the search for Amy appeared to be more and more useless, and Sonic was becoming increasingly frustrated. He simply could not imagine where she'd gone. He highly doubted that she would have gone to the effort of leaving Mobius altogether, and yet they'd searched it endlessly. It was getting to the point where nearly every Mobian knew what they were going to ask before they'd approached them, and they would shake their heads, offering only a polite, sympathetic smile.
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He reflected on their efforts as he raced throughout the city, willing the emerging stars to soothe his restless mind. He often went for a run at the end of the day to release any excess energy, and to clear his head.
Just like Amy said she would…
His brow furrowed as he felt his tension begin to return. His clenched fists felt tighter and he pumped his legs harder, willing to drive his stress away. It had been well over two weeks now. Almost three. For someone who was clearing their head, Amy seemed to be really taking her time. He'd assumed she'd be gone for a few days but he'd never imagined it would take this long. What if… What if she wasn't coming back?
.
As if the wind had gathered itself into a raging fist and lunged at his chest, he felt his breath being momentarily stolen from him. He coughed. Running was suddenly difficult, and his heart pounded as panic began to seep into his mind like smoke. He channelled his adrenaline into his legs, driving them to move even faster. He tore across the landscape, pushing himself to his limits. Of course Amy was coming back. She couldn't just leave like that. She wouldn't. It was unthinkable. He was being completely irrational. He just needed to run for a bit longer, and get these silly thoughts out of his head. Amy would never do that to her friends.
.
The more he ran, the more his mind became misted over, drowning out the anxiety. He breathed out deeply, making himself relax. His running drifted into a less frantic speed. The wind whipping through his quills was starting to feel more therapeutic than disconcerting. He ran for a while longer, until it no longer felt necessary, before returning to the workshop. The sky was littered with stars by the time he reached the door, and aside from the moon it was stained with a solid, inky blackness.
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Sonic wiped his brow as he entered the workshop, surprised to feel dampness. He rubbed it off as he made his way inside, forcing a smile when he saw Tails sitting at his computer. "Hey, Tails."
The fox swivelled around in his chair. "Oh, hi, Sonic. I wondered when you would be back," he said. Concern began to sink into his expression as he studied his older brother. "You look… kind of rough. Are you okay?"
Sonic sighed mentally. Was he that easy to read? "Of course I am, buddy," he said, hoping that he sounded more cheerful than he felt. "A little tired though. I'm gonna sleep like a baby tonight." I'm hardly gonna sleep at all tonight...
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"Oh." Tails smiled sympathetically. "Were you looking for Amy again today?"
"Yeah. She sure knows how to keep herself hidden. She'd be amazing at hide-and-seek," Sonic joked, feeling anything but comical. "I've got to know her secret."
Tails was silent for a moment. He watched his older brother closely, and somehow Sonic knew that he didn't buy the joker act. "Hey… Sonic. You know, you can always talk to me, if you want to," he said quietly. "If something's bothering you or, I don't know, you just want to let off some steam, I'll always be there to listen."
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For one split second, Sonic's guard dropped and he considered telling the fox just how troubled he really was. He knew that in that moment, Tails saw the restlessness in his eyes. But then he pasted his smile back on. "Thanks, Tails. Ditto."
Tails sighed. Sonic began to move towards the staircase, deciding that he should at least try to sleep, though he somehow doubted that it would happen. Just as he placed his hand on the rail of the staircase, Tails called out to him.
"By the way," said the fox, as he poked his head out the doorway. "Vector called for you earlier. He said he needed to talk you about Amy and he wants you to go over there tomorrow."
"Has he figured out where she is?"
"I don't know. He just said to talk to him tomorrow. Oh, and privately."
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Sonic raised an eyebrow. Privately? "Okay. Thanks," he said. "Night, buddy."
Why did it need to be private? And did it mean that Vector knew where Amy was? Sonic felt a rekindled spark of hope as he reached his room, collapsing into his bed. It could only be good news, surely. Or at least a step further in the investigation. He closed his eyes, releasing a long sigh. "Only one way to find out," he whispered.
So, a bit of Sonic's POV for you there ^_^. Amy cut it close tickling him like that but how could she resist? :P Hopefully the POV changes weren't too confusing for you guys..
What does Vector have to tell Sonic? Is Amy's secret about to be revealed? So many questions... ;)
I hope you enjoyed that. Thanks for reading, and I just want you guys to know that I really love getting your feedback. So thank you! ^_^