Wow, do I feel like a freakin idiot. I cant believe I forgot this part! Well, let's try this again, shall we?

Part Eleven: Welcome Home

The blasting rush of speed hurled the two travelers into the newfound day. Already, the light of the morning had begun to warm the air around them, which Amy rejoiced in. That and her quite comfortable position. Personally, she didn't really mind where they were heading. For one, she was out of that bed and carefully tucked in the arms of her knight. Too, seeing as how the ebony blur had to break through her door to save the young flower, her house was probably quite a mess. Not a good way to welcome company in her mind.

Yet she noticed something else different in her savior. His face, though lighter and more eased it may have been, still showed great restraint and contemplation. Even with such a newly recovered bliss he held inside and out. "Is something wrong, Shadow?"

His ruby eyes seemed to snap back into the focus of the moment "What was that?"

"Nothing, it's just that you looked lost in your thoughts."

"My apologies. I'm not quite used to carrying such a beautiful flower with me yet. But I'm working on it."

Amy's smile widened, and she buried her muzzle even tighter into his chest, letting his steady heartbeat echo his thoughts and feelings. Shadow took that as a satisfied inquiry and returned his mind to the two issues at hand. Firstly, he was still unrestrained and a threat. And now that threat was magnified exponentially by the proximity of the one person he would gladly surrender that power to protect. It was going to take a lot of focus to keep that chaos in check, or one dangerous expedition away from his rose to find a new set of dampeners.

And then there was Amy herself. So innocent, so caring and cheerful. Quite the contrast from the being that now cradled her like treasure. To be sure, Shadow would make any, every, and all efforts to make her happy as he felt she deserved to be. But to completely come about in personality like this was going to take time and patience. And Shadow never was one for being patient. What if he made a mistake, and undermined everything that had just transpired…

What if he became just like that faker and failed her?

Fail? ME?! The Ultimate Life-Form?! Impossible… his logic indeed chuckled at the thought, and it was difficult for him to repress the same cold cheer. Besides, first thing first.

Blazing a trail out of the limits of the metropolis, Shadow soon found that his feet had carried him to a very familiar incline, intruded upon only by the shade of its leaf-blanketed sentinel. Granted, his pace was nowhere near the subdued run he had planned, so even the ebony blur had begun to feel the strain on his legs and energy reserves. Easing to a halt near the tree, Amy was lowered to her feet and gladly took the opportunity to stretch her legs out for a spell. The slight breeze kicking up only the loosest flower petals and catching them in a swirl around her liberated form, subtlety reflecting the growing light of the dawn, which his crimson eyes could only describe as poetic.

"Wow, Shadow! This feels so good!" she said, her smile echoing through the air into his ears. "How did you know about my spot up here?"

He nodded towards the branches of the tree above her "You're not the only one who comes here to think. Though even I didn't know this was your hideaway until a small piece of paper was carefully balanced on my nose a few days ago."

A small blush crept into her cheeks "And you knew it was me all along, didn't you."

"Who else can carry a perfume like that and wear it so well?"

The red hue she wore intensified. Never in her life had someone told her she was beautiful, not even close to it. Yet there is was. Emanating from someone whom, a week ago, Amy would've never considered speaking to her like this. Letting that thought do it's own wonders inside her, Rose sat down under the shade of the leaves and looked out into the world beyond "I've come here since I was a little girl. As far back as I can remember. Whenever my parents fought or Sonic stood me up, I'd come here. Not just to cry, but to listen to the wind and watch the stars light up the night sky."

Shadow took a seat next to her, noting the small swell of water threatening to breach its way out of her eyes.

"It was like, out here, I could be free again. I didn't have to worry about Sonic, my family, anyone. Almost like you, Shadow. At least, how you used to be."

"I'm afraid it was never that easy," he replied, gaze now matching her own focus on some meaningless point far away, "From the moment I was awakened from my stasis chamber on the ARK, I was indoctrinated with a single thought; perfection. Absolute perfection in thought, in physical and mental power. And for that singular ideal, I sacrificed more than I realized until now."

The way his voice pitched around itself, no longer monotone and rough but filled with lost memories and abducted moments in time certainly caught her attention now.

"All the time I was able to spend with Maria seems so insignificant now, looking back at those moments we could've shared. Once, she even tried to get me to dance with her, to the tune of a music box the professor had. I don't even remember why anymore, but I refused to do so. Even I don't remember why I did that anymore."

"Too bad" Amy added, "I bet you're a great dancer too."

Somehow, whether it was a simple subconscious slip or a methodical move, his arm had snaked its way around her waist near the grass. The same way her head now rested back on his shoulder, pink and midnight fur well entangled. And there they lay, in silent memorial of things lost. Until Shadow asked a question she had never seemed to ponder.

"Tell me about them, Rose."

Her ears perked in curiosity as her jaded eyes phased back into his ruby ones "About who?"

"Your family. What was it like to grow up around people who knew you, who cared about you? What were they like?"

"Well, my father…tell the truth, he was a lot like Sonic. Fun-loving, free-spirited, but noble to the end. And my mom, she was probably the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. There were times when things got kinda rough in that house, but still, I know they loved me very much" the tears had finally burst through now, and almost instinctively, Shadow brought his other hand around her, clutching the flower against his torso, "Where are they now? I've never heard you speak of them."

Rose's answer was long in coming, but once it was revealed, he understood why "They're dead."

Dammit! "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to revive such an unhappy subject."

"It's alright, Shadow. I just… I still miss them so much…and then to do what I did…" the rest of her sentence was lost into sobs. And the darker hedgehog had to think of something, quick. He pulled Rose out to arms length, cupping one hand under her chin and wiping away the sadness with the other as softly as he could.

"That doesn't matter, Amy. I'm sure even now, your parent's love for you has never changed. And it never will."

Her emerald gaze, bloodshot though it was from the tears, began to clear with fresh light "Do…do you really think so?"

"I know it."

Finally, the sadness cracked away to let that vibrant smile shine through again. And as delicately as the flower for which she was named, Amy settled back into the arms of the one person on the entire world she felt completely safe in. With her muzzle buried into the ivory badge on his chest she whispered "Thank you, Shadow. For everything."

Shadow gave his own smile, closing his own gaze as he stroked her quills.

The star of the day had crept well past its highest point and begun it's long trek back down by the time either of them really moved again. And that alone was due to the rumbling of Rose's somewhat vacant tummy. The first solid rumble caught a sigh from Amy and a chuckle from Shadow, but neither relaxed figure moved. Then the noise intensified, refusing to be denied. Finally, she began to stir out of her comfortable embrace "Always at the worst time," Amy chuckled.

Shadow kept his grin solid, offering his arm "Oh well, I suppose we should be heading back anyway."

Amy gladly took the offer and was swept right back off her feet into a supportive cradle and blinding speed. It was a much too quick of a trip back to the flower's house. And the sight that greeted them when they arrived was definitely not the sorrow-clouded monument they had expected. The house looked near perfection, outside well tended to and nurtured. The front door that had been blown to splinters, replaced now and succinctly mounted in place. Perched on it was a note, which Shadow read aloud "'A lil something to make you two feel more at home. Let me know if Charmy looted your cupboards again. X-O-X-O, Rouge.' Humph, looks like someone thought ahead." Carefully, he lowered his flower to the ground and opened the newly furnished entrance. Inside, the faint scents of fresheners and cleaners greeted them. Yet most everything looked in proper order, the furniture and décor was neatly arranged and even the vases stocked with fresh flowers.

"Looks like everything is in order" Shadow commented, despite it being his first time actually seeing any of her house.

Her ears didn't even register the words passing through them. Instead, she was fixated on the floor in her bedroom. A spot that now gleamed an unnatural clean. The sheet once tattered and torn around her arms had been replaced. Even the broken shards of her wine chalice were swept away. Like everything was back to normal, ignoring the aura of depression and rejection that had tried to invade not long ago.

"Not quite the same anymore, is it Rose" his voice suddenly stronger and a lot closer.

She rubbed her fingers along the bandages that now protected her healing wounds "It's just…it feels strange, that's all. From here, you can't even tell anything happened."

Those two strong arms snaked their away around her once more in an effort to ease that troubled mind "But what matters now is that the stains have faded, just as this will. Into memory. Never again will you have to fall this far."

Her hands reached up to link with his, a small sign of acceptance. His grip around her spiked into a squeeze before it fell away. And the instant it did, she could feel the discomfort of the cold again.

Amy's steps slowly traced back towards Shadow, away from such sadness and into a more…unusual scene. The midnight warrior was in her kitchen, thoroughly digging through various cooking devices and utensils. She couldn't help but let loose a small giggle "Shadow, what are you doing in there?"

He stood back up and cocked both an eyebrow and a large saucepan in his way "What does it look like? You must be famished after all that hospital gruel."

"Well, yea… but, do you actually know how to cook anything?"

Shadow nodded "I saw the echidna making something called 'chicken parmesan.' Pretty sure I can duplicate his success."

Amy's grin began to widen as she watched him move about her house with a confidence like he had always lived there. And deep down inside, she began to feel the final shield around her own heart start to collapse. Maybe she had been wrong about him all along.

Maybe they all had been wrong.

Now, the sequence of events should make a bit more sense. I apologize again for my slight fubar. As always, reviews are always welcome!