Chapter 4: Is It Enough?

Estella laid on her bed staring at the ceiling blankly. Lately everything just kind of sucked for her, sure she had both her parents back, but they weren't completely there with her. Her mom was busy worrying about her dad, and he didn't even remember them anymore.

It seemed like maybe this family was just cursed to never be with their loved ones. She couldn't help but feel like sometimes it was her fault. She knew it sounded crazy to even think about it, but she couldn't help it, when everything went to pot after she had been born.

There was a soft knock on her door, she turned toward it. "Come in," she sighed.

Cream popped her head in, a smile in place. "Hello Estella, I haven't seen you since earlier."

"I was with my mom," Estella said dejectedly.

Cream came in and sat on the bed, stroking a hand over Stella's quills. "Oh sweetie, she'll wake up soon I'm sure of it." Estella looked at the older girl, eyes wide. "What?"

"No one told you?"

"Told me what?" Cream asked her voice, holding an edge of worry to it.

"I thought for sure uncle Tails would," Stella pondered thoughtfully. Cream gave her a 'get on with it,' look. "Mom woke up earlier today."

"What?!" Cream yelled eyes wide, then a look of hurt washed over. "No Miles never mentioned it to me."

"I'm sorry," Estella said suddenly, noticing how tense Cream was. "Don't be mad, it's stressful all around."

"I'm not mad," Cream sighed. "Just hurt."

"Do you want to see her? I was just about to go look for her." Stella asked, trying to lift her aunt's spirits.

"Sure sweetie," Cream smiled and ruffled Stella's quills much to the hedgehog's dislike.

Amy peeked around the corner into the living room and found it empty, much to her relief. She was hoping to avoid everyone, so they didn't see her come in from outside.

"Amy? Why are you sneaking?" She jumped nearly a foot and whirled around.

"Harrison," she rested a hand over her heart. "You should really make more noise when you walk."

Harrison blushed. "Sorry."

"It's fine," she smiled at him as her heart rate returned to normal. "I wasn't sneaking-"

"Sure, looked like it," he laughed when her cheeks dusted pink. "Don't worry I won't tell anyone I saw you come in from outside."

"You're an angel kid," she ruffled his hair.

"Mom!" She turned a smile lighting her face at the sound of her girl's voice. Her smile widened when she saw Cream. "Auntie Cream wanted to see you since she hasn't yet."

Amy met them in the middle and crushed Cream in a hug.

"Amy I was so-" Cream sniffled.

"I know," Amy said, her voice shaky once more. "But it's ok I'm still here. I'll always be here."

Aurelia watched Shadow from a slight distance, trying to stay back because she felt slightly out of place whenever she so much as looked at him.

'Why do I kid myself,' she wondered dejectedly.

Suddenly she felt a hand wrap around her mouth and pull her to the side, it happened so fast she didn't even get a chance to react.

"What do you think you're doing?" A voice growled in her ear. "Are you trying to ruin things?"

She pulled the hand down and glared at the person. "I was having a good time with a new friend."

"It wouldn't serve you very well getting close to anyone other than Amy," he said with a flat look. "If you would rather follow your fate then please-"

"Wait-" she said defeated. "I'll focus harder on the mission."

"Good, have you found her?" He asked.

"Yes," she sighed. "I was heading to the house she lives in now, before you pulled me away."

"Good," he said with a smile.

"Why can't I make friends?" She wondered, sounding pathetic.

"You are destined for some great things, if you focus on love, you will lose it." He said sagely, his green eyes flashing.

"Sure." She said, "Can I go now?"

"I will follow from a distance," he said, nodding as she walked away.

Knuckles and Silver walked far back from the two girls as they chatted about them. Silver knew they were because at certain intervals both would send deathly glares back at them.

"She could've been a little nicer," Knuckles mumbled, his arms crossed. Both boys had red hand shaped marks on their cheeks, Silver's looked a bit singed.

Soon the girls disappeared inside, and they hung back hoping to give them some space.

"Man, girls are so weird," Silver said, shaking his head as he leaned against the building.

"You're telling me," Knuckles said with a sigh as he looked up at the sky. "Think there's a reason they're so hard to understand?"

"If we could understand them, we'd all be women," Silver shrugged.

"You two look like idiots." A new voice stated.

"Good to see you too Shadow," Knuckles grunted.

"I don't know you," Silver turned to the black hedgehog. "But I can tell you're an idiot."

"How can you-"

Shadow tapped his cheek making Silver blush.

"So, what have you done to upset her this time?" Shadow asked a belittling smirk in place, directed at Knuckles.

The echidna frowned heavily, his cheeks staining slightly pink. "I kinda saw his," he pointed to Silver, "friend's underwear."

"We're just lucky to have survived," Silver sighed.

Shadow turned with a roll of his eyes about to say something when he stopped. "Where did she go?"

"Who?" Knuckles asked, confused.

"Amy's cousin, Aurelia." Shadow's brow furrowed slightly. "She was just behind me." He turned back to the two boys. "I'll be-"

"Relax would ya," a girl came up behind him giving him a slight smack on his back. "I'm fine, it's not like I'm some pathetic damsel."

"Well, being part of Amy's family, you're all a bunch of danger magnets." Shadow rolled his eyes at her.

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes right back.

"Yep," Knuckles chuckled. "Definitely related to Amy."

"I don't believe we've met yet," Aurelia said in a friendly tone, totally different from the tone she just used on Shadow. "Aurelia Rose."

"Name's Knuckles little lady," he stuck out his hand and they shook.

She then turned to Silver only to gasp slightly.

"What's wrong?" Silver asked worriedly.

"Nothing," she waved it off. "What's your name?"

"Silver."

"Hm, fitting," she gave a small laugh. "Let's head inside then guys." She walked in ahead of him.

Silver watched her slightly suspicious of her reaction to him. 'She's definitely on my watch list.'

When he walked in, he was bombarded with laughter. The girls definitely outnumbered the guys by a lot. He noticed a small lavender hedgehog and froze. 'No way!'

"Oh, this is the friend I was telling you about," Blaze's voice brought him back to reality. "This is Silver."

"Nice to meet you," he shook hands with a pink female. She smiled at him, but in her eyes, he could see her distrust of him.

"Same here," he gave her a friendly smile.

"My name is Amy," she said. "This is Estella, Cream and Harrison." Silver smiled and waved at them.

Sonic sat on his bed staring out the window, he knew he was no longer confined in here but couldn't bring himself to leave and face anyone and see all the sad looks.

'It feels so weird to know they know me, but I can't remember any of them apart from her green eyes.' He thought to himself. He ran a hand through his quills. 'Damn this emptiness is frustrating.'

If he listened carefully, he could hear everyone out near the living room area. He could tell they were all happy for the moment and silently wished they would all just stay happy forever.

Suddenly he could hear some walking down the hall his room was on. Then he heard the voices.

"So, why'd you leave?" A younger male voice asked, one he hadn't experienced yet. "I thought you wanted to stay near your mom."

"I just-" he heard the young girl sigh. "I've got to see daddy, while mom is busy with the newcomers."

'Newcomers?' He was intrigued. He heard the footsteps stop outside his door.

"And you're sure you couldn't just tell your mom?" The boy asked.

"Certain. You won't say anything will you?" She asked, sounding unsure.

"Course not," the boy promised. "I'll see you later."

He heard her take a deep breath before his door slowly pushed open. He watched it the entire time. A small lavender head poked in, her eyes mirrored her mothers.

"Hello," he said politely. She stiffened slightly, at his tone, he supposed.

"Daddy," she whispered sadly. There were those eyes again, sadly staring at him as if afraid he'd leave for good. Looking into her eyes he felt a strange pull in his heart, and he knew she was connected to him.

"What's your name?" He asked and she flinched slightly.

"Estella," she said softly. "I'm your daughter."

"You look so much like...Amy." He said, cocking his head slightly. "She's your mom, right?" Estella nodded. "It's strange I feel this connection to you, but not her...well not as strongly."

"It's still there?" She asked, her eyes widening. She unconsciously moved closer.

"I guess you aren't lying, I must be your father." He said thoughtfully.

"Why don't you remember us?" She asked so innocently he felt a stab in his chest.

"I can't say," he shrugged. "It's like my brain was reset or something."

"I have a question-" she blushed as she looked at him. He gave her a look suggesting she go on. "While you were gone...how did you feel?"

"Scared, lost," he said thinking back.

"N-No," she stuttered embarrassed. "I mean when you were out there, running?"

"Running?" He quirked a brow at her. He thought back to that dark time as he ran around not knowing where he was or where to go. He tried to focus on when he ran, he was fast and knew his name suited him. "I felt...happy?"

She clasped her hands and smiled brightly for the first time since she walked in. "That's good."

"It is?" He asked, scratching his cheek embarrassed as she giggled.

"Mmhmm," she hummed. "It means you're definitely still my daddy."

"I guess my name certainly fits," he smiled at the little girl. Without warning she suddenly flung herself at him, wrapping her small arms around him. His eyes were wide.

"I know you'll come back soon," she whispered before kissing his cheek. "And we'll all be happy again."

He smiled at this optimistic child and wrapped her in a hug. In that hug he felt nearly whole, just a small dark spot in his heart that he couldn't place.

She pulled back then, "I better get back before mommy gets worried, I'm gone." She hurried to the door. She stopped, her hand on the knob. "Come back soon," she glanced back a smile on her face with a few tears gathered in her eyes. "I love you." And she was gone.

Sonic felt a warmth spread through him; one he hadn't felt since he'd woken up. He would try, even if the voice insisted, he didn't, for that little girl.

Amy watched from across the room as her friends interacted with the newcomers. She couldn't get Silver's eyes out of her head; they seemed eerily familiar. But the voice she remembered didn't match.

"Why are ya sulking?" She turned towards Aurelia, as said girl poked her in the side.

"I'm not sulking," Amy said defiantly.

"Really cause you could almost rival Shadow, with all the angst rolling off of you." Aurelia said, sticking out her tongue.

"I'm not angsty," Amy scrunched her face.

"Then why don't you interact with those two," Aurelia asked, looking towards Blaze and Silver as the purple cat lectured the silver hedgehog. "They seem like cool people."

"I trust you," Amy said, smiling slightly at her cousin. "It's just his eyes-"

"Eyes?" Aurelia said, surprised.

"Never mind it's nothing." She shook her head smiling.

"If you say so." She shrugged and walked away towards the sulky Shadow on the couch. Amy noticed when Aurelia sat down his expression lightened a tad, and she felt a weird feeling in her heart that it seemed wrong. She shook it off.

That's when she noticed Estella wasn't in the room, she didn't panic knowing her daughter wouldn't be out of the house now that the time was later. She also noticed Harrison was gone too, which could mean they were together.

She went to move away from the wall when she saw the girl come back in from the hall leading to the bedrooms. Her heart gave a painful lurch at the thought that maybe Estella had gone to see Sonic. She walked over to the small girl stopping her.

"Stella, where were you?" She asked, Stella flushed.

"I-I went to see daddy," she said in a small voice.

"Did he talk to you?" Amy asked, hoping that he did.

"Yeah, I talked to him about," Stella giggled slightly. "Running." Amy felt her heart jump into her throat.

"What did he say?"

"That it makes him happy," Estella smiled brightly, looking up at her mother's stunned face.

Amy felt like something had pierced her heart, he'd talked so openly with Estella. It made her feel envy, the connection between the two was still there and stronger than theirs. She smiled down at Stella no matter the war in her heart, she rubbed Stella's head.

"Ok, go have fun, I'm feeling tired." It wasn't a complete lie, being pregnant was draining.

"Ok mommy," Estella skipped over to the others joining Cream and Rouge.

Amy slowly backed out of the room, so she didn't tip anyone off to her leaving. As she turned the corner she ran into Orion, literally.

"What's wrong?" He asked, noticing her expression.

"N-Nothing," she whispered, moving around him.

He watched her as she hurried down the hall to her room. He couldn't help the feeling that she was having some difficulties with something, and that maybe she had to be alone and sort it all out.