I promised this week- I give you, this week. Welcome back!

A little thing that should be noted: because Sonic's thoughts are italicized, I decided to put Amy's inside said brackets: [Sonic is hot!]Carry onnnn…

---

Shadow waited beside the armed guards in patience, before the palace doors, and tried not to

smile to himself.

I'm an ally, so they only accompany me with two guards…what a joke. They could have had

every guard they have on me… I could still take them all.

Suddenly a confused, startled set of blue eyes peeked out at him cautiously, and a thick scarlet

bang intruded them briefly before a delicate feminine hand swept them out of the way.

"Shadow?" Her voice was incredulous, disbelieving. "What are you-"

"I apologize." He said lowly, arms folded and eyes closed- seemingly a tad too proud to look her

in the eye while saying it. He'd had to practise actually saying that without choking on it on the

way there, because he did detest to say those words. He didn't hand those out often. "You were

right…" Another he gave sparingly. She was watching him with a strange fascination, curious as

to why he'd decided to pay her a visit.

"It's all right…I know I was. Glad you caught on." She found herself feeling flustered, watching

him with great interest. He's as handsome as Sonic…hopefully not as arrogant. I wonder what he

wants here? He then revealed his ruby eyes, scrutinizing her wearily. "Do you have company at

the moment?"

"Besides you?" She was still blinking in surprise, and shook her head slowly. "No, not at all!

Erm…" She flushed at that, sounding a little too eager to have some. "Would you like to come

in?" She stepped aside, widening the space into the palace, and it was then that they both noticed

Elias. Her temper flared, and she grit her teeth in annoyance.

"Elias are you eavesdropping? You're being rude!" She hissed, and it was as if he hadn't heard

her. Her brothers good-natured, mocking grin was still in place as his eyes danced between the

two before him curiously.

"So you weren't lying- you did actually speak to a guy last night. And here I thought he was

imaginary. Way to go, sis-EUGH!" He hacked as her elbow swiftly found its way into his gut,

delivering him a humiliated glare before turning her embarrassed gaze back to Shadow. He was

smirking.

"You told him we spoke?"

"We're close. Unfortunately a little too close, it seems." Her eyes narrowed with mutinous

resentment at her sibling, who was now blatantly grinning madly. "We're almost ready to go to

the hall for supper…you're free to stay if you want." She turned her back to him then, shoving at

a chuckling Elias as she began to stomp off. Shadow cast Elias an amused glance before pursuing

the princess, who discreetly checked with her peripherals to make sure he was indeed following her.

This was when she smiled again.

---

With a little luck

We can help it out

Yeah, we can make this whole damn thing work out

There is no end to what we can do together

The willow turns its back on inclement weather

And if he can do it, we can do it…

Just me and you.

---

Amy's words, spoken mere moments ago, repeated in his mind as he devoured the possible meanings.

'Talk to me…talk to me…talk to me…'

Where to start?

She was staring at him wide eyed now, one of her hands weakly reaching for him before

dropping to her side again and again. She was conflicted on how he would react to her.

There were so many ways he could kick this off, but he decided trimming the edges and getting

to the meat was the best plan of action. His mind raced with what the most valuable thing to

discuss was, and then his tongue allowed the item that cropped up the most to leap out.

"Are you with him?" He tensed visibly before her eyes, and the question actually stunned her. Of

all the things she'd expected him to say, that was definitely not one of them. He was looking at

her now squarely in the eye. The look there was a lethal blend of fear, condescendence, and

dread. The tone in which he asked sounded better placed on the lips of a scared person, asking a

doctor 'well? What are his chances?'

He did not sound like Sonic.

Sonic was endlessly confident- Sonic didn't know what fear was.

She was still trying to figure out the person in front of her.

No, this was definitely the Sonic she'd been observing in the club.

Only worse.

And the fact that this question had pushed itself to his forefront made her all the more suspicious about her theory.

It was easy, in the bliss of intoxication, to assume that his affectionate manner that night was

genuine. But the chances of it being genuine was about as genuine as her bliss had been, under

the veil of alcohol. It changed things. It made serious men (like Knuckles) dance to Spice Girls

fearlessly- it made level headed girls into sleaze-bags. In this case, it was possible that it could

also make a stand-offish, unaffectionate self-absorbed hedgehog into a fool-hardy, rambling ooze

of would have trusted last night, if they had been sober.

But she knew all too well, she would never be certain- not after over 8 years of evasion from this

guy- that one drunken night was going to change him.

She had to know the change- she had to accept it as she was now, not blinded, aware.

And…

Well, tit for tat. She wasn't going to find out anything unless he got to find out a few things for

himself. She'd give some answers… and she'd get some.

"No." She said simply, frowning slightly. "We've decided to stay friends."

His eyes were wide, and he stared almost stupidly at her face, as if trying to find some hint of

sarcasm or a joke there. When he observed only honesty, he felt a blend of relief, confusion, and

re-kindled confidence.

Whatever last night was, I don't even give a shit! It wasn't enough to keep her with him…now

she's here. Now she's HERE! And… I look like a homeless man. Jeez, the timing of everything is

so flippin' perfect. I didn't expect her, I didn't even- God, what do I say now? Think, think- what

were you going to say last night, Sonic?

SONIC?!

"Oh!" And when he blinked, it was as if the Sonic she had always known had just woken up.

Some other Sonic had previously been taking residence. He folded his arms then, his body

seeming to become unglued from the previous tension, and one of his feet casually tossed across

the other. She felt her teeth grind firmly as she recognized this.

This was Sonics well welded shield.

And with that in place, she was never going to get the straight forward conversation she was

looking for. She had to chip through this guy to get back down to the bare Sonic- she had to find

a way around this in order to get her answers. "Well that was random! Did you have a nice sleepover?"

The ebbing, sarcastic witticism was out of his mouth before any form of logic managed to block

it. You did not just start with that. You just- man, SHUT UP, stupid! She doesn't know you were even-

"So you were looking for me last night."

Oh. Well, then. Shocker number two!

Think.

THIIIINK, stop staring at her and think before I lose you completely here!

She approached him wearily, meeting him on the crest of the hill he was locked onto, and

inspected one of his un-gloved hands.

"Sonic… did you have a fun run last night, or do you just like scaring the crap out of your

friends?" She looked at him heatedly then, and ran a finger down a scrape that donned his inner

palm. "Would you start telling me what this is all about? I was so worried…" She observed his

hand bashfully then, smaller fingers dancing over the bare hand, her brow furrowing at the

imperfections randomly nicked into the surface. Amy was fussing over him, as was her custom.

Instantly, he felt his chest jump start into a frantic, loud rhythm.

He knew he should be speaking right now, but her eyelashes were grabbing morning rays in an

infuriatingly distracting sheen…

Oh, jeez.

Yup.

YUP!

There you go.

Too late.

Too late, I'm leaving you! I'm sorry man, you're on your own.

I've lost ya.

---

Sonic's POV

I was thoroughly confused to find Amy- finally- poking through the little shell she'd been in over

the past couple of weeks. I existed to her again, and it wasn't just because she was drunk. For

this, I was vehemently grateful. At last, signs of life!

Although I could feel her presence taking it's usual toll on me, I had to try to push that aside this

time. Not being able to think straight would complicate things. But this was it- this was my crack

in the fortress that I could slip through- now was my chance more than ever.

I had to try to win Amy back.

I couldn't let anything else get in the way- not even me.

I could not lose Amy, to anything.

I cleared my throat noisily, hoping to be as direct as I had been- it was so much easier to do so

when I felt I had nothing left to lose at all.

"Amy- why, uh- why these dudes, all of a sudden? Did I miss a memo or somethin', or does

Knuckles randomly look hot to you now?" I asked- sounding so Sonic is hurt- and she glowered.

"There's nothing wrong with Knuckles!"

"Keep telling yourself that." I snorted, and got a smack on the arm in response.

"Sonic, give it up! Stop teasing me! I asked you to tell me what this is about- do you know how

scared for you I've been? Don't you realize how frightening it is when someone like you just up and-"

"Someone like me?" I guffawed, feeling rather special. Someone like me…

"Sonic without you, we're screwed! What if Eggman chose that night to sneak into town and-"

Er, not feeling so special anymore…

"That's it? That's what this is all about? The hero?" My laughter was sad, bleak. "Oh, man…"

"Sonic, you know it isn't just that! You should know by now that…" She began barking, and her

anger always made me want to laugh- she was so cute when she was mad. I always thought that-

always. It was so fun to tease her sometimes, but I would end up paying for it in the end…

"…and you- Sonic are you listening to me?!" She growled, and I jumped, looking at her with

wide, vacant eyes. She huffed noisily, folding her arms. "This is hopeless. I don't know what I

expected to find when I found you, I should have known you'd just be the same, arrogant-"

"W-wait!" I panicked, taking her arm as she began to turn from me. She looked at me warningly,

and I bit my lip in an effort not to smile.

Do. Not. Laugh. Or you're getting the hammer and the boot.

"Amy, please- I'm sorry, keep goin'." Shocked to silence for a moment by this apology, she shook her head to clear it and re-direct herself to what she was previously saying.

"Sonic… I was scared for you. I barely slept. And now you're not even going to tell me why?"

Her eyes were pained, hurt. Her bottom lip quivered ever so slightly, and I hated that I'd upset

her. It was all just a stupid, exhausting misunderstanding- and after all the hell I'd put her

through in the past 24 hours, I was still being a jackass.

How do I manage?

"Amy… what am I to you?" I asked, ego deflated, and I stared at her with the same tired eyes

that had greeted her when we first met up. I was done with Sonic the hero right now. I was done

with him, because he was the reason Amy and I could never be together in the first place- he was

not going to help anything now. "I mean…jeez, I know I protect you guys but Tails- he sees me

as his brother. Knuckles…well, alright I have no idea with Knuckles-"

"You know Knuckles loves you, Sonic." She reprimanded, but her voice was soft now. She was

silent for a long time, the crease in her brow deepening as she thought, and then she looked at me

uncertainly- as if what she was about to say might be the wrong thing. "I…Sonic, I-I don't- of

course you're my friend. Why would you question that?" Amy frowned thoughtfully, putting her

hands on her hips. "I care for you so much- I-I'm closer to you than anyone else in the world.

But, that's that. I'm tired of giving you reasons to want to be away from me- we should be happy,

shouldn't we? I don't want to agitate you any more. Isn't that what you wanted?… Tell me! Isn't

that what you've always wanted?" The biggest surprise of the evening? Was the way my chest

was filled with an empty, dull feeling at the word friend. (Ouch!) On her lips.

Alright, Sonic. That ain't normal.In fact, that's... what you're here for. So why are you just

standing around here wasting time? You are doing the same damn thing, AGAIN. You are doing

what you always do, and you can't afford to- you've got to speak up.

'STEP UP!' Tails voice echoed in a thundering boom in the back ground.

You know that you and her can't just be friends anymore.

Your brain can't take it.

How did it come to this?

At my extended silence, her worry deepened, so she continued on.

"Well? That's what you wanted, right? I mean, I can try it out, obviously...well as you know, I

have been." Man, she sounded so proud when she said that. Ow, Ames. I mean give a guy a

break, right? I mightn't be the... ok I'm far from the best boyfriend out there, I'm a pretty

complicated guy, but-

Whoa, slam on the breaks. Boyfriend?!

I remember there was a time when the very flash of that word in my mind would make me cringe, or go into cardiac arrest.

But now…

"You're left alone. And I've got a date. Problem solved, right?" The slightly befuddled look on

her face, and a lone wave of pink choosing at that moment to fall before her pretty green eyes,

made the lump in my throat all the more difficult to overcome.

[Sonic, just because I have a date doesn't mean they've moved into this space you've

permanently taken residence in within me…don't you know me better than this?]

"I..." I thought that's what I wanted, until it actually happened....

[Choking up again. Again! God Sonic, for all the heroism you get in and out of, can't you muster

something- anything for us? This is the end of the line and you're going to crack up on me again?! Come ON!]

"You what? Turned me down? What, did you expect me to try to throttle you into it, like I did

when I was little?" A tiny tinker of a giggle.

[You have no idea how strong the urge…]

I really wished she would just smack me in the head and smarten me up. I was going down with

the ship again here- being around her seemed to send my brainwaves into a haywire tangle- all I

could register was how much she affected me. I was suffocating with the fear of losing her- and I

bet you my red sneakers, in following that same stupid habit, I was losing her. How factual she

looked then, delicate hand now moving the intruding lock of hair. I noticed the pretty ring

Shadow had given her- which had been his surprise of their first date, as Tails had faithfully

informed me- right in front of me. If jewels could taunt, I swear it would be going 'nyah nyah

nyah nyah nyah, nyah! Sonic sucks! Shadow wins! Sonic reeks of faaaaiiilllyahhhh...'

Ooh, my blood was boiling just looking at it, just because it was his, and now it was hers, and it

meant something, but what? That they were dating now? No, they were just friends- remember?

Bah. I hated it! And it was purple. Purple! Amy would look nicer with a Ruby. Or a diamond.

Or... just not purple! That wasn't among her favorite colors to wear. That was so Rouge, not

Amy. I mean, how dare he, of all the colors- I should give her something to replace it! She

wouldn't miss it...

"Sonic, hello? Mobius to Sonic? Are you listening to me at all?" My eyes shot up to her face

now, which bore annoyance, but a touch of amusement. She cocked her head to the side, then her

hip matched the movement, and her hair fell over one shoulder. Her small smile of understanding

confused me. It was so frustrating. Why couldn't I just know what she was thinking?!

[…I'm such an idiot. I'm such an idiot. SEE? See what I did there? I shouldn't have come here.

He was just drunk last night, end of story. Anything I or anyone else thought that it meant…get

out of here. Abandon mission. He doesn't love you- go. Go, where it's safe. Run.]

"Ah, you're probably busy with something. Sorry if I'm holding you up. I can catch you later,

I've got to get a barbeque started at Shadow's place anyway-"

"A-Amy w-w-wait, no!!" Ok, so I panicked a bit when she turned abruptly and walked, starting

to leave. Sometimes I forget that people can't leave me as fast as I can leave them. Something

about the way Shadow's place made me feel... I looked up from where I was glaring at the

ground, and took note of laughter in her eyes.

[So cruel. I am so cruel. But that was my last card to use to pull him out and talk to me. That's

more like it. Be careful. Play it cool, girl. This might be you and your wishful thinking again…]

"What, you're opposed to barbeques? I can make you a salad..."

"Ha, ha..." I rolled my eyes sarcastically. "Well... Well Amy, look- isn't it a little, you know-

rude to walk off in the middle of a..." I trailed off at her sharp look, instantly regretting where I was going with that.

"Don't. Even. You are the KING-"

"I'm sorry, I know, I know, I'm..." My ears drooped, hand unconsciously flying to the back of my

head. "I never said it was ok when I do it, either." Man, am I losing here or what? Is there a pause

button or anything? No? Aiyyye, I think I need to come up with somethin' sensible...dammit, why can't Tails read my mind?!

[Uh oh. Maybe he's starting to lose it. You knew it was possible one of these days, can't say you weren't expecting him to go off the deep end a little earlier with all the machines Eggy uses on him…]

"Sonic..." She began, raising a brow. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine!" I laughed "Ok, no, actually... well, maybe I could use a screening." She observed me silently for a moment, her bright eyes blinking in confusion.

[Definitely lost it. Great. Well, there goes the neighbourhood.]

"Uh... is something wrong?"

"No!... well... actually, for whatever reason, this week has really sucked for me. Talk about bad

karma. I mean loads, crappy." I confessed. More like I want this week to jump off a bridge without a bungee chord!

[Wait a minute, this is warming up a bit…]

"And what's with you and Shadow anyway? Shadow? Actually... what is it with you and

everyone? Knuckles? Even Knuckles, Amy? Wait, scratch that. TAILS, AMY!!!" I thundered

comically, and she opened her eyes as the blast from that passed, smirking.

[Oh. My. God. He's jealous! He's actually jealous! He cares that I went out with other people

after all! HE CARES!! AHHHHHH- ok, ok, ok calm down…]

"And why are you concerned, you're friends with all of them, do you see some problem with them?!"

Whoooaaaa. She got me good there, man.

"No, but- I mean are you really..." I grimaced at the ring, and taking note of that, Amy abruptly

folded her arms, shoving the ring clad hand out of sight.

[Just say something- he's starting to crack open! Say something bold- crack it wide open, he's

bound to tell the truth! Don't you know how long you've been waiting for this Amy?!?!]

"Really what? Dating? So what? Don't you think it's time I moved on?" She chuckled, and if I

hadn't bit the inside of my cheek, my mouth probably would have fallen open. Well excuse me!

"Whut?" Was all I could manage, swallowing harshly. For some reason, the idea of her

elaborating on that made my stomach lurch. I almost wanted to say 'enough, no more!'

...but, I'm stubborn as hell. And hey, I can take pretty much any heat.

[He's just shocked. Take that as an invite…it's Sonic, he can't keep this up forever, he doesn't

have the patience to do this all day. Come on, aaaany minute now…]

"Well? There's no reason stopping me. I'm single. There's lots of single cute guys..." Ok, uh- I

cannot take that heat. Time out! I turned my head and cringed. Eww, tell me she wasn't talking

about the guys. I mean come on, what was so cute about them, really?

Eugh... really.

[Oh, he's so grossed out! Here it comes!! HERE IT COMES!!!]

"What? Amy, you seriously don't think..." I didn't know how to get it out without offending her.

"I mean you don't really like any of them, do you? Come on. You would've tried something earlier than this."

Besides, they never spent their time saving her. I was the one who saved her from the Egg

Carrier, from Eggman Nega, from Metal Sonic-

[Damn. He actually spun it around on me!]

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Her face flaming said otherwise. "B-besides, didn't you want to be left alone?"

"But..." I paused, thinking her question over.

Truth be told...I never realized what being alone was until this week.

"Wasn't I always bugging you? Too demanding? I mean I thought we were past the point of that

already- remember? You'd stop running away all the time like a bad joke. I agreed to stop being

a pyscho path- I suppose would be the appropriate term." She snickered casually.

"Amy..." I said reproachfully. Sure, sometimes she was over the top, but wasn't everything in my

life?! Nothing bad about it. Just... You know.

That's just me, and Amy.

And that's about the moment it hit me.

I stood blankly for a moment, mind thrumming with this fresh, frightening- but undeniable fact.

Amy was the only girl who had ever grown to understand that. She was the only person to

understand me wholly and know with full confidence, in fact, that she fit.

She fit the craziness!

Unlike nearly everything or everyone else, who couldn't keep up with the ludicrous demands of

my life- Amy, like the rest of the gang, kept up with me. Not only did she keep up, but she was

almost always there to help me on my missions- be it saving the world or grabbing something to

eat. She went from complaining about it to being one of the best on the team, a strong weapon or

a good laugh. She'd come a long way- she'd changed, but I guess I did as well. And as I know

she wouldn't be lying, she insisted that she stayed where she wanted to be.

She was there. Fighting for the better good, free living- now almost as passionately as I do, and

having as much fun at the same time. But she wasn't just there during battles- kind of like

Knuckles. She was always behind the scenes. She gave me some of the only moments in my life

that made me feel like something besides a weapon against enemies. In fact... I observed, smiling

guiltily to myself, that I'd barely lasted a week without saying something to protest. I wanted those moments- I needed them.

And she knew it. She had to, for all the work she had me doing over these past few weeks. And I

realized, in my stupid, typical, too-late fashion, that I really couldn't see myself without that. Her

ways, both complex and simple, of getting to me and somehow staying near me had become a

valuable part of my life. And I was going to lose that, the only person who could possibly look at

my long list of setbacks as someone to love & still say 'I'll take him' by the end of it- still

grinning in a mad anticipation to have me.

Without Amy, I was alone.

No person could fill such a mammoth portion of my life, that I'd unconsciously already signed

over in permanent ink to Amy Rose. She was just in front of me- still staring at me, blinking

with those puzzled deep greens, lashes impossibly dark and flattering. She had no idea what an

enormous epiphany I'd just had.

She was just that same old Amy Rose from the years of my past and also Amy Rose the reason.

She was the feeling.

Amy was the face in my head needing me to make it through battles, the creator of a different,

more vulnerable me.

Amy was everything her birth name claimed she was.

Beloved.

My, beloved, Amy.

The very name that could wreck everything, or make it happen. She was all of these things at

once, without even knowing it, without trying to.

Only Amy put me through such domestic chaos- such annoyingly simple but charming girl tactics

that always ended in her getting her way, but I wasn't quite complaining. The way we worked

had been something I took for granted- one too many times, as it was obvious- but it wouldn't be

something I'd fail to rescue this time. For all the hell she gave me, I couldn't imagine not having

her around- in every way.

Dammit, this is why I said I should stick to day saving! The pounding in my chest in the silence,

waiting for a verdict was more terrifying than it tapping out a rhythm amongst explosions, robots

and evil geniuses.

Even if this was all brought on by me, and... the small fact that I wasn't getting nearly all of her

attention. Ok, all of the attention. Bypass that, y'know?

Eh... I'd distract both Shadow & Knuckles from those facts later.

I stood in front of Amy, after all that had happened within the time the war had started- which

felt more chaotic to me than any mission I'd ever been on- not to mention more torturous. I

wished desperately, by the end of this, that I would have come out stronger. I'd willed myself to

believe that after everything I took on and down in my life, after all I'd endured- a simple, girlish

mind game wasn't about to get the better of me. But it had. It HAD!!!

Sure, I was the world's greatest hero- not to mention the fastest- but I was still a 23 year old guy

with... concerns, shall I say, that could use some dealing with.

[He is never going to change. This is it. This is all it is, all it ever was. Just leave, before this gets out of hand…]

I'd learned my lesson.

And I couldn't lose Amy Rose, not to anyone, not to anything.

She was most definitely and surely, my meant to be.

Things had already changed, and I had to stop fighting against it- because I was hurting myself and her.

I had to make sure that this wouldn't go on any longer.

"Sonic, listen…"

I was going to let her in, and I was going to do it right.

So, I did it in the most Sonic way possible.

"Amy, I need you to do something very important to me." It was with an unwavering urgency

that I said this, silencing her into a saucer-eyed nod.

"I've wanted this for a long time. But not like this. Not with me standing here looking like I just

got out of a garbage can…" I was laughing now, but she was smiling half fearfully- her eyes still

tight with curiosity and anticipation.

"I know I ask ya to wait for me a lot. I want this to be the last time, alright? Amy, please- meet

me at Caos De Oro tomorrow. I won't let you down. I'm promising you, do ya hear me? I'm

gonna be there waiting for you." I blurted, not thinking whatsoever- and that

seemed to shell shock her. "6:30. Bring an appetite, and shoes you can dance in." I tapped the

two demands out on fingers, then addressed her with a cool, confident smile. "Ok? Can you do

that for me Ames?" She nodded once, shocked. It was clear I had thrown her a curve ball, and

just in time- my absolute nervousness from both this and what I knew was coming tomorrow was

taking the piss out of me.

"Cool. OkwellI'llcatchyathere!" I rushed, and did what I was best at- I ran. Like a bat out of hell.

And she only managed to blink twice, before I was out of her eyesight, her lips curling into an

intrigued, warm smile.

[Sonic, why do I even bother trying doubt you? You drive me insane. I love you to bits, yet you're

such a handful. I could know you until I die, and I would never get you or the way you think. But

one thing is certain. I can always count on you to save us- no matter if it's from Eggman, the world- or ourselves…]

"Tails."

"Mnnghhh..."

"TAILS! UP!"

"Uggnnnhhh- whuuu?"

"It's Sonic. And you owe me. So you better get your two tailed butt outta that bed."

"I was nappin'- Whuddu I owe yeh?" He groaned as he began to wake, rubbing his eyes as he grinned.

"Don't act like you never took Amy out before, you little freak." I teased, elbowing him,

encouraging a blush as he slowly came into awareness. "But you can make it up to me- see, I'm

in a bit of a jam."

"Go on..."

"I asked Amy to go out with me tomorrow night."

"YES, FINALLY!" THAT got him out of bed, as he pumped a fist into the air. "You did it, you

moved you stupid-" He froze up, eyes sliding up to my flustered face slowly. "Uh- it's a great

idea. But what's the problem?"

"I told her to bring an appetite and shoes she can dance in."

"Smooth!" Tails cackled, jabbing me playfully, then he blanked. "Uh..." He held a pointer finger

to his lip. "I'm still not seeing the problem."

"I...kinda don't know how to dance...like that." I confessed with the scrunch of my nose, clearly

embarrassed.

"That..." He nodded ruefully, snorting as he folded his arms. "That could be an problem."

---

At, last…

My love has come along

Oh, and my lonely days are over

And life is like a song…

-3rd person-

"Mr. Sonic?" Cream's voice piped up wearily, noting the sour expression on the blue

hero's face. Tails, one hand clasped in Cream's, the other around her waist, paused

mid dance to glance over at the moody looking hedgehog.

"What is it, Sonic- did you have another dance in mind?"

"No. No, that's not the problem, Tails." He said dully, lifting his head from his hand,

a saucy expression taking over.

"Um…then…" Tails seemed stumped, shrugging helplessly as At Last by Etta James

played on in the background. It was then that Sonic sat up, tilting his head to one

side with attitude to the person sitting uncomfortably to the right of him.

"I'd like to make a formal complaint about my partner, I think I got jipped man."

Tails lips trembled with the threat of laughter, but Cream openly tittered out in a

girlish tinkering. "I mean am I supposed to take this seriously-"

"SHUT UP! You think you have it worse?! I haven't been stepped on this much since

the time I got stampeded at a Mina Mongoose concert!" Knuckle roared, and the two

were in each others faces, snarling wisecracks to and fro. Tails looked apologetically

at Cream with a sigh, kissed her hand before dropping it, and approached the mayhem.

"Guys. …hey GUYS!!!" He yelled, putting his hands in between them in an effort to

thrust them apart. They at least listened, glowering moodily over at their instructor.

"Look. Sonic, you asked me to help you to learn how to slow dance-"

"You danced to More Than A Woman idiot! Whadda ya call that?" Knuckles accused.

"You call DISCO a slow dance? How stupid are you Knucklehead?"

"GUYS…" Tails tone was warning this time, and this for some reason shut them up

quicker than the yelling. "Please. Listen to me. Sonic, you need to learn to slow

dance for tomorrow evening, and this isn't the only thing you need to get done

before then- so I suggest you use the time wisely, guy partner or no partner.

Knuckles… you told me ages ago that you would like to know this-"

"Rouge likes dancing to jazz music…" he confessed embarrassedly, arms folded as his

lips twisted angrily at Sonics enormous smirk. "She doesn't like it so much when she

runs the risk of…um…"

"Getting her toes broken?" Sonic, as per usual, couldn't hold it in. A mitt-clad

studded hand was instantly pointing in his face.

"Don't you-"

"Don't start…" Tails growled this time, and stomped his foot in impatience. Then he

felt a gentle hand on his arm, and he looked down to find Cream's smiling, warm

dark eyes. He couldn't help but smile back at her, and she nuzzled his shoulder

secretly before moving toward the unsuspecting men before her.

"Excuse me, guys…" They both shut up at once, surprised and slightly embarrassed

looks gracing their features. Nobody liked to be a jerk even near Cream- never mind

at her. She clasped her hands before herself with a hint of nervousness, but her

smile was assuring and genuine. "I know that this might be embarrassing for you,

but I think you need to forget how its making you feel right now. After all… you're

not doing this for yourselves, are you? You're doing this for people who mean a lot to

you. Think of how happy it will make them!" She beamed, eyes closing happily, as

the two guys in front of her furrowed their brows in guilt. Throughout the silence

their guilty expressions morphed into sheepish smiles aimed at the young girl, and

they exchanged a look of compromise before nodding in approval.

"Alright, Cream- Tails. Let's take this from the top, huh?"

I found a dream

That I could speak to

A dream that I could call my own

I found a thrill to press my cheek to…

---

It was many painful steps- both for the feet and for the mentality of their trainers-

that Sonic and Knuckles finally learned to slow down, calm down, and move with

fluid grace to the silky slow rhythm. Though by the end of it they were nearly

embarrassed to tears, having to dance close and hold each other like a lady (they

argued bitterly over who would lead and who would be the girl. Cream called it in the

end, and to the rage of Knuckles, he became a lady that night- Sonics need to learn

lead surpassed his own) it was with gratitude, warm embraces and praise that they

left the poor young couple to their own devices to relax. They vowed to meet up at

the Caos De Oro tomorrow afternoon, as they were helping arrange the event as

well. Sonic was very grateful, seeming absolutely jittery, but above all else elated

and relieved- things were finally clicking into place.

It was outside Tails workshop doors and into the cool air of the fresh new night that

Knuckles turned to him curiously, silence spreading like the blackness.

"Sonic…" The blue blur jerked his gaze up to him almost startled, taken from his thoughts.

"Whut Knux?" He murmured, staring at the points of Knuckles mitts.

"So…you're really goin' through with this, huh?" Sonic blinked questionably, looking

up to Knuckles face to find a kind of masked curiosity twinkling there.

"Yeah! Yeah…guess I am, dude." Sonics exhale was shaky, nervous as he looked

away again, slightly bashful. He heard Knuckles shift beside him.

"You're actually going to do it this time though…right? No showin' up late or not at

all?" At this Sonic glared back at him, his eyes wide with determination in the twilight.

"I am gonna to be there. No matter what happens. You can bet your mitts on it."

Sonic sounded firm, certain. It surprised Knuckles to hear Sonic speak in such a

serious manner.

"No thanks, I kinda like these." Knuckles hands tightened around his folded arms,

and he fell back into silence, staring up at the sky as he most often did on the shrine.

"Do ya love Rouge, Knux?" The question was like a tree falling on the unsuspecting

echidna, taking him off guard completely.

Knuckles stared bewilderedly over at Sonic, who was staring at one of his open

hands near his side. Knuckles opened and closed his mouth uselessly for a moment,

blushing so hard the burn was almost painful.

"I, uh- what?"

"C'mon, don't you know?"

"I- yes." He blurted, and surprised himself with his own answer as it came without

question. He hadn't realized it before- never really stopped think about it, but…

"Yeah, of course. Why?"

"Well, then…" Sonics brow crevassed uncomfortably for a moment, and it was his

turn to blush. "Well wouldn't ya do just about anything at this point, if you'd hurt her

like I did?" The two stared at each other for a lingering moment, before they both

turned identically from each other, flustered and humiliated.

"I see what you mean, Sonic. I gotcha." Knuckles nodded, back on to his oldest friend.

"Yeah- well- ah- thanks. We, uh… we gotta stop slow dancing. It's making us talk like girls."

"Agreed." They both turned to face each other at once, exchanging their ancient

hand shake as their cheeks began to return to their regular color.

"Alright, I'm heading over to Mina's to work out the set with her- man, who knew

organizing jazz like this was so hectic?"

"At last minute, like you always do."

"Better than not. Have a good one, Knux- I'll catch ya tomorrow."

"Later Sonic- oh, Sonic!" He grasped the hedgehog at whiplash speed, in hopes to

stop him from blasting off at blinding speed. Sonic turned to him swiftly, brow

creased in confusion.

"Yeah?"

He looked even more confused when Knuckles clapped him with a mitt about the

shoulder, smirking slightly.

"Good luck, you know- tomorrow. Telling someone somethin' like that, well, uh… you

must be scared shitless."

Sonic huffed out a frightened breath, proving the statement to be true, and laughed.

"Way past shit baked. But overdue."

"Well…I've seen you come out of some big messes, man. I…well I'm sure you can pull

this off. Amy…you know, she really does-"

"I know she does." Sonic smiled, but it wavered worriedly. "I hope she does." Then

he frowned, and the two of them shook their heads, moving away from each other.

"Damn… no more slow dancing."

"NEVER more slow dancing. So wrong…"

"This is not right, man. Are we sick?"

"We just need to be away from each other right now… go lift weights or something,

for the love'a God."

"Will do. Have a good one, True Blue."

"Tomorrow, Rad Red."

And the pair broke apart in the crisp night air, one toward a peaceful slumber in

paradise, the other to spend the night working out kinks and having on and off fits of

nervous anxiety.

No amount of jitters were going to discourage who we already know to be Sonic this evening.

Sonics work was far from over.

He went through the motions, rehearsed, bounced from person to duty, and finally-

sitting before his mirror in the swell of the night, exhausted and ragged, he decided

to rehearse the most crucial point again. And again, and again.

It was sliding into his rarely used sheets, admiring the bracelet that sat atop them

before placing it securely back into the box in his night stand, that he began to feel

the swarm of nervousness again.

Tomorrow.

And he battled that off the same way he had the rest of the night prior to that

moment, sighing sleepily against his pillow.

I wonder how she's sleeping tonight?His mind soothed him how it usually did, when it rested on her.

Amy is going to love it, Sonic. Don't worry.

"Amy's gonna love it." He murmured near unintelligibly into his pillow, before

falling into the welcome, blissful black velvet of dream.

---

Oh the veil, the sickness, the doubt, the intoxication, the allure, the confidence…

The strength, the confusion…

The essence of love.

What is love?

Ask it, and at once you'll know it immediately by name, yet never fully understand it.

We know it exists, but does it?

We feel it, but we know not how, or why, or the way in which to explain it.

The world's greatest sought luxury- the world's greatest unsolved mystery.

Where is it? Why is it? How is it?

All those questions become irrelevant, once it is attained.

All that matters is, it's yours.

It is not the how, or the why, or the when it will happen that is essential to keep it.

Not even the who will matter- for you do not choose the who, either- even if you'd like to.

It is the what.

What will you sacrifice? What will you compromise- what will you risk, what will you devote-

what will you give? What lengths are you willing to go to?

What will you give of yourself to keep love within grasp's reach?

Know that the answer at the very end, is nothing.

Being that there is nothing- no hardship, no struggle, no barrier that will overcome the honesty

of love.

For nothing, is what will stand in the way of honest love-

Nothing will ever be worth it's absence.

Nothing.

-Yours Truly

---

Finally, we have arrived at my absolute favorite chapter in this whole story!I believe I wrote this one coming before any of the others.

Sonic has plans.

Big, BIG plans.

I suggest you all wear your finest tomorrow at the Caos De Oro!

-Mish

P.S: I spaced it like this to beat off the wall-of-text demons, don't be hatin'! Thems the breaks.

I do despise the way it looks, but at least it's legible. Forgive me. 83

---

Caos De Oro: Golden Chaos, Chaos of Gold

Songs:

Paul McCartney - With a Little Luck

Etta James - At Last

Poem: The Eternal Q Michelle R.