Ah, not at ALL surprised you all prefer my romance over my mediocre action/adventure. Good thing I do, too. But there will be more action coming up, though it'll take me some time to plan it out.

Ashley3, SherryHedgehog, kizziefoshnizzie, IHeartSonamy, Stendylover, Mike Prower the Fox, sparksthehedgehog26, Jacklethekitsune, Moonstone the Wolf, Amyfan111, UltimateCCC, rugtugba, Alyssacookie:

What can I say? Thank you all for sticking with this story through the action and the fluff! Right now my plan is to add a romance chapter at least at the beginning, and then do a little action intro and...why am I telling you this, ya gotta read the dang story!

...

Chapter 23: What You Need

"Tails," Sonic said and placed a hand on the foxes shoulder. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to break it."

Tails closed his eyes. "It's okay, Sonic. I just wish you'd be a little more careful, atleast sometimes..."

Sonic looked down at the broken portal. It really didn't look that bad...but then again, what did he know about machines? Tails had said he'd have to start all over...but somehow Sonic doubted it would come to that.

"Don't worry, Tails," Amy said and approached him from the other side, smiling. "Sonic and I will help you fix it."

Sonic's eyes widened and his jaw dropped, but a stern look from Amy silenced him. Tails turned around and his eyes ping-ponged between the two hedgehogs, not sure if he wanted these two to come near his portal ever again. Now Cream's help he'd take, and even Silver and Blaze...but with Sonic's impatience and Amy's temper...

"No, don't worry about it guys," Tails muttered with a sigh.

"Good, because I haven't gone running in a while-" Sonic said, relieved, as he lifted a leg in anticipation.

Amy glared at him. "Sonic the Hedgehog!" He froze. "I cannot believe you! Tails is your best friend and you just ruined the machine he'd been working on forever and you're just going to run away? I don't think so, mister! You are staying here and helping!" She yelled at him.

"Ok, ok, I'll help," Sonic gave in as he raised his hands defensively. "Yeesh."

"We'll help, too," Silver offered as he and Blaze came in hand-in-hand.

"Oh, I couldn't ask you to do that..." Tails said.

"No, we will help," Blaze insisted. "After all, it's for us, and you've been nice enough to build it in the first place."

"Oh, it's nothing," Tails said and hinted at a smile. "This is what I love to do. I'd probably go crazy if I didn't have something to tinker with."

"Like I go crazy when I can't run," Sonic muttered, but Amy elbowed him.

"What Sonic means to say is that we're glad to help," Amy said sweetly. "Just tell us what to do, Tails."

He smiled and surveyed the 5 of them, feeling his eyes well up slightly. "Awww, you guys are so awesome to me..."

"Well jeez..." Sonic said and started nougying him. "You're our little brother, after all."

"Are you two really brothers?" Silver asked.

"Yeah, can't you see the resemblance?" Sonic joked, and Tails laughed.

"No, and you two are nothing alike," Amy said. "Not a single thing in common. Besides, isn't that sort of impossible?"

"Not really," Tails said. "If the parents are two different species, than the kids can be either species. It's actually better that way, because it diversifies the DNA of the offspring."

"So it's better to have inter-species relationships?" Blaze asked and tilted her head.

Tails nodded. "The kids may end up being stronger and healthier."

"Well, too bad," Amy said and gripped Sonic's arm.

"Uh, Tails, what is it you want us to do?" Sonic asked uncomfortably, fighting his blush.

"Okay, let's get to work, then," Tails said and started giving orders. "Sonic - go to my storage shed in the back and get these parts, ok?" he handed Sonic a list, and the hedgehog sped away. "Blaze - think you can do some soldering? Great. Amy, would you untangle these wires for me? Thanks. And Silver - I need you to hold this up for me while I screw it in."

They all started getting to work on their various jobs, although Cream was left idle. "Tails, what would you like me to do?" she asked him sweetly.

"Cream," he said with a smile. "You just stand there and look pretty," he winked.

She blushed, and Amy gushed, "Aw, how sweet. I wish Sonic-"

Sonic returned in a gush of wind, with parts in hand. "Amy, you weren't talking about me behind my back, were you?" he asked her lightheartedly.

Amy lifted her nose in the air. "How else am I going to? You're so fast, I'm always behind your back," she quipped.

They all chuckled, and Sonic went over to her after putting the parts down. "Well, not now..." he whispered and brought a hand up to her sweet face and started gently caressing her muzzle, both the softer side and the slowly healing gash. He saw Amy frown slightly when he touched it and knew she was self-conscious. Sonic brought his fingers to her silky lips.

"No, no frowning," he whispered. "You still look lovely, but no frowning, 'k?"

Amy found it impossible to frown in a few seconds, when Sonic's lips were suddenly caressing hers and forcing them into a smile. She let go of the tangled wires and instead ran her fingers through Sonic's quills as he did the same to hers.

"Uh, Sonic? Will you help Amy-" Tails paused when he turned from the machine and saw the hedgehogs kissing.

"Looks like he's already helping Amy," Silver said with a chuckle.

Tails rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. Sonic reluctantly turned, and Amy rested her head on his chest.

"Can't you see I'm busy here?" Sonic said.

"And so are the rest of us," Tails said. "But we're actually working. Now c'mon, help her with those wires."

Sonic's green eyes turned to the mess of wires and scrunched his nose. That certainly didn't look like much fun. He was about to let out a groan when an idea hit him.

"You know," Sonic said with a grin. "I know something that'll make us work faster."

Oh great, Tails thought, for he knew exactly what Sonic had in mind, and it wouldn't help him work at all. Not that he had been in the first place, but still. Tails watched Sonic rush over to his stereo and turn it on, and soon hip-hopish beats filled the workshop. Sonic started headbanging and dancing to the quick beats.

This is what u need...

"Sonic-" Tails protested, but Sonic merely ignored him and kept dancing and was soon joined by his girlfriend. The hedgehogs twirled each other around the workshop.

U don't stop, u proceed, cause this is what u need

U don't stop, u proceed, cause this is what u need

Soon Sonic and Amy were joined by Cream, and the rabbit and Amy clasped hands and jumped around while Sonic went into breakdancing.

Silver looked at Blaze. "Heck, why not?" he shrugged, and joined in on the fray. Blaze just blinked and played it safe on the perimeter.

U don't stop, u don't stop, u don't-u don't stop, u don't stop...

"C'mon, Tails, have fun for once in your life!" Sonic beckoned.

"You big goof off," Tails replied evenly.

"You big party pooper!"

"See what I mean?" Amy reminded everyone as she frolicked around the workshop, giggling in pure joy.

This is what -this is what - this is what - this is what - u need, what u need...

"C'mon, Blaze!" Silver beckoned his girlfriend.

The cat just shook her head and watched her boyfriend zoom around like crazy, though she couldn't help but softly giggle at how awkward he looked. Oh, her Silver. The next thing she knew, however, Amy and Cream were pulling her into the middle and dancing with her, but Blaze pulled back immediately, blushing and having no desire to make a fool of herself.

U don't stop, u proceed, cause this is what u need

The rest of them kept dancing to their heart's content, giggling. Sonic was going nuts, spin dashing and breakdancing, when suddenly the music ceased for a second before turning into a more soothing tone. Sonic froze and glared at his sly-as-a-fox best friend who'd changed the music.

What if I told you, it was all meant to be?

Would you believe me, would you agree?

"What happened to What U Need?"Sonic complained, but he had to stop as Amy placed her hands on his shoulders and was now staring deeply into his eyes. Her face got closer and closer until their lips met again, and Sonic could find nothing more to complain about. He'd gotten what he needed. Amy continued to kiss him as her leg popped up before resting her head on his shoulder as they slow danced.

Some people search forever for that one special kiss...

"Princess?" Silver offered Blaze a hand. "Would you honor me with this dance?"

Blaze smiled at him and took his hand. "I'd be delighted," she said as Silver kissed her hand and pulled her onto the very cluttered "dance floor." She admired his wonderful eyes for a second before whispering, "You don't have to call me princess, Silver. I'm really not one anymore."

"So what?" he whispered back and pulled her closer. "You're still my princess."

Something so tender, I can't explain...

"Cream?" Tails asked her, but the rabbit was already nodding and giggling. Tails took hold of her waist, and she followed suit by holding his shoulders, and the two joined their older friends for some slow dancing.

Oh I can't believe it's happening to me...

Some people wait a lifetime, for a moment...

Three pairs of lips met.

Like this...

The three couples reluctantly broke from the lip-locking, but continued to stare into their partner's eyes. Not surprisingly, it was Amy who broke the silence.

"Aw, that was so romantic!" she gushed and wrapped Sonic in a hug.

"Yeah, it sure was, Ames," her boyfriend chuckled as he ran his fingers through her quills again. "Sure was."

...

While our heroes were busy partying, goofing off, and kissing, a certain dark anti-hero was busy trying to find out what the Eggmans had been up to. The ebony and crimson hedgehog made his way through the new base, using his speed to go undetected. Of course, being without a Chaos Emerald as his faker had taken all of them after the last battle, he would have to make due for now without Chaos Control. Until he could take them back from said faker.

Overhearing voices, the antihero paused to listen to the two maniacal geniuses plot their next move.

"Don't you understand, Eggman? Sonic thinks he's won, and is now relaxing. Now is the perfect time to strike."

"Yes, it would be ideal, wouldn't it? Unfortunately, they are relaxing for a reason: the 14 Emeralds are in their possession."

"Maybe so...but they don't have this," Nega grinned evilly and typed in some commands, prompting an image of a blue staff to appear on a monitor.

"What is this, now?" Eggman asked reluctantly, not willing to admit his ignorance. "Your new toy?"

"Ha. This is the answer to all of our problems: the Jeweled Scepter. I have been trying to get my hands on this for ages. Legend has it that this ancient artifact has even greater power than the combination of the Chaos ad Sol Emeralds. It is also said to be the key to unlocking the Power of the Stars, which controls the very fabric of space-time and what allows both dimensions to co-exist."

Eggman blinked. "If we could tap into that power, Nega..."

"I see you are catching on," Nega sneered. "We would be able to either merge or destroy both worlds. Either way, we'd be in complete control."

Eggman mused for a minute. This was the best news he'd heard all week."So what are we waiting for?"

"Well," Nega said. "I do not have it now, but I believe that it followed the Sol Emeralds into this dimension. It is the parallel to the Master Emerald and has just as much, if not more, power."

"Well, it would certainly behoove us to find it. We may have a chance against Team Sonic after all..."

The shadowy spy turned to leave. Of course, Sonic was a fool to think that he could have all this time off and that the Eggmans would lie dormant. He huffed and made his way throughout the rest of the base, looking for other clues. Of course, he'd have to work alone, but this he was used to. The others usually got in his way, anyway. Shadow had never heard of this Jeweled Scepter, but it sounded like something big was about to go down. And Sonic and his pathetic little team were too busy being lovey-dovey to see it coming.

...

Yeah, so I don't own What U Need, that song is from Sonic Rush. I don't own A Moment Like This either, I think it's Kelly Clarkson. Both songs are copyrighted and all that jazz, not trying to steal them or claim them. :) The Jeweled Scepter is from Sonic Rush Adventure, Sonic Wiki it if you care enough.

"What? You are just going to add me to this story again?"

Shadz? What are you doing down here in the notes? You can't be in both the story AND the notes.

"It's called Chaos Control."

I thought you couldn't use Chaos Control without a Chaos Emerald!

"..."

Well, you came two chapters too early. I've been adding you in chapters that end in a 5, and you jumped the gun. Like Sonic, actually.

"I'M NOT SONIC!"

You're right. You don't have a girlfriend. :P

" ...I will not succumb to petty, fake insults. The fact that I do not rely on others is a sign of strength, not weakness."

*rolls eyes*

"And the fact that you have to keep stealing ideas from games and songs shows your weakness as a writer and a lack of creativity."

...:O...O_O...Oh no you - Fine, you know what? Fine. Just insult me like that. I see you're forgetting that I'm in charge of this story, Shadz.

"And now you will do the immature thing of pairing me with some girl that I've never even met"

Ha, that'd be being nice. No, I'm not giving you a gf, at least not this story. Oh no, I got bigger plans for you, as well as Sonic and co. And to my readers, I know this is going to upset you...but the rest of this story is going to be mostly SonAmy and Silvaze with some action. Hope you're not all too upset... May be a while til the next update, though. I'm going to be working on my other projects while I outline the rest of this story.