Chapter 9

"Here," Silver prompted, wrapping a red-and-black checkered blanket around Blaze's thin shoulders. "It's getting cold."

"I'm okay," she protested, but gratefully clutched the blanket at her front and blushed as he planted a kiss on the top of her head.

"Wait, are you-" Knuckles started excitedly, stopping when Silver glared at him. "Uh, I mean, sorry it's cold, Blaze!"

"Do you control the weather?" she winked at him. "It's okay, Knuckles. I'm just fine."

"Hi, guys," Amy grinned, waving and skipping down to where everyone was. She sat in between Rouge and Sticks.

"So, how'd it-" Sticks began.

"Not talking about it," Amy exhaled. "Somebody please tell me they brought things for smores?"

"That'd be me," a grumpy voice said, and Amy turned to see Shadow standing there, nearly invisible in the darkness, holding up a grocery bag.

"Oh my God, Shadow!" Amy cried, standing up and grabbing him into a hug, which he begrudgingly returned.

"Hey, how come it's okay when she hugs you?" Sticks complained.

"When you look like Rose, you can hug me all you want," Shadow snickered. Amy pushed him back and swatted his shoulder good-naturedly.

"Wow, I can't believe I've even missed that," she joked. "And Silver, you're here too! Blaze told me-"

"Yeah, I tracked her down," he grinned. "Couldn't be without her for too long, you know. And it looks like we're going to be partners now, Rose. GUN's assigned me to your mission."

"Yesss!" Sticks exclaimed, punching the air. "More partners! More friends!"

"More idiots," Shadow muttered, earning a laugh from Rouge and Blaze.

"I tried to talk him out of it, but he's as stubborn as you are, Amy," Blaze smiled. Silver plopped down next to her and she leaned back against him automatically as he put an arm around her. "So just try not to let him kill you guys, okay?"

Amy grinned at her friends and leaned back on her elbows, letting the warmth of the fire wash over her entire body. "I knew you two were going to get together eventually."

Both Blaze and Silver blushed furiously.

"Okay, if someone doesn't break out the marshmallows, there's gonna be blood," Tails warned, grinning. Shadow tossed the grocery bag at him, but he didn't see it in time and it collided directly with his face, knocking him on his back into the sand. "Ow!"

"Shadow, quit throwing things at people," Sticks sighed, picking up the grocery bag and holding out her hand to Tails. "You all right?"

"Fine," he smiled kindly. "Thanks, Sticks."

Knuckles made a gagging noise. "Get a room, you two. Can we please eat?"

Sticks, looking quite confused, shook her head and passed around the stores supplies while Tails plotted Knuckles' death.

An hour later, everyone was full of smores and laying down around the fire.

"I guess we have to do actual work tomorrow," Rouge sighed. She noted, with a bit of satisfaction, that Knuckles was laying awfully close to her. Every once in a while, they'd brush hands, and she'd feel sparks go off in her stomach. "Where are we starting?"

"Well, I have one of them," Knuckles replied. "Tails found it and gave it to me to guard."

"O'Malley emailed us coordinates for the other two," Amy chimed in. "It's going to be tough. They're in difficult spots, and I have a feeling actually getting our hands on them isn't going to be a cakewalk."

"I love cake," Silver sighed, earning a laugh from the rest of the group.

"I have a few things for you guys before you leave tomorrow," Tails reminded them. "Just some stuff I've been working on that might make your job a little bit easier."

"You're the best," Amy smiled gratefully. Sticks winked at him and he felt his heart rate increase.

"N-no problem," he stammered.

"I should get back," Blaze said suddenly, standing up, wobbly.

"Not by yourself, you aren't," Silver argued, moving quickly and picking her up bridal-style. He was shocked at how little she weighed now.

"Silver, I'm perfectly capable of-"

"You aren't capable of anything right now except for maybe making some toast," Silver noted, and Blaze, feeling the pain of Iblis begin to rise inside of her, didn't protest. "We'll see you tomorrow, guys. Amy, is it okay if we take the floor in your living room?"

"Of course," Amy waved. "We'll be back in a little while."

Silver set off down the dirt path back towards Amy's place. "How bad?"

Blaze felt a rush of affection; he already knew. He didn't even have to ask what was going on. "Not so much yet, but it will be. Just hurry please."

Silver nodded and started jogging. Within a few minutes, they were back at Amy's house, and he set her down on the couch. Blaze could feel a tight fist of pain squeezing her insides, and she gasped at the severity of it.

"I've got you," Silver assured her firmly, laying down next to her and pulling her to him tightly. "You're going to be okay."

Blaze shut her eyes against the searing pain, the only thing easing it being the fact that she finally had someone to protect her.