Chapter Title: The Unorthadox Deal

AN: As promised, here it is!

Chapter 5

The meadow was a riot of colour. The burnt orange Butterfly Weed stood tall amongst the grasses and the prairie. The Prairie Blazingstar stood like tall purple bushy cat-tails. Near the edges of the lazy river grew the blue-violet Wild Irises, tall and proud. It was a place she could go with her sketching pad and draw until the light drained from the sky.

Although a daily visit for her when she was alone, Amy had found it odd yet rather soothing that Shadow had accompanied her to the meadow. It had been years since they had came here together and it was a nice nostalgia. She remembered when they had first gotten married how he would often let her sketch him in the meadow.

A tiny smile formed on her lips as she glanced over at him leaning against a rock with his eyes shut and arms crossed. It was the exact same position she had often drawn him in.

Though her heart felt warmth at the sight of the grand tree that stood proudly between the beautiful meadow. It lifted his branches to the sky as if its very presence was enough to beat back the darkness and command the daylight to fall on its papery leaves. Its bark shone like the right kind of gold, the sort that inspires the mind to heady heights of imagination, opening doors to fantastical kingdoms.

"I missed this." Amy said, running her hand on the trunk of the tree with a soft smile on her lips. "This is where you first proposed to me, do you remember."

"Hn," came Shadow's reply as he watched her prance around happily.

How could he ever forget that day?

He was so nervous that it felt like his heart rate was quickly surpassing the rhythmic beat coming from inside.

And when she said 'yes' he almost felt like everything around him turned brighter. He had let unfamiliar happiness soak right into his bones. He wanted the feeling to still be there when he was old. Shadow closed his eyes and savoured the moment once more, but he could also reflect it in his memories. When they were young and intense everything is felt so keenly.

How he wished he could go back those good old days and give her everything he had promised.

Shadow took in a breath and tightened his hands.

He was going to give her everything starting now.

"Rose," Shadow began as he held her back by her wrist and gave her a serious look. "We need to talk."

Amy looked up at him wearily. "Talk? About what?"

"You bearing that Feral's child."

Within seconds, Amy's face fumed before Shadow but he kept his stoic expression. This was the fastest he had seen her demeanor change. A whole new record but he couldn't blame her for it.

She yanked away from him. "We've already discussed this and my answer stands the same."

"I thought he was growing on you."

She glared. "Just because I have empathy for an injured creature that does not mean I want him to bed me."

"That's not what I meant," Shadow hissed, "don't you want to be a mother?"

Amy sucked in a breath and held back her tears.

She really hated when he used that against her knowing full well that it was not her fault. Why did he constantly have to make it sound like it was her fault? Especially when he knew how badly she wanted to make him a father and make him happy.

Just not like this.

"Yes, I do but by husband not some Feral." Amy said breathlessly as she dropped to the ground and leaned into her hands in anguish.

"You know I can't give you that, Rose." Shadow said softly as kneeled before her and held her face, leaning against her forehead, shocking the pink hedgehog with the sudden affection. "As much as I wish I could…"

Amy's eyes filled with tears as she let tears fall out effortlessly and she wrapped her arms around her husband. She could hear the agony in his tone and she really wished things could be different. She wanted to make him a father but just not this way.

Shadow himself seemed to be holding back his own emotions as he held her against her chest so she could not see his fallen face. He really wanted nothing more but make her happy and being her motherhood. He hated hearing the town speak badly about her when it was all her fault and he knew she would get lonely in the farm.

This was his chance at making her happy again.

He always saw how she would gaze and play with children when they used to go grocery shopping in the marketplace. How she would gaze and talk about wanting to be a happy family when they were first married. And he would promise her to make her a mother one day.

Now eight years had passed and the oldest couple without children and with critics all around. That was how her depression came. The last time he saw her genuinely smile in happiness had been five years ago. And although he knew this was a wild idea, it was the only chance they had to be given a chance at a family.

Shadow pulled her closer. "No one will find out the truth."

"But he'd be born a feral..." Amy whispered against his chest as she sniffled. "what if he goes wild?"

He caressed her back. "Not if we raise him right."

She bit her lip. "What if he gives me some Feral disease?"

Shadow lay his head on top of hers and gave a sigh. "We would of noticed if he had something by now, don't you think?"

"I don't know..." Amy whimpered softly as she shut her eyes tightly to stop her tears, "I gave myself to you and you only so it feels like I would be betraying you…"

"Don't see it as anything else but a deal," Shadow said with a stoic expression as he pulled away from her, turning his back to her. "There would be no love involved."

Amy held her hand out to him wearily but bought it back to her lap with an anguished look. She wanted his comfort. Instead she wiped her own tears away and held her head.

She often wondered if there was even any love involved in theirs since she had felt a void in their relationship for years. This was her chance though. She wanted to make their relationship happy again.

"Alright…" Amy said slowly. "I'll do it… for you...for us."

—•—

Sonic grinned as he found a bunch of remaining chaos with the scent he took from Shadow's farm. They all had hidden deep within the woods near a small pond with flowers booming around themselves. The cobalt hedgehog grinned wider as he pushed himself out of a bush and jumped to the group of playing chaos.

Shadow followed the cobalt hedgehog from behind as he pushed himself from the same bushes and entered the clearing. He was glad he had found the remaining chaos but his mind was elsewhere. He he sat himself by a nearby fallen trunk as he removed set his shotgun down on his lap.

His is wife had agreed but he question remained.

He needed to get the Feral to agree with the whole ordeal.

Shadow gripped his hand on the shotgun and shut his eyes tightly. This was harder than he had expected. He couldn't believe he was going this far to ask another male to bed his wife. Though this was essentially to his future life with his wife and for her happiness.

The ebony hedgehog frowned but shook his head as he held it while looking down at the dirt. There was no room to doubt. With an intake of breath, he said, "We need son and heir for the farm."

Sonic blinked but smiled. "I'm sure you will bare a pup with your mate when season comes," he encouraged as he picked up a purple chao and tickled it behind its ear. "I know most Normals just mate whenever but when season comes is when she's most fertile and will most likely be able to become pregnant."

Shadow was silent for a moment as he watched the young hedgehog play with the chao and crossed his arms as he turned to watch the starry sky. "Her fertility is not the problem," he began, trying to find the right words to declare his proposal. "I am the one who cannot help conceive a child."

Sonic froze on the spot just as he was going to pet the chao on the head and looked up to meet Shadow's cold gaze, unsure of what he meant by telling him this. He knew that some males were infertile, something no man wanted to be, and he felt sympathetic towards him. Shadow always seemed to give this machismo sort of aura about himself so knowing he was unable to conceive a child was something ultimately devastating for a man. For Ferals that was the main goal in life: bearing a child and producing a family to follow in your steps.

"What will happen to your farm?"

Shadow closed his eyes shut and turned to the ground for a moment before reopening them and staring at Sonic straight in the eye and saying, "that is where I need your help."

"You want me to mate with your mate?" Sonic asked, not believing what the other hedgehog was proposing him to do.

Ferals mate with their mate for a lifetime or when one dies. It was an unwritten law to all, and mating with those who were not your mate was something shameful and something no one had ever done. It was in their instincts. How could he go against his own instincts? Better yet, how could Shadow be willing to share his mate with another male?

"Don't think of this as mating." Shadow snapped, glaring down at the younger male who lowered his head. "It's just a deal."

Sonic was silent.

It felt like he was dreaming but it felt so wrong.

He gulped. "I don't know, Mister Robotnik..."

"Please, consider it." Shadow said softly, grasping his shoulder and suprising the cobalt hedgehog in the process when he met the older male's anguished face.

Oddly enough it rugged at Sonic's heartstring and he couldn't help but feel sadness overwhelm him. To go this far and ask him for such a thing... his own alpha. That couldn't be right. It made his mind a mess to even think about it.

"I'll..." Sonic began flimsily, rubbing his nose and looking away. "I wil think about it."

Shadow nodded.

—•—

Sonic lay against the hay in the shed, gazing at the sky deep in thought. Shadow's earlier compromise filling his thoughts.

It all seemed surreal.

If he denied the ebony hedgehog his request what would happen to him? Sonic furrowed his brows in thought as he contemplated things over. Would Shadow turn him into the Officials if he didn't comply with his request?

He shivered at the thought.

It couldn't be true. Shadow was not that type of mobian. He was a kind and prideful man with the best intention of helping a Feral like himself. A man with a kind heart. Right...?

Of course he was.

Shadow had allowed him to stay in his home despite it being illegal.

He should be grateful and repay him anyway he possibly could... but by bedding his wife?

His cheeks shaded to pink as he thought about it and he slapped his hands over his eyes. He shouldn't be thinking such things about Miss Amy. She was so kind and gentle to him. He couldn't do something to someone as pure hearted as her especially since she was the mate of the alpha... right?

Do it for survival. A gravely voice whispered within Sonic's mind.

Sonic's eyes snapped open in the dark to reveal a green glow around elliptical pupils

You may take the alpha's spot as leader if you mate with his mate.

These thoughts clouded the back of his mind in haziness that Sonic was forced to shut his eyes once more in irritation. He didn't wasn't to listen to his instincts. That was the reason he was hated so much and they brought him nothing but problems in life. That was when his mother 's final words rang in his head;

"You must never let to your inner instincts control you or else you will go complete Feral." A light blue hedgehog said as she lay in a den and lifted her trembling hand to Sonic's small cheek."Promise me you will learn to control them, my son."

The cobalt hedgehog opened his eyes once more and his pupils had displayed back to normal and simply displayed his beautiful green eyes. Though this time they held a fierce look within. It was determination and strong confidence. He would not allow his instincts to overpower him and was going to control them.

—•—

The night was silent as the moon reflected into the living room. Shadow sat on his wing chair silently with a book in hand, his eyes focused precisely on the pages on the book.

The wooden floor outside his front door on the patio creaked. He didn't bother looking up even when the knob turned and heavy steps walked into his home and towards his way, stopping in front of him.

A heavy silence loomed between the two individuals. There was a loud cough from the one standing. Shadow paused.

"Yes?" Shadow wondered our loud as he flipped a page in his book, looking up at him.

Sonic took in a breath, looking confident yet serious as he said, "I have my answer."

—•—

Amy lay in bed gazing at the ceiling in deep thought as she waited for her husband to return. Thoughts about his proposition running through her mind.

A few tears dripped down her face as she shut her eyes tightly. How could it be possible that her husband wanted her to conceive a child with another male—a Feral!

She never thought she would ever give herself to anyone else but her husband. Having lost her virginity to her husband meant a lot to her and she didn't want to be with anyone else sexually. Having a monogamous relationship meant everything to her as a belief. This was going completely against that!

With desperate hands she wiped her tears away before he could see and sat up on her bed as Shadow walked into the room, removing his clothes and getting ready to change into his bed wear. She bit her lip, glancing down at her hands, "What did he say?"

Shadow met her eyes. He took in a shaky breath and said,"He'll do it."

I was honestly planning on uploading this 2 days after the last chapter but I had some real hectic issues at school with an instructor that I had to report due to him denying me access to his class but giving others before me approval and it was all a mess and quite stressful to the point of making me cry but luckily it got resolved!

As for the next chapter :) it is finished and ready to be uploaded upon sufficient reviews. (It'll be quite M though XP)