Author's note: First, I apologize for the long-delayed update. I work in education and just got promoted as a team leader in my sector. We were getting audited, so the first three months were very chaotic and busy. On top of that, I'm working on finishing my Masters degree, which is taking up a lot of valuable time. I tried to pre-write as many chapters as possible before starting work up again near the end of August, but I slacked on achieving that. I usually have several pre-written chapters ahead of me, but I only have one more pre-written chapter right now. At some point, there will be a long delay again because I won't have any more chapters pre-written. I hope you all can be patient with me. I hope the Thanksgiving/Christmas break will allow me to work on chapters again. I promise I will finish this story!

Also, thank you to Duskbrony94, Secretbatfic, LunaShadowMirage, AlicetheFennecFox, Pirilaxa, and RisingZero1984 for the reviews you left in the last chapter. I really appreciate them! Now, onto the next chapter. I promise this story will have a happy ending. Just bear with me!

A month had passed since Amy returned to Tech City, and she stayed in touch with Shadow over the phone or through text messages. However, as the weeks went on, Amy noticed that the frequency of communication began to dwindle. The couple made sure to Facetime at least three times a week, but now it had gone down to one time a week if she was lucky. They still texted, but it was more sporadic as Shadow wasn't always as good at responding promptly. Amy had been busy with rehabilitation for her injury, so she hadn't felt the apparent strain in her relationship until she was home when the loneliness finally hit her. She was no longer wearing a cast but still had to wear some bandages for her stitches.

One evening downstairs, Amy was in the kitchen trying to feed her baby cousin Jon. She had been helping around the house with menial chores to keep her mind busy. She sat at the table attempting to feed Jon a spoonful of yams and peas, but the infant was difficult as usual. "Come on, Jon. You like yams," Amy cooed. Jon whined and slapped his hands down onto the tray attached to his booster seat. He turned his head to his side to avoid the spoon coming in his direction.

Mari-Ann stood at the sink and hand-washed some dishes, smiling to herself and listening to Amy attempt to feed her baby cousin. "He's quite fussy, isn't he?"

Amy sighed in defeat and leaned back in her chair. "I don't know how you get him to eat. He makes feeding time so difficult."

Mari-Ann finished drying a plate and set it on the drying rack. "Eventually, he always comes around." Amy noticed her phone screen light up on the kitchen table and felt her heart skip a beat. She lowered the spoon with mushy food onto the table and grabbed her phone. Mari-Ann glanced over her shoulder momentarily, only to see Amy frowning as she looked down at her screen. "Something wrong, dear?"

The pink hedgehog placed her phone back down. "I thought Shadow texted me, but as it turns out, it was just one of my apps updating."

"I haven't heard you and Shadow talking over the phone much late at night," Mari-Ann noted. "Did you two have a fight or something?"

Amy shook her head solemnly. "Not at all. Recently, it's been hard for me to contact him. He always seems too busy or exhausted to talk to me. He's said it's because our schedules are opposite, but I-" she faltered. "…Never mind."

"Well, as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?" Mari-Ann quoted, hoping to bring up her spirits. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, Honey, and I'm sure he misses you dearly. Despite what Rob says about him, he seems nice. At any rate, when he has more free time, he'll contact you."

"Yeah," Amy sighed. "You're probably right."

"Also, with his…erm, line of business, I can only imagine him being quite busy," the female echidna added.

"—I'm not sure about that," another voice interjected.

Amy and Mari-Ann turned to look at the kitchen entrance, only to spot Rob' O lingering there. He had just gotten back after finishing work.

"And what makes you say that?" Amy challenged, looking at her cousin.

"Look, the guy is still young, good-looking, and has a bad-boy mystery attitude. With the crowd he runs with, I'm sure plenty of beautiful girls are hanging around eager to get his attention," he shrugged as he walked over to the fridge and opened it up. "And I'm sure it gets very lonely now that you're not around, but he has other options available."

Mari-Ann tensed up as she sensed where this was going. She frowned and shook her head in disapproval. "Rob…" she said with a tone, warning him to stop.

Amy narrowed her brows at the teal-colored hedgehog. "Are you suggesting Shadow may be cheating on me since I'm not around anymore?"

Rob pulled out a beer and cracked it open. "Rosy, an older cousin, knows best. I'm a male myself, and I can sense it. The guy is bad news. He's going to hurt you," he warned. "You give him too much credit, but remember he's a criminal with a record."

Amy rose from her seat and glared at him. "How dare you say that. You have no idea how much we are in love. Shadow would never betray me like that! He may have a murky past, but you don't even know him."

Rob returned to the kitchen table with his beer in hand. "Come on, cousin. The guy has been blowing you off with these flimsy excuses for weeks. You're telling me he can't find any time in the day to call or text you back?" he shot back. "If he truly loved you, he'd find a moment."

Amy snatched her phone off the table and stormed off upstairs. She didn't have to listen to this—even if some of his points made sense. "Shut up! You have no idea what you are talking about."

Mari-Ann cringed as she heard Amy's bedroom door slam shut upstairs. "This is giving me déjà vu all over again with her when she was a teenager."

Rob rolled his eyes and took a sip of his beer. "And she's acting just as naïve as she was back then."

Mari-Ann frowned in disappointment at her husband. "Why did you say all those things to her? That's not going to help how she's feeling. She's in a very delicate state right now, Honey."

Rob remained stoic in expression as he sat down and crossed his arms over his chest. "She needs to know the truth, Mari. The guy is dangerous, and I'll be damned if he hurts her."

Suddenly, Jon smashed his hand on the side of the spoon Amy had left on the table. The mushy yam and pea concoction landed on the right side of Rob's face and smeared downward. Jon laughed and clapped his hands giddily at the result.

Rob shot his son a deadpan expression, and Mari-Ann stifled a laugh. "You deserved that, you know. Karma is never too far behind."

The teal hedgehog reached for a napkin on the kitchen table and wiped the mess from his face. "Maybe, but at the end of the day, I know I'm right."

•~•

Back upstairs, Amy paced back and forth in her bedroom, trying to blow off steam. She fumed and wanted to punch Rob's face for talking down on her boyfriend. Her fists were balled up at her side, practically shaking. "The nerve of him...and to think he'd—Ugh!"

Amy looked at her reflection in her standing mirror in the corner of the room as Rob's words plagued her mind.

"I'm sure plenty of beautiful girls are hanging around. I'm sure it gets very lonely for him sometimes."

Would Shadow honestly be tempted now that she wasn't as present in his life? Amy huffed in frustration and shook her head, trying to expel the thoughts from her mind. She had already had this uncomfortable conversation with Shadow in the past, and he had sworn to her that he would never stray from their relationship, and she believed him. Amy walked over to her bed and lay down as she began to skim through her phone. She went onto a popular social media app where users could post pictures and videos of their daily lives. She glanced at some of the photos on her feed of Mighty, Manic, and Knuckles they had posted from last night. Shadow wasn't into social media, but he did tend to appear in some of their photos or videos, but usually not as the primary focus.

Her fingers flipped through Mighty's page, where he updated his profile daily. In the last couple of weeks, it seemed like there were a lot of social gatherings for both charters. As she flipped through some of the images, she started to search for Shadow lingering in the background of any photos. Her finger hovered over one image before she enlarged it. She could see Shadow kicked back on the couch surrounded by a couple of the escort girls from the other charter, one of whom was Honey the Cat, who was always up for a good time with any of the boys. Shadow had a beer in one hand as Honey was cuddled up close to him, and he seemed to be smiling at her in the image. Amy felt her heart drop as her concerns grew.

Amy flipped through more pictures on Manic's profile and spotted a video clip from that social gathering. In the background video of Manic playing beer pong, she could see Shadow assisting Shade, the echidna, with properly holding the pool stick. He stood behind her, showing her where to place her hands on the wooden stick before leaning over her shoulder, practically resting his face in the crook of her neck only to see him whisper something into her ear, which made her laugh and blush.

Finally, in another video from a few days ago, she saw Shadow sitting at the bar downstairs in the basement, sitting next to none other than Lien-Da! The two were doing shots together. She watched in the video as Shadow clinked his glass with Lien before they both threw back three different shots together. Lien laughed in the video and placed her hand on Shadow's arm in a sensual manner.

Amy swallowed the lump in her throat. "You're just paranoid…he wouldn't," she told herself. "You're just overanalyzing everything."

•~•

In Mercia, Mephiles was busy filing away some paperwork in his office. He heard a knock on his open door and turned to look and see who was knocking. A large green crocodile stood in his doorway. "Detective, lovely to see you. It's been a while."

Vector kept a neutral expression "Mind if I come in?"

Mephiles sensed his shortness in tone. "Of course." He gestured to one of the empty seats in front of his desk. "Take a seat."

"Thanks." Vector came into his office and shut the door behind him.

Mephiles sunk into his seat behind his desk. "How have you been since…Espio's passing?" he inquired cautiously, trying to feign empathy.

"I'm dealing with it the best I can," Vector admitted truthfully. "You know, the two of us went to high school and graduated from the police force together. He was my brother. It's been tough doing this without him."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I can only imagine how difficult it must be to endure such a loss."

He sighed. "Yeah, but I keep pushing through."

"Do you have a new partner yet?" the president questioned.

Vector shook his head sadly. "Not yet. The deputy keeps pushing suggested people my way, but I keep telling him I'm not ready yet."

Mephiles intertwined his fingers together. "Time heals all wounds, but what brings you here today, detective?

"Well, it's actually about Esp," he began. "You don't know this, but I'm still investigating his death."

Mephiles looked confused. "I don't understand. He died in the attack. What more is there to investigate? Starline's people were responsible for it."

"According to evidence, he didn't die in the attack. He was killed before the assault."

Mephiles did his best to change his expression. He couldn't allow him to become suspicious.

"What are you suggesting?"

"Well…" he began carefully. "I believe someone within the two charters is responsible for killing him."

"But who would want to hurt Espio? He was an asset to our club. You two have gone leaps and bounds to keep our names out of other detectives' mouths."

"Yeah, I keep wondering the same thing."

"Detective, please. I want to help you," Mephiles feigned concern. "What can I do to assist you?"

"Right now, nothing," he replied. "Currently, everyone within the two charters is a suspect. That's why I also came to let you know I can't be your ears and eyes back at the station. Our partnership must be on hold until I can find the culprit."

"Oh, that's a shame…but I understand," the dark president nodded.

Vector reached out and shook his hand. "I promised Espio at his grave that I wasn't going to rest until I bring this son of a bitch to justice," he stated while staring into Mephiles' eyes sternly. "That's a promise I'll keep."

Mephiles kept his expression neutral as the two departed their handshake. He watched the crocodile stroll out of his office. There was no doubt that Vector suspected he had been involved in his death. The only question was, could he prove that he was involved?

•~•

That evening, in the compound, Manic and Shadow sat in the living room together. Shadow watched T.V. in one of the chairs while Manic lounged on the sofa, cruising through his phone. Mighty had been forcing him to go to therapy for a couple of weeks, and it had somewhat helped, but he was still cautious around his therapist. However, venting and having a professional give him suggestions felt nice.

Shadow felt his phone vibrate and glanced at the screen, praying it wasn't Amy. It was getting harder and harder to avoid contacting her. Thankfully, it wasn't his pink girlfriend but her older cousin Rob. His red eyes read the incoming text from him. "Had a blow-up with Amy this evening over you. I planted more seeds about infidelity. I think she's starting to consider it more. Just a heads-up. She's upset with you for not communicating more."

Shadow's fingers began to type a response back. "Thanks for the update. I'll keep up my part, and let me know of any new developments," he replied.

"Got it," Rob responded quickly with a thumbs-up emoji.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and Shadow and Manic glanced over to the front door. "I've got it," the green hedgehog announced. Manic hopped up, strolled over to the door, and opened it. His eyes widened in surprise as he spotted a familiar face on their front porch. "Hey…don't I know you?"

Shadow couldn't see who was at the door, but his ears perked with intrigue as he heard Manic's comment.

A yellow female mongoose with vibrant purple hair smiled awkwardly on the other side of the door. She had a backpack on her back as she stood there. "Yes, but I don't blame you if you don't remember my name. It was several months ago when we last saw each other."

She was wearing a black leather mini skirt with black fishnets, a crop top t-shirt with a rock band emblem, and had on some gothic-looking makeup. She also wore some black boot heels with silver buckles. She looked somewhat familiar but also different from what he last remembered. "What's your name again?" he probed awkwardly while scratching the side of his head. How embarrassing for him not to remember.

She giggled and offered out her hand for him to shake formally. "It's Mina."

Manic shook her hand formally as he dug through his memories. "Damn it. Sorry, this is super awkward, but…did I bang you or something in the past?"

They stopped their handshake, and she shook her head. "No, not you, exactly…"

Suddenly, Mephiles appeared behind Manic as he came downstairs. "Mina?" he inquired in startlement. He hadn't expected to see the girl ever again. Shadow stared at his older brother as he walked towards the front door and past the living room.

"Oh, there you are, Mephiles. I've been looking for you," Mina smiled.

Manic glanced over his shoulder at the president. "Whoa, hold on. You know this chick?"

Mephiles approached the door. "Yes, don't you recall? I picked her up at a gas station when we were heading to the Southside Charter to stash our…ahem," he hesitated to say any more information in front of the girl. Eavesdropping on their conversation from the living room, Shadow shook his head in disgust as he quickly realized this was just one of his brother's conquests coming back for more.

The green hedgehog scratched the back of his neck. His short-term memory was to blame. "Oh, right," Manic realized.

"Come inside," he offered, allowing the girl inside. Manic moved to the side as she was allowed in before closing the front door. The president placed an arm over her shoulder and guided her into the living room. Manic followed behind them. "This is my younger brother Shadow," Mephiles introduced.

Shadow glanced up from watching television to look at the girl. She was surprisingly cute and looked young, perhaps around eighteen or nineteen. The ebony hedgehog outstretched his arm and gave her a courteous handshake. "Nice to meet you, Mina," he said with a dull tone.

Mina couldn't help but find his younger brother just as attractive, if not more handsome and alluring. He epitomized tall, dark, and handsome—not to mention mysterious. Her eyelids lowered sensually, and she smiled sweetly at him. "Nice to meet you too, Shadow."

Shadow recognized the look she gave him and looked away, not interested in the least. However, Mephiles also picked up on the look she gave his younger brother and felt jealousy boil over. Why did all the females fancy his more youthful brother over him? He cleared his throat, segueing the conversation. "So, what are you doing here, beautiful? How did you manage to find us?" Mephiles ushered her over to a sofa for her to sit, and Manic plopped down on the couch next to her.

"Oh, I was heading through Mercia and saw one of your guys driving through town. I asked them where you were located, and they pointed me in this direction," she explained.

"I see," Mephiles responded. "And what exactly brought you here?"

"Well," she began. "I was hoping that I could find shelter and work possibly through you or your other charter?"

Mephiles raised a brow as she eyed her up and down. "I was under the assumption you weren't a fan of what you saw with our two clubs that day," he speculated.

"I'm not a fan of violence, but I did talk to Misty-Re at the other charter, and she told me about some of the pros of working for the club as a female. I figured it was worth a shot at this point. I'm in a bit of a bind here…"

Mephiles listened to her reasoning before another thought crossed his mind. "Not to sound rude, but what happened to your boyfriend? He didn't seem too fond of us the last time we met."

"Oh, Ash?" She blinked a few times. "He's in jail for aggravated assault, and both of us were vagabonds for the past two years. I don't have anywhere else to go and need money."

Mephiles stroked his chin in thought. "Hmm, a job, you say?"

Mina cupped her hands together. "Please, I'll cook, clean, bartend, anything!"

Mephiles' eyes sparkled as a particular line left her mouth. A devilish smirk grazed his face, and his eyelids lowered sensually. "Anything?" he repeated with intrigue.

Shadow stared at his older brother curiously, eager to see his decision. The girl seemed desperate to be employed, but he wondered if she meant it when she said she'd do anything for sanctuary and income.

Mina gulped and nodded slowly, understanding what Mephiles had meant when he repeated anything. "Yes, anything," she confirmed confidently.

Mephiles outstretched his hand for her to take. "I believe I have the perfect position for you then, my dear. Follow me to my office so I can go into more detail about the job requirements."

Mina placed her right hand into his, stood up, and put on her best smile. "Great."

Manic and Shadow watched as the dark hedgehog led the naïve girl out of the house and over to his office in the mechanic shop. "What kind of job do you think he's gonna offer her?" the green hedgehog asked.

Shadow sighed and shook his head. "Use your imagination, Manic," he droned. "It's my brother, after all."

•~•

In Mephiles' office, the dark president had placed the mongoose in the perfect position—on her back across his desk as he pounded himself into her. Still dressed from the waist up, Mina gasped and moaned as Mephiles fucked her on his desk. He had his pants down to his ankles, his hands hooked under her knees, pushing her legs towards her chest to get the perfect angle. Mina was incredibly flexible and up for anything. "Oh, yes, right there," she moaned.

Mephiles smiled darkly as he continued to pump himself in and out of her slit. He was always up for a good fuck, so having Mina available and willing was a delight in his book. "Did you miss me?" he panted as his hips slammed into her groin.

"Ah, yes," she moaned. Mina whimpered in pleasure, feeling her body's sensitivity heighten. Mephiles was hitting just the right spot, as she could feel her climax building. An intense heat was growing in her loins. "I've been so horny since Ash went away," she gasped.

His eyes traced down to her crotch, where he watched his dick appear and disappear between her wet folds as he thrust in and out of her. "I can tell. Your pussy feels incredible—it's so swollen and hot," he raved, upping his pace more.

Mina cried out as the pleasure became even more unbearable. It was like sharp electricity that felt painful yet good simultaneously. "Aaah. Harder!"

He smirked down at her watching her tiny tits bounce around in her shirt. "You love my cock, don't you?"

"Y-yes," she stammered. "F-feels good."

Mephiles loved the ego boost she was giving him as he fucked her. It made him feel empowered and even harder. He quickened his pace for her. "I love the way your pussy squeezes me. You're a dirty little girl coming all this way for my cock," he panted, and he continued to pound into her.

Mina closed her eyes and turned her head to the side, feeling her cheeks burn in embarrassment. His dirty talk was something else. "Faster, I'm so close," she whined.

He felt her muscles squeeze him and went quicker, eliciting another satisfied moan and whimper. He could feel her muscles beginning to tighten even more around him. "Fucking hell."

Mina grasped the edge of the desk and arched her back as she felt herself climaxing. "Oh, I-I'm," she couldn't even finish her words. "Aaah, ahh."

Mephiles felt his breath hitch as he felt her vaginal walls constricting around his dick. Her pussy felt like a vice, sucking him further inside her with no remorse. He knew she was cumming, and soon could no longer hold in his climax. Her walls would drain him dry. "Fuck," he moaned. His strides slowed, and his dick remained inside her as he poured his seed into her womb.

Mina felt her chest rise and fall as she caught her breath, and his warm ejaculation filled her. Thankfully, she was on the pill, so she didn't have to worry about unwanted pregnancies. Mephiles released his hold from pushing her legs back, allowing them to fall gently on either side of his hips. A few seconds later, he pulled out of her, leaving a pool of semen to secrete from her cavern and onto his desk. She slowly sat up and watched as he cleaned himself up and pulled up his pants. "How was it then?" she panted, trying to catch her breath.

He grinned roguishly at her, still on his high. "Fucking fantastic."

She ran a hand through her tangled purple locks. "So, do I get the position then?"

He grabbed a tissue from a box off a shelf and cleaned up the semen spill between her legs and his desk. She blushed at his gesture as Mephiles threw away the dirty tissues into the garbage bin by his desk. He bent down, grabbed her panties off the floor with her mini skirt, and returned them to her. "Of course, you passed my appraisal with flying colors."

She accepted the clothing, hopped off the desk, and redressed herself. "Great, so what are the requirements for this job?"

"You're going to be a sweet butt for the compound, and you'll help with some packing distribution with some of the other escorts during the day," he explained.

"Huh, a sweet butt?" Mina inquired. "What's that?"

"In essence, you'll hang around the compound to be available for any of my gentlemen if they so please, which includes me as well," he elaborated with a sly grin. "My boys need to blow off some steam occasionally."

She frowned slightly. "Oh, I see…"

Mephiles raised a brow at her reaction. "What does that response imply?"

She nodded apprehensively while tucking some of her hair behind her left shoulder. "Oh, I'm surprised you wanna share me with the other guys."

"I'm not that territorial," he chuckled in amusement. "I have no issue sharing females whom I've bedded. However, if you were my old lady, that'd be another thing."

She finished adjusting her skirt. "All right then, where do you want me to crash tonight?"

He approached his office door and opened it up for her, allowing her out first. "There's a spare bedroom available, but it'll need to be cleaned. In the meantime, you can spend the night in my room," he suggested. She stepped outside his office, and he followed closely behind her. "Allow me to show you."

The president allowed her to link arms with him as the two strolled out of the mechanic shop together. Mighty, Knuckles and Gadget returned to the compound on their motorcycles just as they spotted the dark hedgehog with the purple-haired mongoose. Mighty removed his helmet and eyed the two as they re-entered the house. "Yo, who's the new chick?"

Gadget adjusted his glasses to get a better look at her but came out short with an idea. "I do not recall seeing her before," he answered.

Knuckles got off his bike. "I think I've seen that girl somewhere before," Knuckles noted as he stroked his chin in thought. "Maybe she worked at Finitevus' place," he wondered.

Just then, Manic came outside for a smoke as the three strolled to the front porch for a quick smoke. "Hey guys!" he waved.

"Hey, buddy," Mighty waved back as they got closer. "Yo, who's that little snack that just walked indoors?" he inquired curiously.

"That's Mina. She'll be working around here now that Mephiles hired her for something," he shrugged indifferently.

Knuckles placed a hand on his hip. "Do I know her from somewhere? She seems familiar."

Manic nodded. "Yeah, she's that chick that Mephiles picked up six months ago when we were stashing our inventory at the Southside charter," he reminded.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Knuckles remembered. "She had the asshole boyfriend posing on Mephiles' bike."

Manic cracked a grin and chuckled. "Yeah, man, that's the one."

"But wait, what's with her new look?" Knuckles continued to question as he studied her from afar. "I don't remember her looking all emo-edgy before?"

"Identity crisis?" Manic surmised with a shrug.

"I don't know how she looked before, but I like what I see now." Mighty rubbed his hands eagerly together. "Is she single then or what?"

Manic fumbled in his jacket pockets, looking for his lighter. "Bro, I wouldn't get too excited. I think Mephiles already has dibs on her. He's already hooked up with her again since she's gotten here."

Mighty blinked in surprise. "Hold up, Mephiles was able to pull a beauty like that? And twice?" he gestured. "I mean, I didn't see her from the front, but I can only imagine she must be pretty cute from what I saw from the backside."

Manic shrugged indifferently as he pulled out a cigarette. "Meh, she seems like a groupie to me, so nothing I'd get too hot about. Besides, if she willingly hooks up with Mephiles, what does that say about her?"

"True," Knuckles concurred. Suddenly, the echidna felt his pocket vibrating, pulled out his cell phone, and glanced at the screen: Wifey was calling him. "Shoot, I'll see you guys later. Rouge is calling for our weekly check-in. Night!" he excused himself as he answered the phone and headed indoors.

•~•

It was close to 8 p.m., and Shadow was smoking a cigarette on the front porch. He blew out his smoke into the crisp air as he relaxed. Mephiles opened the door and joined him. His ruby eyes glanced over at his brother. "Hey," Shadow acknowledged before taking another drag.

"Evening," his brother replied before standing beside him and leaning his bent arms over the wooden railing on the front porch. "Mind if I bum one off of you?"

Shadow shook his head and handed him his box of cigarettes. Mephiles gladly accepted and took a cigarette from the pack. Shadow pulled out his lighter and lit him up. His brother took a long drag and exhaled his smoke. "Lovely…"

"I haven't seen you smoke in a while," Shadow noted.

"Well, I just finished having sex with Mina, and it warranted an after-fuck smoke," he chuckled. Shadow shook his head at his comment. "Now that she's with us, I need to find her a room to stay in."

"Let her have Rose's room," Shadow suggested indifferently.

Mephiles shot his brother an odd look, surprised by the sudden offer. "That's very kind of you, but I assumed you would want to keep that off-limit for when she returns."

"I don't plan on having her return," Shadow stated calmly.

Mephiles looked at his brother, even more confused. "My apologies, but you'll have to catch me up, dear brother. I thought you were quite smitten with Ms. Rose. Did something happen?"

"Things have changed," he began. "I decided to follow through with that suggestion you proposed back at the hospital," he explained. "You're right. This place is not fit for her. That's why I'm going to break up with her."

"Really?" Mephiles looked floored by the news but had to contain his excitement. He couldn't allow his brother to see how overjoyed he was with his decision. If he could get Amy entirely out of the picture without having to kill her, it would be his best option. "Hold on, you haven't broken up with her yet?"

Shadow flicked the butt of his cigarette out into the dirt. "Not yet. I've been working on putting distance between us for the past couple of weeks."

Mephiles stroked his chin in thought. "Now that you mention it, I haven't heard you talking to her over the phone for hours like a damn giddy, love-struck teenager," he noted.

Shadow frowned. "It's been hard, but it's for the best."

"You're doing the right thing, you know. What will you do if she shows up here again after you've broken up?"

"I expect her not to stay long when she catches me with another female."

"I'm quite surprised. This seems out of character for you. I never expected to hear you suggest such a cruel plan."

His eyes drifted to the side. "I realize that, but she can't stay here."

"You know what would really set her off is her catching you with Lien-Da," Mephiles suggested with a knowing smirk. "She'd be crushed…"

Shadow looked subdued in expression as he marinated on his suggestion. "Yeah…but that's the plan," he said before he walked off the porch and headed indoors.

•~•

At that same time, back in Tech City, Amy stood in front of her mirror in a pink robe before unraveling the sash only to reveal a matching red lacy lingerie set. She lowered the robe so it rested where her arms bent as she twirled in the mirror, catching her body in different angles. She had to admit that she looked rather fetching and enticing in her seductive lingerie. She thanked Rouge internally for forcing her to buy that matching set, as Rouge had told her a girl should always have a couple of sexy lingerie sets for emergencies.

She snapped some risqué pictures of herself posing in the mirror that she knew Shadow couldn't ignore.

•~•

Later that night, Shadow went downstairs to the basement. He sat at the bar with a glass of whiskey to unwind for the night until he felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out of his jacket and noticed three new messages from Amy. His eyes read the first text: "Missing your princess?" with two images attached underneath.

He scrolled down and felt his heart race as he stared at the first image Amy had sent him. It was just a simple picture of her standing in front of the mirror from the neck down in her red lingerie. He stared hard at the first image, taking in every lovely curve of her body tightly hugged by the lacy fabric. His eyes traced the high V-cut panties that barely kept the mind from imagination.

His face grew red. "Fuck Amy…" he whispered before clicking on the following image.

The following image was Amy sitting on a bathroom counter, looking over her shoulder with a snapshot of her lower backside on display. His eyes traced down her exposed back before landing on her perky ass, where he stared at the thong lace fabric riding up between her plump pink cheeks. He swallowed the lump in his throat before he felt a stirring in his pants. The images utterly turned him on. His fingers danced over the keyboard as he furiously texted back his response; however, mid-sentence of his text, he halted his fingers as it dawned on him what he was about to do. He couldn't lead her on. He may have been slightly drunk, but he knew he had to continue with the distancing aspect. He lowered his phone in his lap, sighed, and deleted the message he was about to send her.

•~•

Meanwhile, in Tech City, Amy eagerly awaited Shadow's response. She figured there was no way he would ignore a text message like this, and she was guaranteed a response or even a call. Perhaps they'd even have phone sex tonight. Her eyes lit up with hope as she lay in bed looking at the screen. She saw the three dots on her screen, indicating that he was writing back. "Got you…" she smiled victoriously. However, the three dots suddenly disappeared on her end. A message appeared under the images: "Seen by the user."

Her brows furrowed in disappointment. "Are you kidding me?" Amy pressed the call button and waited for Shadow to pick up. The phone continued to ring and ring. "I know you're there…pick up!"

•~•

Shadow stared at his phone as Amy's name flashed across his screen for an incoming call. "I can't…I'm sorry," he mumbled. He downed the rest of his fourth drink and placed the glass down before ignoring her call. He sighed and pinched the skin between his eyes in frustration.

He opened one of the sexy pictures she had sent him and looked at it again. Studying it, he felt hot all over, not to mention incredibly horny. He imagined having her underneath him, entirely submissive to his touch. He envisioned rolling his hips into hers, eliciting soft, erotic moans from her slightly parted lips. He could practically smell the pheromones she gave off as he made love to her in his imagined scenario. "Rose…" Shadow dragged a hand down his face as he shuddered, trying to ween off the excitement before he impulsively called her up. "You're going to be the death of me, I swear," he mumbled to himself.

•~•

Covered up with her robe, Amy sat on the window alcove with her face buried in her arms as she sobbed silently. She knew Shadow was lying to her. Their relationship had a palpable strain, and she knew something felt off. Amy heard a faint knock on her door and tried to fix her troubled appearance. "Oh, um, one minute," she said, wiping at her tear-streaked face.

The door cracked open, and Rob' O popped his head in meekly. "Sorry for coming in so suddenly," he apologized. "I wanted to come up here and apologize personally for what I said downstairs earlier this morning," Amy tried to keep her face turned away from him and looked out the window so he couldn't see her devastated expression and that she'd been previously crying. Unfortunately, the teal-colored hedgehog picked up her demeanor and could tell she was distressed. "Cousin, have you been…crying?" he asked tenderly.

Amy shook her head and wiped at her nose again. "N-no, not at all," she lied.

Rob tilted his head and walked further into the room only to catch sight of her side profile. He could see then that her eyes were visibly red and puffy from crying. She looked like hell. "Chaos, what happened?"

"Well, first of all," she started. "You shouldn't have to apologize. I think you may be right after all," she confirmed."

Rob took a seat by her in the window nook. "What are you talking about?"

She rubbed at her right eye. "You know I've been in denial for a while now. I was praying it was just some minor hiccup and would resolve itself, but it hasn't," she explained. "I think Shadow may be cheating on me after all."

Rob frowned, hearing her worries and concerns. He played up and feigned his innocence of being a part of Operation: Breakup. "I'm sorry, Amy. There's a reason I didn't want to sugarcoat it. However, I could have delivered it better, I suppose," he admitted delicately.

Amy finally turned to look at her cousin. "Something is wrong…I need to know what's happening, but I want to talk to Shadow face-to-face. It's the only way to get the truth out of him now. Does he still want to be with me or not?"

Rob shook his head adamantly, disagreeing with her idea. "Rosy, no. You don't need to subject yourself to that," he assured. "If your gut tells you something, stick with your instincts. Facing him and hearing the 'truth' will only hurt you more than necessary. To me, it sounds like you guys are done."

Amy's ears pinned back. "But Rob, I love him. This relationship is worth fighting for, and if this truly is the end of us, then I need closure," she argued. "I don't want it to be but…"

Rob watched as hot tears streamed down her face at the thought of them being finished. She broke down again and flung herself into his arms as he consoled her. He frowned again as he held her in his arms. "He's hurting you enough as it is, cousin. Let him go and move on. Let your heart heal," he urged softly.

"I-I can't…" she croaked.

He rubbed her back reassuringly, scooped her into his arms, and carried her over to her bed. It was late anyway, and he lowered her gently into her bed. "Try to sleep on your decision, cousin." Amy rested her head on one of her pillows as her older cousin pulled down the sheets over her body. "With a fresh mind tomorrow, you'll better understand your decision," he continued. "I know you'll make the right choice." She watched as he walked back over to her door. "Now, try to get some sleep."

•~•

The next day, Amy went to another rehabilitation session to work on her shoulder the following day. As she exited another session and still feeling down, she decided to call Rouge up for advice. She had thought long and hard about her decision, but she needed girl advice and fast. The pink hedgehog placed in wireless earbuds and called up the white bat on Facetime.

Rouge smiled as she spotted Amy on her screen. She was in her bedroom putting on makeup as her phone was propped up against her mirror. "Hey there!" she waved.

Amy sat at a lone bus stop, waiting to be picked up. "Hey, Rouge."

Rouge began to twist up a bright shade of red lipstick. "So, what's up? How's your time been in Tech City?"

Amy sighed. "Not good nor bad," she answered. "It's been fine so far; I'm just feeling homesick."

Rouge frowned at her comment as she finished applying her lipstick. "Aww, that sucks. I know how you feel, though. It's hard being away from loved ones. Don't get me wrong, I love my folks, but Knuckles and everyone else is just as much of my family."

"Speaking of Knuckles, how are you two doing being apart?"

Rouge patted on some blush with a brush. "Well, it's hard, but so far, we're great. He's dropped by a couple of times at my parent's house to see me," she smiled lovingly.

Her heart sank at the comment. If only Shadow could be so kind. "Boy, that's lucky for you…"

Rouge's ears twitched at her tone suddenly becoming melancholy. "Hey, you, okay?"

"It's why I called, actually," she continued. I think Shadow and I are having problems."

"Such as?" Rouge probed, unscrewing her mascara wand.

She groaned in frustration. "He doesn't talk to me anymore. He's always too busy."

"What?" Rouge squawked. "That's ridiculous, Honey. Just how often have you guys been in communication this month?"

Amy thought and counted in her head. "In total, I've probably talked to him five times."

Rouge's jaw dropped at the minuscule amount. "Oh honey, that doesn't sound good. Are you two trying to keep the fire ignited, if you know what I mean?"

"How else can I keep the fire going? I've been doing what I can."

"You know, sexting, phone sex, the works!" she listed. "Knuckles and I were having phone sex once a week until he finally showed up to give it to me in person," she chuckled. "I'm also always making sure to send him a little something to remind him what he's got waiting for him," she winked.

"Chaos," Amy breathed, realizing her relationship was in trouble. "I tried to initiate the first move by sending Shadow a few pics, but he never responded."

"Hmm," Rouge hummed in thought. "Maybe your picture wasn't sending the right message. Do you mind sending it to me to look at? Maybe I can give you suggestions for ones he can't ignore."

"Sure, give me a second," Amy stated as she searched for them on her phone. She attached the two photos and sent them her way. "Here's what I sent him last night."

Rouge waited patiently until the photos appeared on her end. She opened the first one, and her eyes grew wide with approval. "Wowza, that's a gorgeous picture, Amy. Very sexy! I see you included that lingerie I forced you to buy." She clicked on the second one. "Damn, this one's giving me a boner as well. Shadow hasn't decided to swing the other way by chance, has he?" she cracked, trying to lighten the mood.

Amy shook her head with a chuckle. "Not that I'm aware of, but you truly think these were sexy enough for him? I was beginning to think they were too tame."

Rouge nodded. "Hell, yes! He should have instantly gotten hard looking at these pictures and called you up to bang you over the phone. Did you try calling him when he didn't respond?"

"Yes," she droned, "But he never picked up. It went straight to voice mail—all three calls! Rouge, I need advice. What do I do?"

"I'm going to be honest with you, Amy. This doesn't sound good... If I were you, I'd randomly drop by and try to catch him off guard. What the hell is he up to that's keeping him so busy? Because Knuckles has always found time to keep in touch," she justified.

"That's what I've been thinking about doing," she confirmed. "I just wanted to know if I was being ridiculous or too obsessive."

"Not at all, Honey. You gotta get down to the bottom of this."

"Does Knuckles know anything? Like, has he said anything to you about Shadow?" Amy questioned.

Rouge shook her head. "Nothing," she stated with a hand pledged. "If he had mentioned anything, I would've told you. I promise you."

"Alright." Amy sighed, believing her. "Do you think he'll get mad if I show up? He said I'm not allowed to return until it's safe," she reminded.

Rouge scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Screw how he feels! If he had answered your phone calls or texts, you wouldn't be doing this in the first place. I say stop by for the day. You'll get your answer, perhaps a moment to talk to him face to face and get some clarity. This may be the only way if this relationship means much to you."

Amy spotted her bus pulling up to the bus stop. She stood up. "You're right, Rouge. I'm going to do it. Thank you for listening to me."

Rouge smiled. "No problem, girl. I'll always have your back."

Amy climbed aboard the bus. "Oh, and Rouge, don't let Knuckles snitch on me. I want this to be an ambush."

Rouge raised her hand in allegiance again. "My lips are sealed, sweetheart. I'm always down for girl code first."

•~•

Once she returned to Rob's house, Amy glanced at one of her suitcases in her closet. She decided she could pack a suitcase with some clothes and catch the late train to make it to Mercia early tomorrow morning.

She quickly rushed over and began to pack some essentials. She'd book the tickets later today and then sneak out that night without Rob or Mari-Ann knowing. It'd be too late when he realized she wasn't there anymore.

•~•

The following day, Mari Ann scrambled eggs at the stove. In the background, Jon sat in his highchair, cooing and playing with his sippy cup. Rob glanced at the clock on the wall as he returned from the coffee pot with a fresh cup. "Amy should've been up by now," he mumbled.

Mari-Ann glanced over her shoulder at her husband as she continued to cook. "She may have overslept. Go wake her up. Otherwise, her eggs will get cold."

Rob took a sip of his coffee and rose from his seat. "You're probably right." He walked out of the kitchen and headed upstairs.

Once he got upstairs, he knocked twice on her door. "Rosy, it's breakfast time. Time to rise and shine." He waited a few seconds to hear her response but was silent. "All right then, I'm coming in. I hope you're decent in there." When he opened her bedroom door, he saw her empty room. Her bed had not been slept in, and her bathroom was empty. "Cousin?" he asked as he walked around her room. He spotted a letter on her pillow, walked over, and picked it up.

Mari-Ann's ears twitched when she heard someone quickly descending the staircase. She finished scraping the scrambled eggs onto a plate with her wooden spoon just as her husband entered the kitchen. His face looked panic-stricken. "Honey, what's wrong? Where's Amy?"

"She's gone," he announced. "She booked an early train ticket to return to Mercia this morning."

Mari Ann placed a hand over her mouth. "Oh, dear." She watched as her husband swiped his phone off the kitchen table and grabbed his hoodie off the back of his chair. "What are you doing?"

He rushed to put his hoodie on. "I'm going to make some calls and see if I can stop her."

Mari-Ann walked over to the table with the fresh plate of scrambled eggs. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but she's an adult, Rob. She can make her own decisions; we can't exactly force her to stay here. Remember, this was only a temporary thing."

Rob' O turned his back on his wife, forgetting he and Shadow had kept her out of the loop with their devised plan. She was still under the assumption that this was a temporary stay. He walked towards the kitchen's back door. "I know that love, but she's not using correct reasoning."

She sighed and shook her head. "I think you're making a big mistake. She's going to come to resent you again. You two were starting to repair that severed bond; don't go and ruin all that effort again."

"I don't plan to. She's my cousin, and I must protect her."

Mari Ann watched as Rob left hurriedly and sighed, shaking her head in disapproval. "Rob…"

Once outside the house, Rob quickly dialed Shadow.

•~•

It was about 7 a.m. when Shadow carelessly fumbled for his ringing phone on the end table next to his bed. Squinting, he looked at the caller's I.D. and noticed Rob's name. Shadow yawned, rolled over onto his back from lying on his stomach, and answered the call. "…Morning," he mumbled tiredly with his eyes closed.

"Thank Chaos, you picked up. I know it's early, but it's urgent."

Shadow used his free hand to rub at the sleep left in his right eye. "What could be so urgent at this hour?" he stated tiredly.

"My cousin snuck out early this morning. She's dropping in to visit you," he explained frantically.

Tensing up, Shadow suddenly sat upright in bed. He groaned in frustration. "Damn it…"

"If I had known sooner, I would have stopped her. I'm so sorry," he apologized.

Shadow swung his legs off the side of his bed and sat on the edge of his bed. "No, don't apologize," he replied. "What time did she leave?"

"A few hours ago," he replied. "She should be arriving there within the hour."

"Hm…" Shadow nodded and processed the timeframe. "Come to think of it. This might not be the worst thing to happen."

"What?" the teal hedgehog gawked on his end. "What do you mean? I thought the plan was to keep her here indefinitely?"

"It is," he agreed. "I've been ignoring her for almost a day now. I can only imagine she's not taking it well, but perhaps seeing me break her heart in person will send the message across and drive her back to Tech City," he hinted.

There was a pause as Rob' O tried to process his statement. "I don't believe I'm following you, Shadow."

"Leave it to me," Shadow replied. "We know she's already gotten the vibe that something isn't right back home. I've kept my distance, and communication has been lacking between us. We've planted plenty of seeds of doubt for her to believe we're growing apart. All she needs to see to realize it's over for her is to witness first-hand evidence of infidelity."

Rob felt his heart sink as his plan came together. "Chaos…she's going to be destroyed."

Shadow frowned on his end as his eyes drifted to the floor. "I realize that, but it's the only way to convey that our relationship is over. She's still trying to keep it alive, as I expected."

"…All right then," he replied reluctantly. "Do you want me to come down to get her?"

"Not yet," Shadow responded. "I'll keep in touch to let you know how it goes."

"Very well then. Good luck, Shadow."

"…Thanks," he replied before hanging up. He scrolled down his contacts list on his phone before stopping on the name Lien-Da. Mephiles had suggested Shadow use Lien-Da as the female he would cheat on Amy with. This would be the ultimate betrayal, especially with their history together and how Amy perceived Lien. Composing himself, he pressed the call button, put the phone to his ear, and waited.

He first heard a yawn. "…Hello?" a groggy voice replied on the other end.

"How fast could you get over here if I asked you to spend the morning with me?"

Lien-Da yawned on her end again. "What? It's early for a booty call at this time."

"My apologies. I'm horny, and you were the first to come to mind."

"Oooh," Lien practically purred on her end and sat more upright in bed. "You suddenly had a change of heart, huh? I'm not complaining, just wondering."

Shadow chuckled heartily. "What can I say? You've been on my mind a lot lately."

"My, my, but what about your little girlfriend? Won't she come after me if she catches us?"

"No need to worry about her. She's out of town and has been for a couple of weeks."

"Well, this is exciting. I'm totally down for some morning sex. I'll be over in twenty minutes, handsome. You better make this worth my while and put that dick to good use."

Shadow chuckled again on his end. "You know I will." The two hung up their phone call, and Shadow immediately pulled up Amy's sexy pictures she had sent him the other day. He laid back on his bed and began pawing at himself as he waited for Lien's arrival.

AN: Please remember to leave a comment/review!