Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any of the characters in this story. I only own Scarlet, Iris, and Cecelia Rose, OC's I made to serve as parents for the Rouge, Shadow and Amy respectively. Other made up parents are not named and will only be mentioned in passing.

Title is inspired by lyrics from Flyleaf's song So Sick, specifically the acoustic version.

*Trigger warning: Descriptions of the rape of a minor featured in this chapter(this will be marked with * )*

5 Worthless, Hopeless, Sick

When Amy turned down the condiments aisle carrying a basket of items she'd scavenged, she was surprised to see Knuckles already sitting at the little camp she and Shadow had set up. His injured hand was cleanly wrapped, thanks to the practiced hand of a real physician, and he and Shadow sat with their backs against the shelves on either side of the aisle. In between them, a little hot plate with a pot of boiling water and chicken broth waited, a lantern from Shadow's pack lighting their little space. There were only two other groups in the aisle, empty compared to the other aisles that were packed from end to end with survivors, their shelves barren. Though the low light of the supermarket made it difficult to make out their features, Amy had spent the first hour searching the shelter for any familiar faces. The strange, desperate faces that stared back at her made her swallow and change objectives, finding solace in scavenging for enough food items to make a meal instead.

"Man, these guys are stingy. It's great they managed to make a temporary shelter out of this place, but they could have at least left some proper food for stragglers like us," Knuckles complained.

Knuckles held up an onion, turning it this way and that before setting it down on the plastic grocery bag in front of him. Alongside his onion were an assortment of nuts in a container, a half-filled bag of beef jerky, and a small can of unsweetened tea.

"Be thankful they even let us in, Knuckles. If this were the movies, we would be fighting over the last loaf of bread right now. It's a miracle this place has lasted this long," Amy said as she set her basket by the hot plate and grabbed the onion from the echidna's pile.

"Trust me, I'm grateful, but do you really expect me to drink this? I'd rather down a bottle of ketchup," Knuckles grumbled as he lifted the can of tea.

Amy shrugged, pulling her knife out of her bag.

"I'm just glad I managed to find this hot plate. There's a line in the employee break room just for the microwave. Just be glad you don't have to wait in that," Amy said.

"I would be thankful if the alternative wasn't eating a bunch of rotting vegetables raw," Knuckles said.

Knuckles eyed Amy's basket full of produce in disgust and Amy shook her head at him as she took a seat between the two boys, rolling up her sleeves and crossing her legs across the cold supermarket floor.

"I'm going to cook them, Knuckles," she chuckled.

"Eh, whatever. I'm gonna go ask around, see if anyone can spare me a real drink. I'll be back."

Knuckles left Shadow and Amy to bask in the sound of her cutting a carrot on a mini cutting board. She carefully cut out the rotting bits of everything in her basket, slicing the puny veggies into edible chunks. As she tossed the vegetables into the water, adding a generous amount of salt, she gave Shadow a curious look. He was watching her fingers intently, but his eyes were glossed over. He was so close to the lantern that Amy could see the dark crescents under his eyes.

"You didn't sleep much last night, did you?" Amy voiced, turning the plate down to a simmer.

Shadow's features only changed for a moment under the lamp light before his eyes lifted to look at her.

"No, not at all," he responded plainly.

"This is going to take a minute to cook. You could get in a little nap before it's done. You'll need all the sleep you can get before we head out in the morning."

Shadow shifted on his sleeping bag, leaning forward draping an arm across a propped up knee. He grimaced before responding to her.

"I think I'll pass."

Shadow went back to staring at her cutting board. The pinkette found her eyes drifting to her boiling vegetables. She couldn't help but think of the weekend they were supposed to have together before this all happened. She skimmed through Espio's phone for a moment, finding no messages waiting for her though she had two bars of phone service. Questions started to plague her before her mind lingered on a comment Rouge had made before practice.

"You know, I've been meaning to ask you something," Amy said hesitantly.

Shadow lifted his eyes from the cutting board to the side of her face, displaying no emotion.

"And what might that be?" Shadow asked.

"Why are you specifically looking for Rouge in the middle of all this?"

Shadow seemed to stop breathing, staring into the lantern as he pondered her question. When he didn't answer, Amy sighed and curled her legs to her chest, only lifting an arm to stir the meager soup. Her appetite fled her as an anxious pang hit her stomach at his silence and thoughts of her missing friends plagued her. Lights started to go out around them and Amy almost gave up on the meal in lieu of sleep until Shadow broke the awkward silence.

"Is it hard to believe that I'm concerned about her safety?" Shadow asked with a lift of his brow.

"No, of course not. Rouge is like family to you, more so than any of us, but I get this feeling there's more to it than just wanting to make sure she's alive. And on our way to practice yesterday, Rogue told me that there was something bothering you. I can't help but think your searching for her is related to that," Amy said.

Shadow scrutinized her, but her eyes held nothing but genuine concern with a dash of curiosity. He tightened his jaw before answering.

"There are just some things that were brought to my attention that don't add up. Rouge can help me find the answers. That's all there is to it."

"And it's important enough for you to risk your life to find the answers?"

The silence between them was palpable.

"Yes."

Amy swallowed and fiddled with her soup once more, daring to try the mixture with the spoon she'd snagged only to jerk as she burned her tongue. After shaking off the initial shock, she cut the heat and watched the steam rise as she searched for a way to change the topic. She grabbed a Styrofoam bowl from her basket and doubled layered it with another, scooping a serving and handing it to Shadow. He took the offering with a nod and pulled out a set of reusable utensils from his bag. Amy wasn't ready to serve herself, and opted to watch him eat while her thoughts consumed her.

"The doctor, the human who did all of this, did you see him on TV?" Amy asked.

Shadow's mouth was full when she finally spoke, but he made an effort to respond in between scooping generous portions into his mouth.

"I didn't get a good look at him, but I heard his demands over the TV," he explained,

Amy rubbed her arms before speaking again. Shadow focused on his bowl, but his ears angled toward her.

"Something the doctor said has been bothering me," she said just above a whisper.

Amy rolled her sleeves down over hands and rubbed them together as Shadow finished his meal.

"He gave the people of Station Square seven days to give him what he wants. The chaos emeralds and Project S."

Shadow scoffed.

"The doctor has a screw loose. I wouldn't entertain any of his ideas. I'm sure G.U.N. has him in custody by now. We'll let them handle it. He is one of them after all," Shadow said.

Amy shrugged, but continued to speak her mind as she tried to make sense of it all.

"I was thinking the same thing at first. The chaos emeralds are nothing but a myth, a children's bedtime story at most. Project S, on the other hand, well… he's more real than magical, sparkling gems, that's for sure."

Shadow looked as if he was going to dismiss her statement, but noticed her discomfort and gave her his full attention.

"You know something about this Project S the doctor spoke of?" he asked.

Amy felt defeat sink into the pit of her stomach and sheepishly responded.

"I watched a documentary in class about it yesterday. I thought there was a connection to my research on the Great Burning of Mercia, but when I brought it up to my teacher, he told me to trash my findings. Apparently the documentary was stretching the truth."

"Yet something in that documentary made you think Project S and Mobius were connected in some way?"

Amy pursed her lips and considered her words.

"One thing the mystery of Project S and the burning in Mercia share is a lack of evidence, as if whoever was responsible was trying everything in their power to cover up the whole ordeal. And I noticed a symbol that seems identical from the lingering pieces of evidence from both events. It makes me think Project S was involved in Mercia's destruction," Amy explained.

"And what exactly is Project S?"

A small flush rose to Amy's cheeks as she started to voice her silly theories.

"Well, I thought Project S was less of a creature, and more of a boy, but my teacher shot down my theory entirely. He told me not to think too hard about it. Project S was a monster in the making, so the government shut it down."

"Maybe Project S was both man and monster," Shadow tried with a hum.

Amy smiled to herself and closed her eyes.

"I'm not so sure. The documentary said Gerald Robotnik created Project S to find a cure for his granddaughter's illness. If Project S was the key to saving her, I can imagine Gerald was fond of the project. His granddaughter wrote a few notes addressed to Project S as well, and the way she wrote about him…. I don't know. I guess this is just the silly romantic in me, but his granddaughter seemed to have a love for the project. I don't think he was intended to be a monster at all," Amy said in earnest.

Shadow's face scrunched in interest as he shifted to the edge of his sleeping bag.

"What else did the documentary say about this… Gerald Robotnik? And his granddaughter?"

"It didn't go too far into their history. All it mentioned was Gerald's plans for the project and G.U.N.'s involvement in shutting everything down. Oh, and the passing of the Robotnik's after the raid."

"I see," Shadow muttered after considering the conversation.

"I managed to take a few pictures on my phone to add to my proof, but they're trapped on my phone. And you saw the sorry state that thing is in now."

Shadow pondered her thoughts and found her sulking when he decided to speak again.

"You don't seem very enthusiastic about your findings anymore," Shadow said.

"I mean, Project S and the Robotnik's are certainly real. I don't see why I should give up on unfolding their story and the mystery of Project S, especially if Project S is alive and here on Mobius somehow. I want to meet him, maybe give him a hug after everything that happened. Even if he was involved in the tragedy of Mercia, I bet money that he didn't do it of his own will. There's always someone pulling the strings behind things like these," Amy explained.

Shadow observed her intently as Amy slouched and ran a hand through her bangs, the pinkette casting her eyes to the ceiling.

"But I respect my teacher enough to try and let it go. He says it's not wise to get caught up in conspiracy theories, so I'm just going to leave it alone for now," she admitted.

Amy thought their conversation had ended when Shadow leaned back as she did, eyes finding the ceiling as well. When he spoke up, her heart fluttered.

"I don't think you should let those theories go."

She blinked at the ceiling twice before turning to find Shadow's eyes on her, his face holding a warm regard for her.

"Really?" Amy asked.

"I think you have every right to remain skeptical, especially when you have evidence that tells you otherwise."

Amy smiled at his genuine comment, lowering her eyes playfully.

"And what do I tell my teacher when he reads my paper and throws a fit?" she asked.

"Nothing. You go and get the paper published in an academic journal and send him the link. There's no better way to stick it to him than proving you were on to something and others agree."

Amy's mouth twitched at the corners, mild satisfaction washing over her as Shadow's small smirk toward her warmed her from the inside out. She scooped a portion of the soup into her own bowl and put it to the side, looking into the pot with a hum. She gave Shadow a sideways smile and directed a finger to the pot.

"I know Knuckles hasn't eaten yet, but I think there's enough for seconds," she whispered.

Shadow nodded and handed his empty bowl to her. As she took it, her eyes were drawn to the tip of a scar on his wrist. Naturally, she reached for the bowl, but drew her hand to his wrist and held it steady. She moved the bowl from his palm and turned his hand at an angle, finding a scar that stretched from his wrist to his palm. All the while, the ebony hedgehog froze at her ginger touch. She ran a thumb down the length off the mark, the skin flat and smooth. Her brow furrowed as her mind became littered with questions.

Am I going crazy? He had to have gotten this from trying to open Rouge's window this afternoon. But it shouldn't have healed like this. There's not even a scab…

Shadow cleared his throat, but Amy continued to observe his palm.

"Amelia?" Shadow asked, pink dusting his cheeks.

"Your hand is completely healed," Amy muttered breathlessly.

Shadow suddenly pulled his hand from her and folded his arms together. Before Amy could recover, two figures made their way into their little aisle. When Amy looked up, she was drawn to the tiny juice box in Knuckles' massive hand, then to his guilty facial expression as Julie-Su stood next to him with a hand on his shoulder. Amy couldn't help but think that Julie-Su had caught the echidna doing something wrong and she was returning him to his parents. Julie-Su's appearance only added to the notion, as she was covered head to toe in what looked like a used police uniform, though she wore her own boots and white, fitted long sleeve under a bulletproof vest.

"Lights out in 10. Hope you guys are comfortable. I know we didn't give you much of a ration, but you shouldn't have to suffer for slim pickings by tomorrow morning," Julie-Su said.

"We're grateful you let us in. Thank you," Shadow said.

Julie-Su smirked and patted Knuckle's shoulder roughly, earning a cough and a groan from the red echidna in the middle of sipping from the small plastic straw.

"Of course! You can thank this big guy, though. If he hadn't gone ballistic and started making all that noise, no one would have known you guys were out there," Julie-Su said.

Knuckles traded his shameful look for a playful one, giving Julie-Su a knowing smirk.

"Hey, you know very well that that's not even close to what I sound like when I go ballistic. I was just warming up out there," Knuckles said.

The pink echidna shook her head and lightly pushed Knuckles forward, beckoning him to join Shadow and Amy. As Knuckles moved to his spot, Julie-Su's hands found her hips and she looked Amy in the eye. The pink hedgehog looked around before returning Julie-Su's eager look, not sure what the pink echidna wanted from her. She would be surprised if the pink echidna even remembered her name.

"So, I hear you need an escort to the nearest safehouse," Julie-Su began.

"What?" Amy said with a blink.

"Well, you're in luck, girlie. G.U.N. will be here first thing in the morning to haul us over to the school they just fortified. I'm helping my dad round everyone up, but I'm making it my personal responsibility to make sure you get your ass on that bus, okay?"

Amy looked between Shadow and Knuckles, but neither boy paid her any mind, one opting to pick at the shelving as he sipped his juice, the other staring into the lantern. Amy nearly exploded at their behavior, but looked behind her to see the other groups in her aisle already laying down to sleep. She decided to quietly seeth as she spoke to Julie-Su through gritted teeth.

"But I didn't ask you to do that," Amy retorted, trying to keep her voice low.

"You didn't have to. My old man made it my job to help him ensure the safety of the survivors here. And a little birdy told me you may be in need of some assistance."

Amy's mouth went dry and she hesitated to respond. Julie-Su took her silence as agreement and turned to leave with a wave.

"I'll come get you when they arrive. Get some shut eye."

Amy was on Knuckles the moment the echidna lowered himself to the ground to sit, a harsh glare aimed in his direction.

"Why did you do that?" she asked.

"Hey, I didn't tell her to do that. All I did was ask around for something to take the edge off and this is what she gave me," Knuckles said, lifting the juice box.

Amy's face fell and she stared into the mixture in the pot in front of her, the steam beginning to recede.

"Then how-?" she started.

"It was me."

Amy's eyes widened as she faced the ebony hedgehog. Her voice was small and tinged with hurt when she spoke.

"Why?"

Shadow tightened his jaw and worked up the will to look her in the eye. Amy clearly felt betrayed, and as he acknowledged her current emotional state, he pursed his lips as if he were going to backtrack, but he crossed his arms and defended his actions instead. He looked away as he spoke.

"I told you I wanted to get you to a safe house as soon as possible and I meant it," he said.

"But I want to find our friends with you both. I don't want to be —"

"Alone?" Shadow interrupted.

Shadow turned to look at her, his eyes on fire at that moment. Amy pursed her lips and shrank a little, the warm pot so close that the heat traveled up her side in warning. She held Shadow's gaze, though reluctantly. His eyes were brimming with an emotion she couldn't quite place. This kept her from looking away.

"I don't want to be left behind," Amy harshly whispered under her breath.

"You won't get left behind. Julie-Su promised to see to it that you make it to the safehouse like everyone else in here. You'll have plenty of survivors to keep you company and you'll be safe. We both get what we want."

Amy's rebuttal caught in her throat and her heart squeezed painfully at the thought of separating from her companions so soon after finding them. As she struggled to reply, Shadow adjusted his sleeping bag and looked as if he were trying to get comfortable. Knuckles placed the empty drink carton on the shelf and spread out the blanket he'd snagged from Rouge's closet. It was only when Amy couldn't handle the sound of their movements that she finally spoke up.

"I don't know anyone here," she muttered miserably.

"You know Julie-Su. She's a friend of ours, if I'm not mistaken," Shadow easily responded.

"I'd hardly call her a friend," Amy said, her thoughts bitterly flashing to Sally.

Knuckles sighed as he watched the two bicker, his look of concern falling as Shadow started to turn over on his sleeping bag.

"G.U.N. will be here in the morning. You should get some sleep to prepare for their arrival," Shadow said.

With that, Shadow slid under his covers, closing his eyes with a cross of his arms. Amy didn't spend too long watching him. Instead, she swallowed her emotions and grabbed her lukewarm soup, and moved to press her back against the shelf near Knuckles. The echidna scooted to the far end of his blanket and offered Amy a bit of purchase. She sighed and took his offering, the tension still tangible as the echidna scooped up the last bits of the soup and slipped it into his bowl.

"Ah, sorry about Julie. She can come off pretty strong at times, especially when she thinks she's right," Knuckles said.

"You don't say," Amy grumbled.

Knuckles took a few spoonfuls of soup before attempting to break the silence.

"I.. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but it would give me some peace of mind knowing you were secure in a safehouse, Amy," Knuckles muttered between bites.

Knuckles scratched the back of his head and Amy stirred her soup.

"You don't want me around either?" she whispered.

"I just don't want anything to happen to ya. There's… not a lot of good where we're headed, at least that's what my instincts are telling me. And I know your instincts are telling you that, too," Knuckles explained.

Disappointed didn't quite describe the look on her face as she placed her half-eaten bowl beside her. Even with her desire to go with them, she felt guilt at needing to be saved. She wished she hadn't needed anyone to look after her to begin with.

"And I can't blame Shadow for getting Julie involved. She's more than capable of getting you to safety," Knuckles said.

"I can't fathom why she agreed to look after me. In the few times she came by Sonic's place, she looked like she wanted to be anywhere else. She's probably spoken all of two words to me since I've known her. She's not exactly who I was hoping to tough it out with during the apocalypse," Amy said.

"Trust me, I get it. She is my ex for a reason."

Amy scoffed under her breath and gave Knuckles a disbelieving look.

"I don't know. You two certainly seemed pretty chummy at the door," Amy said sourly.

"Well, when your ex's dad is the chief of police, ya don't exactly make a habit of pissing 'em off. It was already enough of a challenge getting her dad to not shoot me at the door when I wanted to take her out. Having a dad with a record doesn't make those kinds of things easy. And my old man has quite the reputation with law enforcement," Knuckles muttered.

Amy started to cool as she rubbed her hands through the blanket under her crossed legs, remembering all the nights she slept over and Rouge handed her that very blanket to sleep with. A pang shot through her heart at not knowing if Rouge was alive and the rogue thought of Knuckles reigniting the flame with Julie-Su. Though she was sure the echidna wouldn't dare betray Rouge in that manner, the current conversation had sparked thoughts of that possibility, as it did others. She furrowed her brow.

"I barely remember when you and Julie-Su dated. One week you two were joined at the hip, the next she was side-eying you in the hallway," Amy murmured.

"Julie and I already got along pretty well before we started dating, but the things we liked about each other somehow lost their luster once we made it official. We ended up mutually breaking it off. Kinda agreed we weren't good for each other. We keep it civil between us when we run into each other at school and family gatherings. Echidna's honor and shit."

"Well, I'm glad you two are cool, but I don't think Julie and I are all that compatible," Amy sighed.

"I certainly don't expect you two to become bosom buddies, but I know she won't abandon ya. She's good people, Amy," Knuckles avowed.

Amy found genuine care in his purple eyes and sighed in defeat, shrugging and continuing to fill her hands with the soft fibers of the blanket. She looked over to Shadow and wondered if he was asleep, but she didn't have to wonder for long as a light snore drifted from the dark bundle across from them. Though Amy was still upset with the ebony hedgehog, she couldn't help but smirk at his form as his body lifted slowly with his steady breathing.

"Hey, give Shadow some credit. He did what I couldn't do. Chaos knows telling you something you don't want to hear is a death sentence in itself," Knuckles said.

"Hey, I'm not that bad anymore. And can you really blame me for being upset? I just found you guys and now I'm being left with the babysitter," she whispered harshly.

Knuckles was thoughtful as he sipped the rest of his soup. He cleared his throat and gave her a hopeful look as she continued to marinate in her dimming frustration.

"Hey, who says you won't find everyone else at the new safehouse? If you find Rouge you can shoot me a message. Think of it as us splitting up to cover more ground. Hell, I bet you'll even find Sonic lounging around in that place, acting like nothing is wrong knowing him," Knuckles said in an effort to cheer her up.

Amy's face flushed, but she looked uncomfortable rather than embarrassed. At Sonic's mention, she found herself revisiting the unpleasant feelings of her night at the park. As she lingered on the event and Knuckles finished his soup, questions about Sonic's note came flooding back to her as that all consuming need to know made her heart ache.

"Knuckles, do you… do you think Sonic would play a cruel joke on his friends? Out of spite or hatred for them, maybe?"

Knuckles was rubbing his mouth with the back of his arm when she spoke, and her questions led him to throw out his arm with a coughing laugh. Someone in their aisle shushed him and he responded with an apology before giving her his humored eyes.

"Amy, I don't think that guy could knowingly look anyone in the eye and hurt them without a good reason, especially his friends. Sure, he's cocky as hell, and he gets a kick out of fucking with me, but… to be frank, Sonic isn't the kind of guy to act maliciously to someone like you or Tails, or anyone he cares about for that matter."

"Right. I was thinking the same thing," she responded, her lips tight.

Knuckles rubbed his neck at her tone as she lowered her head and stared at her hands. He started to reach for her arm.

"Hey, did I say somethin' wrong?" he asked.

As his hand grazed her arm, she flinched away and Knuckles retracted his hand, lifting both arms in surrender. Amy was looking at him, but was clearly looking right through him, adrenaline immobilizing her. Knuckles noticed her odd behavior and swallowed, trying his best to not look like a threat.

"I know, I know. No touchin'. I forget sometimes," he said.

"It's… it's okay. I just… this whole thing is really getting to me right now," she said, calming her beating heart and waiting for the adrenaline rush to settle.

"I get it. You've been through it, today especially. I'm sure all the infected trying to eat ya is making your 'no touching' thing hard to handle, whatever that's for."

Amy stared at the floor a second as something clicked.

He doesn't know. No one really knows. I'm not even sure Sonic really knows the truth.

"Rouge never told you why I'm really like this, huh? That's good, I guess. That means she kept her promise and I can trust her," Amy said under her breath with a sad smile.

"Is there something I need to know, Amy? I mean, I'm sure whatever secret you and Rouge are keepin' is private for a reason, but if you're in trouble or need some help…?" Knuckles trailed off.

Amy swallowed and took a deep breath, blinking the tears down. She released a shuddering breath and let the hum of the supermarket calm her. Knuckles inched toward her in her peripheral vision and he cocked his head as he gave her his full, undivided attention.

"Amy…?" Knuckles asked.

"The reason why I don't like to be touched… the reason why I'm like this… have you ever asked anyone about it?"

"Well, ya. You start to wonder after so many incidents. Rouge said it's because you're reserving all that touching for Sonic, when he finally asks ya out. Kinda silly, if you want my honest opinion, but if that's your plan, I respect th–," Knuckles said.

"That's not it."

Knuckles deflated as he watched her curl into herself, her face hardening. Knuckles shut his mouth and leaned into the shelf, arms on his knees as he waited, not wanting to rush her. When she began, her voice was surprisingly steady, but slightly monotone, as if she were a robot reciting a script.

"It's… hard to talk about, but I think you should know. Anyone that has to deal with me should know, really," she began.

Knuckles lifted a brow and she took the blanket into her hands and squeezed.

"My dad, back when he was still alive, lost his job when I started high school. He'd been the breadwinner in the family for so long that when it happened, it took my mother a week to come out of her shock and start applying for jobs."

"I think I remember that. Your ma always let me eat dinner with you guys on Wednesday nights to keep outta my dad's way. Wednesday was… boys night. When your ma started working late nights and I couldn't come over, I had to hide at Rouge's place or chill with Silver to keep myself from getting pummeled those nights," Knuckles recounted.

Amy gave him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. I wasn't happy about it either. My mom had been such a crutch for me, for all of us for the longest time. When she was forced to hunch over a sewing machine for twelve hours a day in a hot factory for pennies to keep the lights on, I didn't know how to function either for a while. I had to learn the bus routes, prepare the food, clean, and I even started managing some of the finances for mom, even though I barely knew how to work a spreadsheet."

"I didn't realize your dad turned into a deadbeat after that. Your dad didn't try to get another job or help out at home?"

"He told mom day after day that he was trying to find work but his skills weren't relevant anymore. And since he was laid off, he was at least collecting a small unemployment check, so we were able to get by, but barely. My dad had previously worked long hours, so he was always too tired to manage the money, so he left it to my mom. My dad never had to do a chore in his life either, and mom liked things done a certain way, so she entrusted me with those things. And mom thought that if we worked together to pick up the slack, that would give my dad the privilege to job search without any worries," Amy recalled.

"From the look on your face I can guess he abused that privilege."

Amy stared into the shelf on the other side of them without blinking.

"That's an understatement. My dad did a complete one-eighty after he lost his job. When I hopped on the family computer to check our budget, I found out he was half-assing his job applications, and on early release days, I always caught him in the basement with dozens of empty beer bottles. He always begged me to take the trash out before mom came home so she wouldn't throw a fit and I listened, not wanting to disobey him or stress mom out anymore than she already was. I tried to bring up his behavior with my mom at some point, but she defended him when I did, telling me he just needed time to get himself together."

"So, what's all this gotta do with … touchin'?" Knuckles asked, but furrowed his brow as he trailed off and a disturbing thought hit him.

"Well, even when dad found work, he only managed a part-time job with no benefits. Mom was just happy he was working and saw it as a stepping stone to a better job. But since he wasn't working full-time hours, that meant he still spent a lot of his time at home with me. And since we were like strangers, he decided to use that opportunity to… bond with me."

"I don't think I like where this is going," Knuckles murmured.

Amy ignored his comment, trapped in the nightmare she was reliving before her eyes.

"My dad was a stranger to me for the longest time, Knuckles. In my mind, it was just me and mom against the world. Even when my dad had time to spend with us, he always kept his relationship with me so… formal, like I was his client. He called me 'daughter' and handed me money on the holidays like a fleeting uncle. Mom always claimed he was a good man though, a provider, but I saw him so little that he was just a concept to me, a ghost that visited to remind us he existed. At least that's how I saw him until his efforts to bond with me started to feel strange."

Her hands began to shake, so she clasped them together around her legs. Knuckles frowned deeply and squeezed his good hand into a fist as he watched her lower lip tremble. Amy swallowed a few times as she tried to control her breathing, working to keep herself from seizing. Her eyes drifted to the hunting bow propped up near Shadow on the opposite shelf.

*TRIGGERING CONTENT BEGINS HERE*

"First it was trips to the park, where he had me show him just how flexible I was. He knew I was learning gymnastics from Rouge, but rather than scrounge up the money to put me through training, he decided to teach me himself. Then, it was after school trips to lingerie stores, where he asked me to help him pick out and try on underwear he intended to buy for my mom. He told me mom and I had a similar taste in clothes and similar body type, so I was the perfect doll to use to determine what would be best for her. Then it was him teaching me how to hunt. He always told mom he was just passing along a family tradition to me, but all I remember is his hands all over me," she explained.

"Are… are you insinuating that he…" Knuckles tried with a swallow.

Amy continued, neither affirming nor denying Knuckles unfinished claims.

"Dad didn't let me bring any of you guys over because he always needed his quiet time. And he always begged me to do obscure chores that kept me home with him. I counted myself lucky when he was caught up in something else and let me go to Sonic's or Rouge's place without a fuss. There were a few times where I went straight to Rouge's after school, but that just made him call around looking for me, claiming to be worried, so I stopped doing that immediately. Even when I got permission to go out or have study dates, he would send a text every hour, so I kept my phone on silent, hoping no one would notice. I couldn't get away from him," Amy muttered in a rush.

"Fucking hell, Amy. I didn't realize… I mean, you were always so overly excited to hang out and infatuated with being close to Sonic, that I figure that's just who you were. We all thought you were just…," Knuckles started.

"Boy-crazy and obsessed with my friends to a sickening degree? I mean, I was; who wouldn't be in my situation? I know you guys got tired of me, sticking to Sonic like a leech and staying at his place late into the night and begging everyone for just one more game, one more laugh. And I'm so sorry for that. I know I was annoying and pushy. I just wanted an out and you guys were all that I h-had."

"No, no, Amy, none of that shit is your fault! That disgusting piece of shit, he shouldn't have…. he fucking… shit. Amy, why…. Why didn't you tell anyone?" Knuckles asked, his voice cracking.

"I was afraid of what he might do to me. My mom believed in her provider so much that I wasn't even sure she would believe me if I told her what he was actually doing. I prayed he would stop or that he'd start working full-time again, and everything would go back to the way it was. Just me and mom. And, technically, part of my wish came true," she murmured as her voice caught.

Knuckles shook his head and closed his eyes, not wanting to believe her story. When she spoke again, he found her looking heavenward, her muzzle wet, but a smile lighting her features.

"Sonic saved me. Like a guardian angel, he took me away from my dad and sent him to his grave so I'd never have to see his face again.."

"What? When?"

"Twinkle Park. The day we all skipped school to go. Shadow's aunt, Iris, had the day off and she thought we could use a day of fun after a rough finals week. We weren't doing much in class anyway, so most of our parents were fine with it. But my dad decided to chaperone for once, a decision that had me on edge the entire ride to the park."

"I remember that. That's the day your dad went missing."

"I stuck to Sonic to keep my dad from secluding me and it seemed to work. When everyone split up to get on their favorite rides, my dad disappeared. Iris took everyone to go on a few rides while she entrusted Shadow and Sonic to watch me and Tails while she supervised everyone else. Sonic, Shadow, and Tails wanted to go to the arcade to mess around. Tails mentioned they wanted to beat their old scores or something. I didn't care. I was just happy my dad was nowhere in sight."

Amy's legs twitched awkwardly as she changed her position and Knuckles noticed. She squeezed her thighs together, but continued.

"We were at a booth, Sonic had challenged Shadow to balloon darts and I stepped away to find a restroom. When I came out, my dad was waiting for me. He was obviously drunk, but he looked like he had been crying. He grabbed my arm and begged me to go into the tunnel of love with him. I didn't want to, but he was breaking down in front of me, which he'd never done before. So I went, hoping the ride would calm him down."

Knuckles was shaking and trying to keep from crushing the shelving. Still, he seethed quietly, unable to get the awful images he was imagining out of his mind.

"We were the only ones in line, which made my stomach churn as the operator sent us off in that boat alone. I sat as still as I could on the other end of the boat while my dad broke down. He was mumbling about mom, how she didn't do the things he liked anymore and how she wasn't the woman he married all those years ago. Then he started telling me how much I looked like mom, and that I was more caring and beautiful and attentive than she ever was with him. And before I could say anything, he leapt across the boat and smashed his filthy lips to mine."

"That fucking bastard," Knuckles hissed.

"H-he pinned me down, and I didn't know w-what to do. There was nowhere for me to g-go. S-so I.. I let him do what he wanted. I think I was in shock until I felt him enter me. T-that's when I started screaming and trying to get away. The ride was ending before he could pin me back down and I got out of the boat as fast as I could. He caught up to me, but when he went to grab me, Sonic found us. I think Sonic noticed how terrified I was, because before my dad could explain, Sonic was threatening my dad and telling him to let me go."

"Sonic just told us he thought your dad was being an asshole and probably yelling at you for skipping school to mess around at a theme park, even though your dad agreed to it," Knuckles said to himself.

"All I remember is Sonic scaring him off and the relief I felt watching him go. Dad ran in the direction of the hall of mirrors, but Sonic pulled me the other direction and sat me on a bench, telling me it was going to be okay and that he was going to get Iris and call my mom. Then everyone was there, surrounding that bench, Iris and Rouge beside me. Then, my mom picked me up, and before the day could end, there were police at our door. Then a week went by, mom kept me home from school, and the police came back, telling us they found my dad's truck, turned over in a ditch 30 miles outside the city limits, his body mangled inside."

Knuckles was stunned and found himself numb at the way she described her father.

"Mom said I wasn't the same after his death, so she sent me to see her therapist. Mom thought my problem was that my father was no longer there to support me, but really I was dealing with the aftermath of his abuse. My therapist didn't tell my mom the truth; I asked her not to. She simply tried to help me work through it, find a way forward. Though my therapist encouraged me to tell my mom myself, I never could tell her that the great provider she married was really a predator," she hissed

She started to hyperventilate a bit, but rather than let herself be overtaken, she brought her sleeve to her nose and took deep breaths of the floral scent. Still, traitor tears fell rapidly as she clawed at arms, desperately trying to keep herself from falling apart.

*TRIGGERING CONTENT ENDS HERE*

"Hey, hey, it's okay. That bastard is six feet in the ground now. He can't hurt ya," Knuckles promised softly.

Knuckles made an attempt to smother her in a brotherly hug, but stopped midway. A pained look overtook him as he tried to find a different angle to hug her that wouldn't set her off, but nothing he thought seemed right. He bundled his fists and cursed under his breath.

"Hell, Amy, how am I supposed to… shit… am I allowed to touch ya?" he asked.

"I-I don't kn-know," She hiccuped.

Knuckles resorted to hesitantly placing his good hand on her back, hoping his gesture didn't cross the line. The pink hedgehog was far too caught up in minimizing her shaking sobs and keeping her voice low to care. After a while, her shudders faded and she rubbed her face into her knees before lifting her head, her lungs begging for oxygen.

"Amy, I know there's nothing I can say to make you feel better, but I want you to know I'm sorry that happened to you. If anything, I just wish I knew so I could have had a hand in beating him to a bloody pulp. I know if everyone else knew, we would have teamed up and let him have it. I can't say I won't do something awful to his grave after this. Sorry if that's kinda morbid," Knuckles confessed.

"It's okay. I never admitted this to my mother, but I'm glad he's dead. I'd rather deal with the ghost of him than the man he became after he lost his job."

Knuckles grimaced, but noticed Amy releasing a calming breath as her lips turned upward.

"And I.. I feel a bit better having told you about it. The only one who knows the details is Rouge, and she's been in my corner ever since. I didn't want to tell anyone because I was afraid of how they would treat me, and after dad passed, I figured I was free of him, so there was no need for anyone else to know."

Knuckles crossed his arms as the pinkette unfurled her limbs and took a calming breath.

"But dad still haunts me, and sometimes people's hands send me down a dark path, even when I know their touch is friendly. And that's the reason I freak out when people try to touch me, men usually."

The crown of Knuckle's head tapped the shelf as he absorbed her story, his face worn.

"And I guess… that's why Sonic is your number one, huh?" Knuckles said.

Amy froze at his statement and gave him a sheepish look, but Knuckles was giving her an approving smirk. She laughed wetly, tugging at a quill laid over her shoulder.

"I guess you could say that."

"Well, I'm certainly not going to tell you to stop tryin' to go for him, especially now that I know what he did for you."

Sally and Sonic in the park came to her mind again, but she shook it off, though the feeling lingered for a few seconds.

I guess no one knows about Sonic and Sally's relationship status yet.

"Right. Thanks," she said quickly.

"Hey, let's get some shut eye. I'm going to need all the sleep I can get so I can have the energy to smash some heads while I imagine your dad's creepy ass face while I do it. Seriously, I'm not going to get that man's face outta my head for a while," Knuckles said.

"Okay, big guy," Amy laughed.

Knuckles cut out the lantern, and as he and Amy laid their heads to rest, the dark hedgehog across from them shifted in his sleeping bag, his eyes falling on the pinkette. For a moment he watched her steadily, waiting for her to drift into a peaceful sleep. When he turned over again, he glared at the ceiling with glowing red eyes, his teeth gritting.

"If only I had the power to bring you back and kill you with my own hands," he said just below a whisper.

~aAa~

A/N: Apologies for the wait. I started my new job and was writing after work as frequently as I could, and then I ran into a snag in the story. It was such a big snag, that it kept me from writing since I wanted to solve it before I continued, even if the snag wasn't going to be fully revealed for several chapters. I also wanted to avoid plot holes and inaccuracies regarding the snag early on, since the thing I was struggling with was technically mentioned in this chapter. I had to spend some time hashing it out first before I moved on, though not much happened with it here. Speaking of not much happening in this one…

Ooof, this chapter was not supposed to go like this AT ALL. This part where they spend their night at the grocery store, Julie-Su gets all noble, and Amy explains her trauma with her dad, was supposed to be 3k-4k words MAX! In the second third, Amy was supposed to go with Julie-Su, shit goes down, and the last third was supposed to feature Amy finding, well, an important dead body and having a moment before she finally bucks up and takes a killing shot, ending this lovely chapter with a text from Silver. I really wanted chapter 6 to start with our trio heading to Sonic's place to meet with Silver and see who else is alive.

I realized very quickly that was NOT going to happen, so I decided to split it in half: This chapter would feature their grocery store confessions, Amy's trauma, fun with Julie-Su and end with Amy finding that dead body, totaling 8-9k words. Then chapter 6 would start with Amy having her moment after finding that body, our girlie taking her first killing shot, then she would get that text from Silver, sending her to Sonic's place in the second half of chapter 6 and revealing the drama between those of her friends still alive. But guess what? I ended up with 8k words from just their grocery store conversations alone, and if I add Amy's battle with Julie-Su at the end here and end with the dead body, then this chapter would likely breach 13k… ugh, over writer problems, I swear.

So, I'll have to adjust my chapter outline for the millionth time. This story is going to be longer than I thought. Anyway…

I apologize for the length. Let me know if you guys think there was too much talking in this one. I condensed what I could, but I can go back and edit out some unnecessary things after I finish this next chapter. I'm also trying to release edits of my only other completed story on here, so I've got a lot to do. I'm just glad to be writing again.

With that in mind, here is the rough plan for the next few chapters I have outlined that I HOPE to stick to.

Chapter 6: Team up with Julie-Su/Find a dead body/Killing shot/Message from Silver

Chapter 7: To Sonic's house/Leave to find the others/Shadow and Amy are taken

Chapter 8: Trapped in a safehouse/Tails, truth of the note, and the emerald/Escape

Chapter 9: Truth of Twinkle Park/Moment in the park/Rouge's rescue

Chapter 10: A moment to mourn/Blaze, Cream, and the will to fight/Emerald 2

Chapter 11: Everyone together again/Race to the Acorn Estate/Robotnik closes in

And this outline up here should conclude the first third of the story, getting into the second third with chapter 11 (looking to complete in 30 chapters I think). Let me know which chapter you are most excited for! Personally, I'm ready to meet with Silver and see how Sonic and his siblings are doing (hehe).

(No deaths in this chapter. Count your blessings)

In private school

Our Cast

Amy 16 (Junior)

Shadow 18 (Senior)*

Sonic 18 (Senior)

Sonia 18 (Senior)

Manic 18 (Senior)

Sally 18 (Senior)

Rouge 18 (Senior)

Knuckles 19 (Senior/held back a year)

Cream 11 (Sixth grade)

Tails 13 (Freshman/skipped two grades)

Silver 17 (Junior)

Blaze 17 (Junior)*

Mighty 18 (Senior)*

Espio 18 (Senior)*

Charmy 11 (Sixth grade)*

Vector 26 (Mighty, Espio, and Charmy's adoptive dad/more like a brother)

Vanilla 30 (Cream's mother)

Aleena 40 (Sonic, Sonia, and Manic's mother)

Iris 40 (Shadow's aunt/OC)

Cecelia Rose 35 (Amy's mother/OC)

Scarlet 35 (Rouge's mother/OC)

Elias 23 (Sally's brother)

Bunnie 20 (Graduated/Sally's close friend)

Mina 18 (Senior)

Julie-Su 17 (Junior)