"Miss Amy?" Cream poked her head out into her office, "I'm going to head off to my driver's exam now. Is there anything else you need me to do?"
Amy looked up from her ledger on the computer screen to shake her head. "It's fine, Cream," she said and smiled at her, "Good luck on your exam! Let me know how it goes, yeah?"
"I will!" The young rabbit beamed, "See you tomorrow."
"Bye Cream! Make sure to take the food I prepared for you from the counter!"
"I got it, thank you!"
Amy worked in silence for several minutes, her fingers rapidly punching the buttons on the adding machine she was using to total the meal tickets from the diner the past few days.
She'd been a little behind on filing the accounts for the diner lately, which was unheard of for a while. It was nothing like a little sit-down and concentration couldn't do, though the workload was meticulous and draining, but she knew she had to get them done to avoid trouble. Perhaps it would've been easier and quicker if she had hired an accountant, but finding one and going through the interview process was time she didn't have right now.
And if Amy was being honest with herself, she liked having control over the accounts. The horror stories she heard of some accountants messing up and running away with the money left her feeling uneasy about entrusting someone else with the diner's finances. Managing the accounts herself, despite the occasional stress, was just another way of maintaining that personal touch she wanted and ensuring everything was done right.
It sounded stubborn, really. Amy just sounded like she was adding more complications to her already ridiculously busy life, but being in debt didn't sound fancy, and she sure as heck wouldn't make herself be in that position.
Ideally, she could ask Sonic if he knew any good accountants. Well, he obviously did. But she wondered if they would go out of their way to account for a diner. From accounting a billion-ring company to a greasy diner seemed silly, but it wasn't impossible. She just needed to have the right person.
Maybe… Tails? She knew he had tons of experience in that regard and she trusted him.
Her train of thought was interrupted when she saw Tikal entering her office, a little out of breath as she slowly sat down on one of the couches.
Amy was quick on her feet and handed her a glass of water.
Tikal appreciated it with a smile as she gulped down the water. "Thanks, Amy."
"Honestly, Tikal, you shouldn't even be working," Amy said and crossed her arms, "Hope's gonna pop out any day now. I'm still surprised you convinced Shadow to drive you here."
Tikal laughed softly, placing a hand on her swollen belly. "Oh, he didn't have much of a choice. I needed to get out of the house, and I insisted. Plus, he knows better than to argue with me in this state."
"I'm sure he does," Amy laughed a little, shaking her head, "How much do you wanna bet he's a nervous wreck at work right now? The G.U.N would go on lockdown if anything happened to you or the baby."
"I'm sure he's managing just fine," Tikal reassured with a grin. "He's been surprisingly calm about everything. Or maybe he's not showing it so he doesn't put stress on me."
"Yeeeaaah, they have a knack for doing that, don't they?" She said, remembering how Sonic acted when she was pregnant. He was pulling a calm facade until the day Dash was due. That was when he was in panic mode until their son came out of the womb.
Tikal hummed in agreement before stretching her legs. "While I'll miss the glow on my face, I definitely won't miss the swelling in my feet. I don't know how you did it with Dash, Amy. It's awful."
"Well, it definitely wasn't a walk in the park, I'll tell you that," Amy chuckled, "Not wanting to eat anything before the due date, sleepless nights and aching feet. But every time I look at Dash, I know it was all worth it," she said, a smile curling up lips, "You'll feel the same way, Tikal."
"Oh, you're making me wish Hope was out now," Tikal laughed, rubbing her belly, "Thank you, Amy." After drinking more water and stretching her arms and legs out, the echidna stood up and started making her way back to the counter. "I think I'll stay and work for a little longer and then clock out."
"I'd rather you clock out now, but there's honestly no point," Amy joked before shaking her head, "I'll be there in a minute. I just need to finish up these accounts."
Tikal nodded and Amy went back to her desk to finish up her tasks. After thirty more minutes of filing and inserting more numbers, she leaned back in her chair and stretched out her arms.
"Yeah," Amy said to herself and yawned, "I definitely need an accountant."
Arranging her hair in an updo and tying up her apron around her waist, Amy made her way to the front and almost stopped short when she saw Tikal talking to an upset customer.
"I-I'm sorry, sir, but we don't have that on the menu today. Can I interest you in something else?" Tikal's voice was calm and soothing, but the man in front of her was not having it.
"It's ridiculous!" The man huffed, "I come here every Tuesday for the special and now you're telling me you don't have it? What's going on here?"
Amy quickly walked over, her business smile already in place. "Good afternoon, sir," she said smoothly, placing a gentle hand on Tikal's shoulder, "I'm Amy, the owner. What seems to be the problem?"
"This place is fallin' apart," The yellow hawk grumbled, "I come in for my usual and it's not here. This ain't ever happened before!"
Amy nodded understandingly, though her patience was wearing thin. She ignored the jab about her business and went on to say, "I apologise for the inconvenience. We did state on the window that our special would be different today since we're temporarily short on supplies. Would you like to try our shepherd's pie instead?"
He made a screw face at her and clicked his tongue in distaste. "Maybe if you, the owner, were more responsible not to hire and keep a useless pregnant woman to serve your customers, you wouldn't be in this situation, would ya?!"
As Tikal flinched from the comment, Amy felt a rush of anger flare up. "Do not speak about her that way. Tikal is more than capable of doing her job whether she's pregnant or not. If you're unsatisfied with the options available today, then I can offer you something else. Otherwise, I can show you the door and you won't be allowed to enter again. Your choice."
She wasn't going to cause a scene and worry the other customers, but Amy had always been defensive of her staff and wouldn't tolerate any form of disrespect towards them. She'd already gotten stupid questions and nasty snide comments about Cream being here. While the rabbit looked young, she was at a perfectly acceptable age to start working.
The man seemed to have been taken aback by her response and narrowed his eyes at her. "Fix that attitude, young lady," he said, letting out a scoff, "Talkn' all bitchy and demanding ain't gonna get you anywhere in this business. You've got a lot to learn about customer service."
Amy glared at him. "Excuse me-?"
"Amy Rose!"
Her eyes immediately went over to the swarm of people who entered the diner with cameras and microphones. They all rushed in front of the counter, pushing the yellow hawk aside as one woman decided to thrust her microphone into her face.
What the-
"We've just had word that Mariko has resigned from her position in Sonic the Hedgehog's company," The reporter said, making another flurry of news reporters asking the same question, "People are speculating that you might've been the reason for it. Could you please elaborate on it?"
Amy felt her stomach drop and a second later, she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She got it out and saw that Sonic was calling her, and then his texts were filling her screen. She couldn't even read them as another wave of questions was yelled her way, now causing a ridiculous commotion in the diner. Her usual patrons were staring at the scene in disbelief, some whispering among themselves before sending her sympathetic looks, while others quickly paid their bills and left to avoid the chaos.
The cameras were flashing and she was being videotaped at every angle. Amy had to bite the inside of her mouth to refrain from saying anything that would be used against her later, but she had to force herself not to make a face that would be on the front cover of everything.
But those stupid questions made it really hard not to give in…
Sonic, what the heck am I in right now?
"Are you and Sonic officially back together?"
"Is that the reason why Mariko resigned? Because you told him to fire her?"
"Don't you think that's playing a little dirty-?"
Amy clenched her teeth and pounded her fist against the counter.
"Alright, that's enough!" She raised her voice, her eyes flashing with anger as she addressed the crowd of reporters. The authority in her tone managed to cut through the chaos, momentarily silencing the room. Some of the people blanched as Amy took a deep breath. "This is a diner, not a press conference. You're disrupting my guests, so please, leave before I call-"
But they weren't listening to her and the questions still continued. By now, the rest of her customers were starting to make their way out of the diner, including the disgruntled hawk, leaving the reporters the only people inside. And as Amy's patience was rapid, a tap on her shoulder made her glance behind her.
"Amy…"
Tikal's face looked distressed, her cheeks flushing red as her breathing started to become uneven.
"What? What is it?" Amy asked, ignoring everything that was going on and focusing on her friend, "What's wrong?"
Tikal swallowed and winced, holding onto her arms for balance. "I-I think…" She paused and took another shaky deep breath, "I think the baby's coming…"
Suddenly, nothing else mattered anymore. Amy's heart raced as she took in Tikal's panicked expression. The commotion from the reporters faded into the background as her focus shifted entirely to her friend. She assessed the situation, her mind speeding through every step she needed to take.
Without saying a word, Amy took Tikal's hand and led her to the back room. She closed the door and locked it before grabbing Tikal's bag, coat and other essentials to take to the hospital.
"Keep taking deep breaths for me, Tikal, okay?" She rubbed her arms, "Every time you feel like a contraction is gonna start, keep taking a deep breath."
Tikal nodded slowly. "O-Okay…"
Once Amy had her things ready, she took Tikal's hand again, exiting through the diner's back door as they headed for her car. She quickly dialled Shadow's number, the black hedgehog picking up immediately, "Hey, Tikal's in labour so I need you to-"
The line had cut. Not even a second later, Amy heard a loud screeching sound coming from the corner of the parking lot and saw Shadow racing down to them on his motorbike.
He skidded to a halt and rushed over to Tikal. He didn't say anything, swooping the echidna up into his arms and made his way back to his bike.
Amy blinked at him for a moment before shouting, "What the hell are you doing?!"
"What does it look like I'm doing?!" Shadow yelled back at her as he helplessly tried to get Tikal on his bike, "I'm taking her to the hospital!"
"Yeah, but not on your bike, you idiot! It's not safe!" Amy opened her car's passenger door, "I'll drive! Just put her in the back seat!"
Shadow gave her an annoyed look before attempting to retaliate. "The roads are crowded-"
"I know a shortcut," she told him and then glared at the hedgehog when he still wasn't budging. She pressed her lips together and yelled, "JUST DO IT!"
That seemed to have swayed him and without further argument, he began seating Tikal into her car.
Amy jumped when she heard the back door of the diner burst open. She turned around and saw the reporters running towards them.
"Amy, are you still in a relationship with Sonic the Hedgehog?"
"Please let us know!"
"What about your son? Is he fine with all of this?"
Her anger spiked again and she had reached her boiling point. "Are you freaking serious-"
"Get the fuck away from my wife!" Shadow's voice cut through the noise and everyone had shut up. The reporters that were close and swarming past him and Tikal, had immediately backed away. The presence of the black hedgehog, known for his no-nonsense attitude and formidable reputation, caused a noticeable shift in the atmosphere.
"Don't you see that she's about to give birth?!" Shadow snarled at them, gesturing Tikal in his arms before he shot a piercing glare that seemingly shot through their veins, "Back. The hell. OFF!"
The reporters hesitated but as soon as Shadow's expression darkened, it was enough to make them think twice about refusing. They began to file out, grumbling and muttering amongst themselves.
Amy let out the breath she'd been holding and shook her head.
Focus on Tikal!
She helped Shadow secure Tikal in her car and then ran to the driver's seat, wasting no time in starting the engine and driving off as quickly (and safely) as she could.
Amy sat in the waiting room alone, her knee anxiously bopping up and down. She glanced at the wall clock and sighed.
As soon as Tikal was brought in, she was whisked away into the delivery room with Shadow. It'd only been thirty minutes, but it felt like she'd been sitting here for hours.
She texted Knuckles and he was already on the way with the others, but it seemed like the traffic caught up to them. She left the diner in the hands of the Chaotix. Granted, they couldn't cook or even lift up a spatula or pan, but Espio was good at making coffee and egg omelette, so it was better than nothing. She just hoped Vector and Charmy cooperated.
Closing her eyes, Amy took a deep breath and mulled over her thoughts as she scrolled through Sonic's messages.
She hadn't replied to them, because really, she didn't know how to respond. Did he speak with Mariko? Did he "deal" with her as in fire her? Was that it? It just didn't make any sense. However, Amy knew that Mariko sending in her resignation only came with reason and one reason only.
It was because of her.
Amy replayed her conversation with the grey hedgehog the night of her birthday. Even though Sonic reassured her, there was that underlying sense of doubt that her words meant something far more… worse than Amy thought and she was barely prepared for any of it.
Mariko had money. And a lot of it. The resignation probably only put a slight dent in her reputation and account balance.
And what did Amy have? No money in her pocket that could even compare to that.
The media frenzy isn't going to leave her alone anytime soon. And she would have to deal with it for a while. Again.
Now that her relationship with Sonic has technically been outed and is no longer a secret, she knew escaping the public wouldn't be as easy as it had been all those years ago. The internet was even more ruthless than it was before, and Amy felt the weight of it pressing down on her.
She rubbed her temples, trying to alleviate the stress that was threatening to boil over.
But she knew that, right? Amy knew that getting back together with Sonic meant dealing with the spotlight again. Being so public again meant accepting the constant scrutiny from the media and the endless questions from people who thought they had a right to know everything about her life.
It was going to be different this time, though. In a good way. She also knew that much.
Just as she was about to conclude her growing anxiety, she heard a rush of footsteps and looked up to see Knuckles burst into the waiting room with Rouge.
"How is she?" Knuckles immediately asked her, "Is she okay? Nothing bad happened, right?"
"She's okay," Amy reassured him with a smile watching as Rouge sat him down on the chair opposite, "Shadow's in there with her. The baby should be out any second."
"Told you she'd be okay," Rouge said, shaking her head and looking at Amy, "That was probably the worst car ride I've ever had with him. We got pulled over, twice!"
Knuckles shot her an annoyed glance. "Yeah, well, if you didn't give me the least efficient route ever where we were stuck in traffic for twenty minutes, maybe we wouldn't have been pulled over!"
Rouge looked at him incredulously, her hand over her chest. "So you're saying it's my fault? You were the one that was driving like a maniac!"
"I was only driving like that because you didn't even know where the hell we were going!"
"Excuse me if I-"
As much as Amy found amusement in their bickering, she wanted the both of them to focus on the matter at hand, which was Tikal and the baby. She knew Knuckles and Rouge's bickering was their way of coping with their own stress, and she appreciated their presence, even if they were getting caught up in their argument.
"Guys, can we save the drama for later?" Amy interrupted gently, trying to bring their attention back to the situation. "Let's just focus on being here for Tikal and Shadow."
Knuckles and Rouge stopped abruptly, looking at her and then a second later, they mumbled their apologies before they sat back down together and waited in silence.
"Sorry we're late!"
The sound of Sonic's voice made her ears twitch and perk up against her seat as she saw him walking in with Dash and Tails
"Mom!" Dash rushed over, his small hands reaching out to her.
Amy smiled and scooped him up into her arms before leaving a kiss against his head. Sonic sat down next to her while Tails sat down beside Knuckles, giving him a bottle of water.
She leaned slightly to Sonic's side. "Traffic?"
"Yeah, it's a mess out there," Sonic replied quietly, shaking his head. He sighed and ran a hand down his face before asking, "How's Tikal doing?"
Amy could tell by his face that he wasn't telling her everything but refrained from questioning it. Now wasn't the time for that. She shifted Dash to a more comfortable position on her lap and nodded towards the delivery room. "She's fine, thankfully. The stuff from earlier stressed her, but it didn't take us long to get here."
She caught him wincing slightly at the last part of her sentence before he nodded grimly. "Right, right."
Pressing her lips together, she was tempted to reach out for his hand and squeeze it. The guilt was so obvious on his face, but he still managed a strained smile when Dash started talking to him.
Minutes felt like hours. Knuckles started pacing back and forth in the waiting room, his expression tense with worry. Rouge sat quietly, occasionally checking her phone but otherwise focused on the door leading to the delivery room. Tails remained seated but also started to pester Knuckles to sit down.
Sonic alternated between trying to engage Dash in quiet conversation and stealing glances at her. Amy would lock her eyes with his, and she'd smile at him and while he would reciprocate, his smile never reached his eyes.
The anxiety she felt earlier started creeping its way back into her stomach and before she could succumb to it, the door to the delivery room finally opened.
The nurse stepped out with a gentle smile. "The delivery went smoothly," she announced and gestured for them to come inside, "Tikal and the baby are both healthy. You can see them now, but please, enter the room one at a time."
Relief washed over the faces and Knuckles was the first to move, practically sprinting to the nurse, who guided him through the door. Rouge and Tails followed closely behind and Amy rested Dash against her hip as she walked with Sonic behind her.
The first thing she saw was Tikal resting against the hospital bed. She looked exhausted but her face radiated joy and relief. Shadow was sitting beside her, cradling a tiny bundle wrapped in a soft pink blanket.
"Tikal, are you okay?" Knuckles asked her while gently moving some of her dreads away from her face.
"I am," Tikal said tiredly, but held a smile once her eyes moved over to the baby, "Would you like to hold Hope?"
Knuckles's eyes softened as he took in the sight of the tiny hedgehog in Shadow's arms. "Yeah," he said, stepping forward. Shadow carefully handed over the baby, and Knuckles's face broke into a wide grin as he cradled Hope with utmost care. "Hi, Hope. I'm your Uncle Knuckles."
"She's beautiful, Tikal," Rouge stood next to Knuckles and looked down at Hope beside him.
"She is, isn't she?" Tikal laughed a little, "But she was a little stubborn about coming out."
Rouge snorted and sent a sly look towards Shadow. "Yeah, she's definitely Shadow's daughter," she said, earning a nudge from Knuckles.
Shadow rolled his eyes at the comment and decided to make one of his own. "Let's hope your child doesn't inherit your attitude."
The bat narrowed her eyes at him but before another argument could start, Knuckles handed Hope over to her. Rouge's face instantly lit up as she carefully cradled the baby, her expression softening as she gazed at the newborn. Tails approached next, offering his congratulations to Tikal and Shadow before gently holding Hope as well, marvelling at how small and delicate she was.
"Would you like to hold her?" Amy asked Dash, laughing a little when she saw her son eagerly nodding.
Tails chuckled and leaned down to carefully give Dash the baby so he could cradle her in his arms with Amy's help. "Here ya go, sport."
"Hold her head up, Dash," she reminded gently, guiding his small hands to support Hope's head.
"She's so tiny," Dash whispered in awe, his eyes wide as he looked at the baby.
"You were like that too, buddy," Sonic said, resting a hand on Dash's shoulder as he peered down at Hope's sleeping figure, "Only you kept crying a lot."
"Dad," he pouted at him.
Amy lightly smacked Sonic's arm but added, "Don't worry, Dash. Your dad was more of a crybaby once he held you for the first time."
Dash beamed. "Really?"
Tails and Knuckles both snorted, trying to hold in their laughter.
Sonic jokingly sent her an unimpressed look. "Hey."
Amy just winked at him and watched as Dash handed Hope over to Sonic for him to hold. Sonic smiled down at Hope and cradled the baby like a natural he was.
"Looks like she's got your eyes, Tikal," he said with a grin, "Even though she's got most of Shadow's stuff, she's cute."
"Be quiet," Shadow muttered, shooting a mild glare at him before he helped Tikal drink a glass of water.
Amy shook her head at Sonic's comment and smiled when she got to hold the baby this time. The newborn's tiny fingers grasped her hand and she was taken back to the time when Dash did the same. She cooed at Hope, rocking her gently before looking at Tikal. "How are you feeling?"
"Much better," Tikal said with a soft sigh, watching as Amy held Hope, "Thank you, Amy. I'm sorry for the bad timing."
"Don't apologise for that, Tikal. You and Hope are the most important right now. I'm just glad everything went smoothly despite it all."
"I-I know…" The echidna trailed off, her eyes suddenly locking onto hers. They were tired but Amy knew that look from anywhere. Tikal was worried about her and was silently questioning if she was okay after that whole fiasco at the diner.
She almost laughed. Even in the state she was in, her friend was still concerned for her. Amy lightly shook her head at her with a small smile.
Hope started to fidget a lot, which was a queue that she needed to be fed. Shadow already had the bottle of milk ready as Amy handed the baby back to Tikal.
A light tap on her shoulder made Amy look up at Sonic, who was quietly signalling that he wanted to talk to her outside. Nodding, she let Dash sit on Tails's lap before she gave one last look at the scene in front of her and then followed Sonic out of the room.
"Hey," Sonic said and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at her, "I know this is a stupid question but, are you okay?"
"Well, other than dealing with the diner's accounts and a rude customer and then experiencing the worst media circus I've had in a while," Amy crossed her arms and shrugged before jokingly saying, "I think I'm doing pretty okay."
Sonic didn't laugh. His gaze was pinned onto her as a frown formed on his lips, his hands moving in and out of his pockets until they finally settled at his sides. He sighed and ran a hand down his quills but stayed quiet for another pending moment.
When it became clear that he wouldn't talk, Amy's confident smile dropped as she took a step closer to him. "What's wrong?"
He looked at her as if he were hesitant to say the next thing. That pit in her stomach came rushing back into her again, and the anxiety she was desperately trying to swallow was gradually making its way to its peak.
A few days ago, the both of them were out celebrating her birthday. Even after the whole ordeal with Mariko, Amy was still so happy that she spent the rest of the day with Sonic. Dinner went well, they talked and laughed, she was honest with him about how she felt, and she finally told him what was eating her up so much because they trusted each other more than ever.
And then they spent the night together in bliss.
So when Amy took a good look at his face, she found it hard to force herself to swallow down the anxiety she felt.
She knew he wasn't telling her something.
Amy pressed her lips together and mentally braced herself when she whispered, "What is it?"
Her worry heightened when he struggled to meet her eyes for a second, but he took a deep breath and decided to bring their hands together, leaving a small kiss between her knuckles. "You know how I told you I'd deal with her once you told me she came to the diner and spoke with you?"
She gave him a slow nod. "Yeah."
"Well, I did," he said and paused, licking his lips as he lightly increased his grip on her hands.
Amy watched him intently, her heart racing as she awaited his next words. The air felt thick with anticipation, and she could sense that whatever he was about to say, it was something she wasn't going to like.
"I didn't tell her to resign, I just told her to stay away from you. And if she didn't, I'd have to get the authorities involved and that her brother would take her place."
Sonic's voice trailed off, and Amy's heart sank. She squeezed his hands, urging him to continue.
"And?" She prompted, her voice barely above a whisper.
"She didn't take it too well and started going on about my relationship with you. I told her she had no say in it and that she should mind her own business," Sonic shook his head, "But…"
Trying to stay calm, Amy bit the corner of her lip anxiously and pressed, "But?"
"She wasn't listening to me and just…" He gulped and the muscle against his jaw clenched, "...Started coming towards me. Nothing happened, but she wanted something to happen, but I pushed her away and told her she needed to leave."
Amy felt her heart plummet. His words hung in the air, their weight pressing down on her like a storm cloud ready to burst. She tried to process what he said, but it felt like her mind was moving through molasses. She looked down at her feet, shifting uncomfortably. She could feel Sonic squeeze at her hands again, but it did little to help. In fact, she managed to slip away from them and took a small step back.
"Amy-"
"So, you didn't fire her?"
"No, but-"
"Why didn't you?" Amy cut him off, feeling her throat tighten as she glared at him, "She wouldn't have had to announce her resignation by herself if you just fired her in the first place. She badmouthed me and she tried to come onto you and that still wasn't enough for you to get rid of her?"
Sonic's face fell and she could tell he was finally realising where she was getting at, but that only made his expression harden at her. "What are you trying to say, Amy? Do you think I wanted her to come onto me like that?"
Amy let out a dry chuckle.
What she said next floored them both.
"Yeah, well, when you give someone so much leeway and let them get away with things they shouldn't, it's not surprising they start feeling entitled and the other party gets manipulated into doing things they want."
Silence.
When she saw the look on his face, Amy wished she could shove the words back into her mouth.
Sonic's eyes widened as if struck by lightning. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words faltered. His usual confidence seemed to crumble under the weight of her accusation.
Amy's own chest tightened with regret, but she stood her ground, her heart pounding. She had wanted to voice her feelings, to express her frustration, but seeing his reaction made her second-guess her approach.
Back to square one.
No, no…
That couldn't be true.
"Amy, I-" Sonic began, finding his voice but his voice was thick with frustration. "I didn't wanna escalate things. I didn't even wanna make things worse than they already were."
"Well, it looks like that didn't work out too well, did it?" Amy snapped, her voice rising. "She got what she wanted anyway. And now, here we are, with the media and everyone else hounding me because you couldn't make a decision."
Sonic's jaw tightened, and his hands fisted at his sides. "You think I wanted this? Do you think I wanted Mariko to do what she did? I tried to handle it as best as I could!"
"Best as you could?" Amy took a few shaky breaths, "Was that seriously the best that you could do?! Was her not coming into my diner on my own birthday not enough of a reason for you to get rid of her on your own accord?!"
"For crying out loud, Amy! I want to protect you!" He gritted his teeth in frustration, "When I told you that I'd deal with her, I said I would. And I did! I told her either she fixes her act or she walks out that door."
"So you gave her a choice?" She pressed at him and then nodded, "Glad to know how much you really tried then."
"I tried to be fair and handle it without making everything blow up. I didn't want her to argue with me and make everything worse. And look where we are now! It's a mess, sure, but that's not because I didn't try!"
Amy clenched her fists. "Fair? You call that fair, Sonic? You knew what she was like. You knew how she was making my life miserable, and you still gave her an out. She shouldn't have had the chance to make things worse!"
He closed his eyes, taking another deep breath. "Ames, I get it. I really do. But you gotta understand, I was trying to avoid a bigger disaster. If I had just fired her without giving her a chance, she might've done something even more drastic."
"Like what?" She questioned, her voice rising with each word, "What could she possibly do that'd be even worse than what she's doing to me now?"
"Amy, you don't know-"
"I don't know her?" Amy finished off for him with a scoff, "Because you know her so well, is that it?"
It was then he shot her a glare. "Don't, Amy. Just don't even-"
"Don't what-"
"Don't twist this into something it's not!" Sonic yelled at her, staring her down, "I didn't want any of this to happen. I was trying to handle it the best way I knew how, but it seems like no matter what I do, it's never enough for you!"
Amy froze, her anger gone in an instant. She stared at Sonic, her mind racing as the gravity of his statement settled in. His voice, raw with frustration and hurt, echoed in her ears.
This wasn't what she wanted. This wasn't how she envisioned this conversation going.
"Mom? Dad?"
Both of them jumped when they heard Dash's voice and they turned around to see their son standing in the doorway, his small face filled with concern.
Amy felt her breath catch in her throat as she quickly wiped away the stray tears. Sonic seemed to regain his composure, though his face remained pale. He looked down at Dash, trying to force a softer expression.
"Hey, buddy," Sonic said, his voice rough but attempting to be soothing, "What's up?"
Dash shuffled his feet nervously, looking between them. "I heard you guys yelling. Is everything okay?"
His question cut through the tension like a knife and neither of them said anything for a moment. Amy tried her best to gather herself, taking a few jittery breaths before walking over to Dash, crouching down.
She attempted to put on her best smile. "Everything's fine, baby. Your Dad and I just had a little disagreement, that's all."
Dash looked from Amy to Sonic, his eye furrowing in concern. "Are you sure? You both look upset," he said and then took a closer look at Amy, "Mom… Have you been crying?"
"No, no," Amy quickly reassured him and swallowed down the lump in her throat as she placed her hands on her son's shoulders, "I haven't been crying. I'm fine."
She hated lying to Dash, especially when he didn't look entirely convinced after her statement. He kept anxiously looking between her and Sonic until his eyes finally rested on her. He nodded slowly. "Okay," he said and then looked up at Sonic, "Dad, are we still gonna go to the park?"
"Yeah, we're still going," Sonic said, putting on a smile, "You wanna say goodbye to Tikal before we go?"
Dash seemed hesitant to go, switching his gazes to her and then to Sonic, but finally nodded. He smiled, hugging Amy before saying, "I'm gonna tell Uncle Tails to take me to the restroom first."
They watched him leave, but Amy felt sick knowing their argument affected him. She stood up and turned to face Sonic again, but he was already walking past her and headed towards the room's exit.
"Where are you going?"
Sonic paused at the door. His shoulders were tense, and his hand gripped the doorframe so tightly. He didn't look back at her as he spoke.
"I need a minute," he muttered. "Need to clear my head."
Amy took a step forward, her hand reaching towards him. "But-"
"I've got security around the diner and your house, so nobody's gonna disturb you. I'll do my best to calm down the media and I'll get Tails to keep an eye on things until I can figure out what's next."
"Sonic-"
But he didn't wait for her and just left, leaving Amy standing alone in the room. She stayed frozen where she was for a long moment, staring blindly at the place where Sonic had been. Looking up at the ceiling, she slumped down against the chair behind her and made a small fist before pounding it against her thigh.
"Dammit…"
"I'm gonna head back to the diner."
Amy's voice was low and shaky as she spoke to Tikal, who was still resting in bed with Hope peacefully cradled in her arms. The room was filled with a bittersweet calm now that the initial excitement had settled.
Tikal caught on and looked at her with concern. "Are you sure? You look… a little worn out."
"I'll be fine. I just need to take care of a few things and, um, clear my head a bit." She looked over at Shadow, who was leaning back against the chair with his arms crossed and eyes closed sleeping.
"Well… alright then," Tikal's eyes reflected with some weariness and gratitude as she smiled at her, "Thank you again for today, Amy. I don't know what we'd do without-"
"It's no problem, Tikal," Amy laughed a little and carefully gave her a hug, "I'll see you soon, okay? Get some rest."
With one final glance, Amy stepped out of the room and made her way down the corridor. She had almost bumped into a few of the nurses as she walked, her mind still distracted from her fight with Sonic. Each step felt like a heavy burden, the weight of her unresolved feelings and frustrations pressing down on her.
Once she reached outside, the sun was shining so ridiculously bright. She squinted against the glare and took a moment to gather herself before sighing and making the walk down to her car.
She stopped when she noticed Tails and Dash standing next to Sonic's car on the sidewalk. Dash saw her and waved at her with a happy grin. She smiled at him and waved back before her eyes settled on Sonic, who was standing a little ways from them on the phone. His back was facing her, but he sounded annoyed at whoever he was talking to.
The sight of him, even from a distance, made her chest ache. But she wasn't going to approach him. Not now.
Amy swallowed the lump against her throat and waited until it was safe to walk the crosswalk to get to her car. Once she didn't see a vehicle in sight, she was already in the middle of the crosswalk when she heard the loud roar of an engine.
The sound of the roaring engine yanked Amy's attention from her thoughts. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw a sleek black car speeding towards her, tyres screeching against the asphalt. Everything seemed to slow down, as if time itself was holding its breath.
Her eyes widened in terror, her body freezing in place. The world around her blurred, the only thing in sharp focus was the oncoming car.
Dash's scream pierced through the haze, "Mom!"
Adrenaline surged through her veins, but her limbs felt like lead. She forced herself to move and jump out of the car's path. Her muscles tensed, and she began to pivot, her arms reaching out instinctively for balance.
The car's headlights flashed in her eyes, blinding her. She couldn't see the driver, she couldn't see anything. The car was mere feet away from her now.
Amy's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding painfully against her ribcage. She managed to twist her body to the side, her legs propelling her towards the edge of the crosswalk.
But it was too late.
"AMY!"
…Sonic's voice felt so far away.
The impact was sudden and jarring. Pain exploded through her body as the car struck her, sending her tumbling across the pavement. She heard a sickening crunch, and felt the burn of the road against her skin.
Time sped up again, reality crashing back in with multiple sounds and sensations. The car's engine roared past her, screeching to a halt a few yards away. The distant sounds of sirens wailed in the background.
Amy lay motionless on the ground. She could barely make out the frantic movements of Sonic rushing towards her.
"Amy! Amy, stay with me!" Sonic's voice broke through the fog, his hand gently cradling her face as he laid her head against his arm, "Tails, take Dash and get him out of here!"
The sounds of Dash crying out for her went further and further away.
Her vision started to fade in and out, and her surroundings became a whirl of indistinct shapes and colours. She could feel Sonic's grip on her tightening, his voice becoming more distraught as he tried to keep her conscious.
"Ames, Ames. Come on," Sonic pleaded, his thumb brushing against her cheek. She could see the glistening of tears in his eyes, "Come on, baby. Stay awake, stay awake!"
She wanted to reassure him, to tell him she was okay, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, she focused on his face, trying to draw strength from his presence. Her eyelids grew heavy, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't keep them open.
The last thing she felt before everything went black was Sonic's tears dripping down onto her face.
And then there was nothing.