{"submission_id":"1554176","keywords":[{"keyword_id":"9534","keyword_name":"amy rose","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"8636"},{"keyword_id":"1911","keyword_name":"badger","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"3243"},{"keyword_id":"7905","keyword_name":"bandicoot","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"832"},{"keyword_id":"11682","keyword_name":"eggman","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"494"},{"keyword_id":"123","keyword_name":"female","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"520758"},{"keyword_id":"2968","keyword_name":"fighting","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"2507"},{"keyword_id":"33","keyword_name":"fox","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"135548"},{"keyword_id":"1008","keyword_name":"hedgehog","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"47859"},{"keyword_id":"10788","keyword_name":"knuckles the echidna","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"2555"},{"keyword_id":"165","keyword_name":"male","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"640426"},{"keyword_id":"1003","keyword_name":"m/f","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"22957"},{"keyword_id":"96188","keyword_name":"sexual tension","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"31"},{"keyword_id":"28051","keyword_name":"sonamy","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"1594"},{"keyword_id":"2116","keyword_name":"sonic","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"33806"},{"keyword_id":"115764","keyword_name":"sonic boom","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"1642"},{"keyword_id":"7252","keyword_name":"sonic the hedgehog","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"29068"},{"keyword_id":"196592","keyword_name":"sticks the badger","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"840"},{"keyword_id":"578","keyword_name":"tails","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"7890"},{"keyword_id":"3979","keyword_name":"tension","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"60"},{"keyword_id":"248","keyword_name":"topless","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"5102"},{"keyword_id":"1846","keyword_name":"voyeurism","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"2409"},{"keyword_id":"9085","keyword_name":"watching","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"763"}],"hidden":"f","scraps":"f","favorite":"f","favorites_count":"6","create_datetime":"2018-03-01 20:38:41.525528+01","create_datetime_usertime":"01 Mar 2018 20:38 CET","last_file_update_datetime":"2018-03-01 20:12:35.487508+01","last_file_update_datetime_usertime":"01 Mar 2018 20:12 CET","username":"Chinry","user_id":"447612","user_icon_file_name":"153322_Chinry_image.png","user_icon_url_large":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/usericons/large/153/153322_Chinry_image.png","user_icon_url_medium":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/usericons/medium/153/153322_Chinry_image.png","user_icon_url_small":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/usericons/small/153/153322_Chinry_image.png","file_name":"2205572_Chinry_ic8.doc","file_url_full":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/full/2205/2205572_Chinry_ic8.doc","file_url_screen":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/2205/2205572_Chinry_ic8.doc","file_url_preview":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/2205/2205572_Chinry_ic8.doc","files":[{"file_id":"2205572","file_name":"2205572_Chinry_ic8.doc","file_url_full":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/full/2205/2205572_Chinry_ic8.doc","file_url_screen":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/2205/2205572_Chinry_ic8.doc","file_url_preview":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/2205/2205572_Chinry_ic8.doc","mimetype":"application/msword","submission_id":"1554176","user_id":"447612","submission_file_order":"0","full_size_x":null,"full_size_y":null,"screen_size_x":null,"screen_size_y":null,"preview_size_x":null,"preview_size_y":null,"initial_file_md5":"7f6e36107ed2ef0703f6e106b87939db","full_file_md5":"7f6e36107ed2ef0703f6e106b87939db","large_file_md5":"","small_file_md5":"","thumbnail_md5":"","deleted":"f","create_datetime":"2018-03-01 20:12:35.487508+01","create_datetime_usertime":"01 Mar 2018 20:12 CET"}],"pools":[{"pool_id":"49514","name":"Internal Combustion","description":"My full blown story about the trials and tribulations of Amy and Sonic's early relationship. Boom based.","count":"14","submission_left_submission_id":"1543210","submission_left_file_name":"2188694_Chinry_ic4.doc","submission_right_submission_id":"1576313","submission_right_file_name":"2240544_Chinry_ic14.doc"}],"description":"Staci has a bad rep huh? Well, I didn't want her to be such a shallow character, so for now there is not much to her, but she does get her own development. Not that matters much to Amy right now, she knows what she wants.\n\nAlso, Shadow isn't gone. I think of this time as him removing himself from Amy, needing to shut off before he does something stupid like care for her. \n\nI hope I've kept everyone as in character as possible, given the mature nature of the story. Young guys are being young guys mostly. Sonic is being a tool, but he's hurt. Boom Eggman totally ships Sonamy, I will not be told otherwise, but he does idolize Shadow too so....\n\nI have not written many battles. Sorry.\n\nSide Note: if any of you are, like me, In Europe you might already know this...but hedgehog courtship is a noisy affair. They are bigger than you might imagine and noisy to boot. Mating is very careful, but the foreplay...guys please think of the children.","description_bbcode_parsed":"Staci has a bad rep huh? Well, I didn't want her to be such a shallow character, so for now there is not much to her, but she does get her own development. Not that matters much to Amy right now, she knows what she wants.
Also, Shadow isn't gone. I think of this time as him removing himself from Amy, needing to shut off before he does something stupid like care for her.
I hope I've kept everyone as in character as possible, given the mature nature of the story. Young guys are being young guys mostly. Sonic is being a tool, but he's hurt. Boom Eggman totally ships Sonamy, I will not be told otherwise, but he does idolize Shadow too so....
I have not written many battles. Sorry.
Side Note: if any of you are, like me, In Europe you might already know this...but hedgehog courtship is a noisy affair. They are bigger than you might imagine and noisy to boot. Mating is very careful, but the foreplay...guys please think of the children.","writing":"\tSticks ran a sponge carefully down Amy's arm. Most of her cuts and grazes were superficial and would heal within a day or two, but she was covered in them. The badger had been helping her friend bathe while the hedgehog told her tale. When she finally stopped talking, her shoulders visably drooped. She was worn in more ways than one.\n\n\t“....and I thought the Black Badger was a scary thing to see in the woods. But you stood up to them, you got through, that's a good thing aint it?”\n\n\tAmy sighed and slipped deeper in to the bubbles, “Yes, I think so. Although, I don't think I can go near a baby again for a good long while. My body might be telling me it's ready but THAT thing could have put me off forever.”\n\n\t“I thought I saw some crazy things. I mean, there's a robot version of me living in the sky. But babies that turn in to aliens? You're nuts.”\n\n\tAmy snorted harshly, “I'm sure you could be calling me worse things. I'm sure the villagers will be anyway.”\n\n\tSticks, who was at leaning over the tub, drooped the sponge and looked Amy in the eye, “I don't know. I think there are a lot of secrets out there that each and every one of them would like to keep hidden. I hear Lady Walrus has a tattoo of her husband across her back, for example.”\n\n\tAmy shrugged, “That doesn't sound so bad.”\n\n\t“Romantic huh? So reliable spies tell me, it's a beautiful depiction of him stark naked but for a tasteful loin cloth. And some cupid wings.”\n\n\tAmy drooped her jaw open, “......how do you...”\n\n\tStick smiled. “I've seen it. No more reliable spy than myself. Lady Walrus is probably your biggest threat, but if she wants to keep that quiet, she won't be calling you anything.”\n\n\tAmy laughed, “Do you have dirt on everyone?”\n\n\t“Oh you bet, you don't get to be me by not spying on all your neighbours. No matter what hour of night or day you think you can sneak around, I am there. Even when Sonic tries to get away in the blink of an eye I've seen him...”\n\n\tSticks froze, mouth halted in the last shape she was speaking in, not knowing where to go from there. \n\n\tAmy's face dropped again, “It's okay Sticks, I know everything. Well maybe not the sordid details, but enough. He left me a message on my communicator before I came back,” she laughed bitterly, “still can't handle his alcohol”\n\n\tSticks felt awful to feel so relieved. She had debated telling Amy what she knew, but it was not a secret that could be swept under the rug. Sonic had been so reckless without Amy to keep an eye on him and he had got drunk on more than one occasion. He seemed to have a fair few black holes in his memory. There was no way he knew he had drunk called Amy and confessed his deeds...he would have skipped town by now if so.\n\n\t“I don't think he knows you know. It's not exactly a secret, but it's all in hushed voices. Nobody knew about the city girls as he was keeping that away from home, but Staci lives in the village and she hasn't shut up about...”\n\n\tAmy sat bolt upright, “City girls?!”\n\n\tSticks froze again and stared unblinking, fumbling her words, “What? City....what words are you making up....I don't...forest demons talking to you.”\n\n\tAmy screamed in frustration, grabbing hold of the sponge and twisted it tight, “I should have known! Here I am trying to fight back the guilt of sleeping with Shadow while Sonic has been out chasing tail left right and centre! How long has this been going on? Years? Kept me hanging on...and he's...buried in...the nearest...”. She tore the sponge in two.\n\n\tAfter an awkward pause, Sticks spoke again, “Never another hedgehog though.”\n\n\tAmy stood up, her stance low but her face was fierce.\n\n\t“What does that have to do with anything?” she grumbled as she stepped out of the bath, not caring that she was soaking the floor as she walked passed Sticks. When she finally grabbed a towel she realised Sticks was scrutinizing her back.\n\n\t“What are you doing?”\n\n\tSticks cocked her head sideways, “You er....did say you slept with Shadow?”\n\n\tAmy rolled her eyes, “if you about to try and guilt trip me or call me a hypoc....”\n\n\t“No! No, nothing like that.”\n\n\t“Then if you were expecting any further details...”\n\n\tSticks chewed on her lip, “No I wasn't expecting that either.”\n\n\tAmy started squeezing the water out of her quills. Taking deep breaths to stop herself from losing her temper and unfairly taking it out on her friend, she asked again, “Weave me a tale then Sticks, what is the significance of him not screwing another hedgehog?”\n\n\tSticks was still chewing on her lip, harder this time. This was too heavy a conversation to have while Amy was in the place she was in, so she skirted around the truth.\n\n\t“I don't know, guess he knew he couldn't ever replace you.”\n\n\t“Ha, replace me?,” she laughed, whipping around, “he never had me! Good thing too, apparently I'd have been sharing him! Stupid, fucking...BLUE HEDGEHOG.”\n\n\t“Don't give me that. If you didn't love him you wouldn't be this upset,” Sticks declared, pointing her finger at her rosy comrade.\n\n\tAmy glared at the pointed digit, but rather than scream any more she let out a whoosh of breath.\n\n\t“You know Sticks, I'm starting to wonder if you weren't once one of those forest ghosts. I do love him, and yes that may have been part of the reason I came back. I'm not happy to hear of other girls, but it's still Staci that hurts the most. Strangers are just physical, she is more personal. So there's competition. I'm not resting on my laurels now I know the truth. Just before I murder him, I'm going to make him mine”\n\n\t“But,” Sticks pointed out in a low voice, “I'm pretty sure he is still bedding Staci.”\n\n\tAmy looked over her shoulder at the younger badger and smiled devilishly.\n\n\t“You think that's going to stop me?”\n\n*****\n\n\tSometimes he was an idiot, and often he frustrated her, but Knuckles was also by far the least judgemental creature she knew and when he bundled her up in a hug she gladly took it. He was so much taller and broader than anyone else, when he wrapped his arms around her she virtually vanished in to his red fur.\n\n\t“I am so glad you're back! I was worried you would never be back from your Aunt's,” he cried, finally putting her down.\n\n\tShe raised an eyebrow, “my...my Aunts?”\n\n\t“The family you were visiting,” Tails interrupted, giving her a toothy smile and nodding with encouragement.\n\n\t“Oh,” she replied, “Yes my Auntie...Flo...Tation.”\n\n\t“Auntie Flo Tation?” Knuckled mumbled, narrowing his eyes.\n\n\t“Twice removed on my cousins side.”\n\n\t“....she sounds nice.”\n\n\tAmy grinned as Knuckles went back to play with his console, and then looked questioningly at Tails. He sidled up to her and whispered in her ear.\n\n\t“We told the villagers you were visiting family. He did know where you were to start with, but when he started to believe the lie instead, we decided not to correct him.”\n\n\t“What was wrong with the truth?” she asked defensively.\n\n\tTails shook his head “He was worried enough, we just didn't want to confuse him.”\n\n\tShe released her frown and looked a little sheepish, “Yes, of course.”\n\n\tThey were in Tails workshop. It was the day after Amy's return and she was beginning to find her feet again. Tails had called by but Sticks had sent him away with the promise that Amy would be able to see them once she was herself. Amy had been happy at least that they had come to see her. Really they were all delaying the inevitable meeting with Sonic, but Tails reassured them he would not be there. The young fox did not want to be caught in the middle of that.\n\n\t“Where were you? I should have been able to track you once you picked up your communicator, but the signal jumped all over the place. I did wonder if Shadow was teleporting you place to place?”\n\n\t“To be honest Tails, I don't think I know myself where we were. Shadow can move through time and space in a different way to the rest of us. I was right here, but not here at all. I think, I was in between reality and something else.”\n\n\tHe scratched his chin, “So an alternate dimension? He always did seem to appear and vanish at a moments notice. Maybe on the same time wave as us, which is why we could call you. Do you think it was the same place where the other Knuckles came from? The other Eggman? Did you experience any anomalies, like we did with him? No that can't be, it only took a few hours for issues to present themselves then. If you never saw anyone but him maybe it wasn't even this planet! What if...”\n\n\t“I'm sorry I didn't come home,” she sighed suddenly, the words spilling from her without her even realising she needed to say them so strongly, “and I'm sorry I didn't keep in touch. It was selfish of me to make you worry, and even worse that I let it go on so long.”\n\n\tAfter a few seconds where he seemed to be calculating her words, he smiled at her and said, “It's your life Amy, once we knew you were safe, we were happy enough.”\n\n\tShe smiled weakly in return, “I wouldn't say you were all happy. Sticks had been looking after me since I got back, but just before I came here she flipped just like that. She forbade me from seeing or speaking to her for exactly five hours.”\n\n\tKnuckles walked back over to them, “Yea she's nuts, but she doesn't want to actually kill Sonic any more so I'm sure she will forgive you for running away with the creepy hedgehog who sometimes attacks us.”\n\n\tAmy and Tails just stared at him.\n\n\t“What? Hey if Sonic is going to play the field why shouldn't you? Though you must have arrived at your Aunts late in the evening thought amirite? Hope she didn't keep asking you awkward questions.”\n\n\t“Knuckles, you are an enigma,” Amy gasped in surprise. \n\n\t“It's pronounce Ek Id Nah.”\n\n\tShe sighed, “Shadow knows how to fight well, obviously. He was able to pick up on my flaws, which is mostly my reaction speed. It's why he could sneak up on us so easily. I can hit, I can hit hard, but when he caught me off guard I couldn't react quick enough. I was learning to be more prepared in battle, because you never know if Metal Sonic could return. That's what I was learning while I was there. Why would you assume I was up to anything different?”\n\n\t“The guilty way you apologised. I mean, if you're sorry you didn't come back, that means you could have sooner right? Something must have been keeping you there voluntarily. You're a tough fighter Amy, Shadow couldn't have shown you that much” Tails chimed in, not able to look directly at her.\n\n\t“Yea, it's like those Jimmy Pond films I like to watch. No matter how he treats them, if he spends more than a few hours with a woman, they give in to his good looks and cold, distant stare” Knuckles beamed. \n\n\tAmy snorted, “Shadow showed me a lot. It wasn't just physical...I mean fighting physically. He taught me not to doubt what I can do. He has respect for my intelligence, and knows it too can be a weapon. Under his training I got back in to reading the Ancients texts, I shed the remains of my fear of Lyric.”\n\n\tKnuckles smiled harder, “You had sex with him too right?”\n\n\t“YES OKAY I DID HAVE SEX WITH HIM! I DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER TO YOU TWO. YOU GUYS ARE ALL ALIKE! CAN WE CONCENTRATE ON ALL THE OTHER THINGS I DID?”\n\n\tBoth guys were cowering in the corner, but she was too mad to feel bad about screeching from the rooftop. She should have known they would concentrate on that of all things. Even Sticks who was half feral and was the only one who knew of Amy's time in heat, hadn't asked about Amy's sex life right away.\n\n\t“We're sorry Amy, that was very rude of him,” Tails whimpered, “C-c-c-can I ask you more about the world you were in?”\n\n\tAmy pouted, but nodded. While Knuckles remained hidden across the other side of the room she explained to Tails about the forest and the creatures that dwelled within. Recounting her adventures through the monstrous woods was rewarding and difficult. She didn't go in to any great details about her visions, as though they were her nightmares, they would still be disturbing to her friends. He seemed fascinated with the prospect of other worlds running parallel to their own and he vowed to find a way through to them. If Eggman could do it then so could he.\n\n\t“I mean, Shadow can do it just by thinking about it, it shouldn't be too difficult to create a portal again. It's more making sure that portal leads to the right place. And that it's stable this time”\n\n\tAmy watched and listened as Tails wandered around his workshop muttering to himself. He seemed genuinely excited. She knew deserting them for her own gain had been selfish, but at least she was able to give something back. She looked over at Knuckles who was still sat stock still in the corner.\n\n\t“Hey Ek Id Nah, I never quite mastered breaking rocks with my fists, think you can show me how?”\n\n\tHe beamed, “Oh boy, would I? No hammers though, right?”\n\n******\n\n\tThe day had been long, but at least it now felt like she had never been away. It had been the most brutal method, but Knuckles badgering had at least cleared the air. Though it had sounded like him being nosey, she was sure buried under his curiosity had been a sense of protectiveness. They had spent years together and fighting alongside each other, so it was only natural for them to feel disconnected and concerned when she had grown up without them. She sighed with contentment as she pushed her door open, safe in the knowledge they loved her still.\n\n\tThe blue of his fur was a stark contrast to the lilac of her couch. He was slouched, with his feet on the table, flicking through the channels on her T.V. As she shut the door behind her, he flicked off the box and slowly lowered his feet to the floor, but he did not turn to her.\n\n\t“Not sure I deserved that,” he said in a low voice while pointing to his cheek. She could see the swelling under his eye.\n\n\t“That was an accident,” she replied, feeling the chill emanating from him, like opening a freezer on a summer day.\n\n\t“You accidentally punch people often? Or is this something Shadow has taught you?”\n\n\tShe stumbled over her words, caught unguarded by his sudden appearance, “I didn't realise....you weren't meant to....look I'm not explaining right now.”\n\n\tHe clenched his jaw while nodding his head, “Why do I get the feeling there's a lot you won't be explaining.”\n\n\tAmy puffed up her chest. She should have been more prepared for his reaction after her time in the woods, but the demons only read her fears...they didn't know how the real Sonic would react. Neither did she, and it had not started well.\n\n\t“What do you mean by that?” she snapped.\n\n\tHe stood up and turned completely away from her, “I strolled by the workshop earlier. You aren't very good at controlling your volume when you're angry. Don;t get me wrong it was just me who got an earful, pretty much the whole village heard you.”\n\n\tShe sucked in a deep breath, and let it out of her lungs slowly, “According to Sticks you had already told them I had 'shacked up' with Shadow.”\n\n\t“I wasn't lying though was I?” he snarled.\n\n\tHe remained a short distance away but he finally turned to look at her. His eyes were just as cold as his words and, just for a second, again she stumbled. Of all pain, of all fears Shadow had shown her how to overcome, she was lost. She could see the anger and the hurt buried in those emerald gems and guilt spread through her. He had never looked upon her with such eyes.\n\n\t“Sonic,” she breathed, “it wasn't like that, he....”\n\n\t“Not like that? So when you bellowed earlier you did have sex with him, you didn't mean it? Those actual words came out of your mouth, but it 'wasn't like that'?”\n\n\tHer temper finally began to kick back in and she found the fire she needed to complete with his icy stare.\n\n\t“Fine, it wasn't like that to begin with. I knew I was weak, emotionally and physically, and so did he. He respected the boundaries I fought to keep up. It was...it was a battle I was losing around yo....”\n\n\tHe laughed, halting her words, “You caved in eventually though didn't you? A few weeks with him and you let him have his dirty way with you. What did change your mind then, hey Rosie?”\n\n\tShe sniffed haughtily. She unhooked her communicator from her wrist, and setting up the answer machine message, she threw it at his feet. As his drunken voice played it's relationship destroying message, she watched his face flicker from fear, to guilt, to anger, to finally rest on a placid, blank slate as it all went quiet again. She didn't want to hear him speak, but it was also all she craved.\n\n\t“Revenge sex,” he finally coughed, rolling his head backwards, “most people aren't virgins when they have it, hats off to you I guess” he sneered.\n\n\tShe choked out a bitter laugh that bubbled from the pit of her stomach, “You would know. That's why you went back to her isn't it? To get back at me for ditching you? I'm not hanging on your every word for five minutes and you ride the village bike.”\n\n\t“You ditched us all. Like an idiot I was worried about you when all along you were getting your rocks off,” he growled at her.\n\n\t“I told you it wasn't like that. Right up until the point I heard that message I was staying faithful to you, even though I had no reason to. You can't act like I cheated on you when you never wanted me.”\n\n\tThere was a blue blur and a slam, and he was miles away by the time she finally let out a scream of hurt and confusion.\n\n******\n\n\tThat night she went through just about every emotion she could muster. The stress and the sleep deprivation and the memory of Sonics cold stare drove her to tears more than once. In the early hours of the morning she found herself slowly walking towards the woods. She was almost there before she realised she had even left the tainted sanctuary of her village. She needed to be held, she needed to melt back into the shadows. She couldn't think why she ever left in the first place.\n\n\tIn the darkness of the night something scuttled by and she leapt out of her skin. It was just a bug, but they snatched the rose tinted glasses off her tired eyes. The visions of lying in the empty bed while the woods whispered to her came flooding back. She had battled them, but she did not want to do it again. Going back to Shadow would be the cowards way out, and he wouldn't allow it even if she tried.\n\n\tStaci was not going to win, she had decided that. But Sonic had cut her deeply and a scar was forming on her heart. He was hurt, and though they had fallen out before this was on a whole new level. Whatever happened, they made up; they never hated each other for long. If she left now, she would break their fragile bond completely.\n\n\tShe wouldn't go running to one, she wouldn't hide from the other. She had to get Sonics attention and if one thing was sure to work, it was to make herself more alluring. He was closing in on his nineteenth Birthday, and he had shown them all now he was under the spell of his own dick. She would have to stomp down her pride if she was going to catch his eye. A fight was a fight, and she would fight dirty to win.\n\n*****\n\n\tShe was out of breath but her senses were alert. Eggman had tried a sneak attack on the village square but he had not reckoned on Amy's new ability to sense danger approaching. Without the need to call her team she had tackled the bots on the ground with nothing but her fists and her feet. She was connected to her hammer but there was a new desire in her to be more tactile in battle. Lassoing one of the B-Bots with her energy beam she swung it in to the Eggmobile. Then another and then another. The commotion had been loud enough to attract the attention of Knuckles, Tails and Sticks and she heard them calling to her.\n\n\t“Stay back! This is my fight!”\n\n\t“Amy we're all here, you don't have to carry on alone.”\n\n\t“I said, stay back Tails. I started this, I can end this.”\n\n\t“You don't have your hammer.”\n\n\t“I'm aware of that Sticks.”\n\n\t“Upper cut, UPPER CUT.”\n\n\t“Thanks Knuckles.”\n\n\tShe wasn't going to punch the Eggmobile, but she felt like she could. She grabbed the end of the broken rope that was swinging from the flag pole and ran around it in a circle to build momentum. She couldn't perform this trick as effectively as Sonic, but she had already caused extensive damage to Eggman. She ran as fast as her legs could go and with one hard spring she flew in to the air and smashed both feet in to the weak, exposed Eggmobile exhaust. It crashed to the ground, and the Doc and his two minions, Orbot and Cubot, were sent rolling.\n\n\t“I must say, Miss Rose has certainly grown more resilient,” the red robot observed.\n\n\t“Yea, and she can take a punch,” his metallic comrade added.\n\n\t“Her speed has increased by approximately thirty percent. The acceleration behind her blows accounts for her ability to strike us so harshly without her hammer,” Orbot carried on.\n\n\t“Wow, she can react almost as quickly as Shadow. I wonder how she picked that up?” Cubot mused.\n\n\t“Are you done with the boring chit chat?” Amy screeched at them.\n\n\tDoctor Eggman brushed the dust of his legs and grumbled, “Woke up on the wrong side of someone else's bed I see.”\n\n\tThis time she did call her hammer to hand. With a snap of her fingers her Piko hammer felt nice and heavy in her hand. She still felt it made her reactions sluggish at times, but it was too much a part of her to give up completely. \n\n\t“What was that Egghead? Didn't quite catch that last part!”\n\n\tEveryone took a step back, everyone except Eggman.\n\n\tHe folded his arms and gave her a scowl.\n\n\t“I was rooting for you! We were all rooting for you! I sent my Spybots out looking for you because I actually began to wonder if you were safe. Sure Shadow is handsome, and aloof, and gives off the aura of a damaged soul that the right person could come along and heal, and strong and....where was I?”\n\n\t“I believe Sir, you were telling her what a terrible idea it was to run away with Shadow.”\n\n\t“I knew that you scarlet scrap heap!” he yelled at Orbot, before turning to Amy again, “It was a terrible idea to...”\n\n\tShe threw her hammer at them, missing them by inches. The doctor laughed for a few seconds, before an almighty crack of wood made him turn to look. She'd destroyed the supporting beam of the stall behind them, and the tin roof fell on all three of them. One thing Shadow had not taught her was to control her temper, but at least she could now focus it better. She hadn't bothered to look if the stallholder was there, it was by luck he wasn't.\n\n\tStrolling over to the debris to pick up her hammer, she took a moment of pity on their enemy. There was nothing to indicate he knew of the sister he lost. If he was even born before she perished, it was safe to assume his parents had kept her loss secret. Or maybe Eggman just never spoke about it. It was not her place to reveal the truth to him now, but she had studied enough psychology to believe he felt his sisters loss, somehow. His family has seemed such an insignificant part of him, but as the only human in there world, perhaps it was something she should have considered.\n\n\t“Running away with Shadow was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not you, not Sonic, not anyone can make me think otherwise.”\n\n\t“Okay guys I'm here to save the d.....”\n\n\tSonic finally ran on to the scene, his scarf twisted around and his shoes half undone. Amy kicked off the metal sheeting from Eggman so he could see Sonic for himself. \n\n\t“Oh how nice of you to join us rodent,” he mocked, “I hope we didn't interrupt your sleep.”\n\n\tAmy snorted, “I don't think he was sleeping.”\n\n\t“Now Amy,” Knuckles piped up, “we all know how deeply Sonic can sleep.”\n\n\tIt was at this point Staci strolled through the middle of the scene, smoothing down her fur and doing back up the zip on her top. She winked at Sonic and blew him a kiss as they all silently watch her pass. Once she was out of sight, Eggman took in a deep gasp of breath.\n\n\t“I was rooting for you hedgehog!”\n\n\t“What? When have I ever listened to you?” Sonic replied nonchalantly.\n\n\t“But..you...we...ooooh you randy little rat. Amy, I take it back, you did the right hog. Up top girl.”\n\n\tWithout breaking her glare on Sonic she high fived the Doctor, then barked at him to leave or she would let her team mates attack him. He managed to roll his Eggmobile back in to it's upright position and start up the engine. She tried not to laugh as out of the corner of her eye she saw Eggman flip Sonic off before they flew away.\n\n\t“Hey,” he cried after them, “why does she get the praise for this while I'm treated like that?”\n\n\tTails and the others walked over to them, “Well she did just defeat Eggman with no help at all.”\n\n\t“Pssh, I've done that a dozen times,” Sonic replied with a dismissive flick of his hand.\n\n\t“Yes, and whichever one of you does it, IT'S ARROGANT. We are a team for a reason! The pair of you pull your head out of your own backsides and stop putting yourself in danger just to prove a point!”\n\n\tBoth hedgehogs jumped at the sudden burst of anger out of the little fox. He, Knuckles and even Sticks sent their noses skyward and walked off together, leaving blue and pink behind.\n\n\t“That seemed uncalled for.”\n\n\t“Welcome to my world,” Sonic sighed, “Tails has been calling me that for years.”\n\n\t“I'm used to 'bossy' and 'overbearing' but arrogant seems a step too far. Still it wasn't like you were going to step in any time soon.”\n\n\tSonic shrugged, “Well apparently it doesn't matter does it? You took care of everything juuuust fine.”\n\n\t“Doesn't matter? You didn't show up to help save the village because you were too busy with...her,” she replied, saying the last word through gritted teeth.\n\n\t“Jelly, Amy?”\n\n\tShe scowled briefly before rearranging her expression in to a twisted smile.\n\n\t“The adoration of the village or my fur stinking of you, I do wonder which I would prefer?”\n\n\tHe grinned just as wickedly back, “True, get off on a little attention don't you? Don't assume that means all the locals want to get you in bed as eagerly as Shadow did.”\n\n\tHer hand snapped up to try and slap him, but the fastest thing alive was prepared and he blocked her. When she aimed with her other hand he took hold of her wrist.\n\n\t“Stop that,” he said in a sharp tone.\n\n\t“Make me,” she bit back.\n\n\tHe twisted her arm around her back, not so hard as to hurt her but enough to make his point. But rather than twist away, she used his close proximity to her advantage and dug the claws of her free arm in to his chest. She knew what would break skin and what would sting, and he hissed through his teeth. She returned the baring of teeth, and nose to nose they dared the other to push just that little bit further.\n\n\tThe power play was turning him on.\n\n\t“You might want to take me, but you can't win this, you can't have me” he purred. She didn't talk, but the subtle flattening of her ears demonstrated her shift towards submission. \n\n\tHe couldn't lean against her any more without the situation becoming seriously awkward. With the angle he was holding her at, her chest pushed outwards, cleavage pushed against the trim of her dress. He had a hard time pushing down the physical signs of his arousal. Even if it mean she won, he had to get out of there, and releasing her arm her prised himself from her claws and bolted. \n\n*****\n\n\tHe didn't consider his options until he started running. He couldn't go back to his hut because Staci would inevitably hunt him down there. He couldn't hide at one of his friends as that could lead him straight back in to Amy's path and she would definitely be baying for his blood now. \n\n\tHe wasn't quite sure why he had said it. Perhaps it's because he could use a good spar and that had been denied him. Maybe it was because Eggman seemed in favour of what Amy had done instead of being mad with her. None of them seemed mad at her, and that wound him up even more. The only one who seemed happy to call out Amy's actions was Staci. That was how Sonic had ended up back in her bed that morning, he needed reassurance and she was always up for that. Physically any way, she was not gifted with conversation or a gentle touch. Either way he did not belong to Staci, and right at that moment he couldn't face either of them.\n\n\tThe canyon was calling to him. Though they all went there from time to time it was also an excellent place to hide, plenty of caves and high rocks to bury himself inside. He needed a moment to think about what he was going to do. Being between Staci and Amy was as good as being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Both were terrifying, both could destroy him, but whereas one could give him what her physically needed, the other called to a part of his heart that was way deeper than anything else he had known.\n\n\tHe needed fresh air so he clambered up high, rather than bury himself in a cave. This way he was still hidden from anyone at ground level, but he could stare in to the sky and shut off.\n\n\tWhen he had woken up after Amy had so painfully knocked him out a few days ago, he found himself in Staci's bed with her sat at his feet.\n\n\t“You've been asleep for hours,” she had snapped impatiently.\n\n\t“Did I see her?” he had asked groggily. It hadn't been the correct thing to say.\n\n\t“Sure enough, it was HER alright. I saw the whole thing. She was real proud of herself. Sauntered through the village like she owned the damn place. She didn't even check if you were okay! Just belted you and ran”\n\n\t“Are you sure it was....”\n\n\t“How many pink hedgehogs do ya know? I'm asking seriously...have y'all been seeing others?” she asked, her pitch getting higher.\n\n\tSonic shook his head, “It's just...that doesn't sound like her.”\n\n\tStaci crawled over to him and touched the bump on his head, “Poor baby, did you forget? She's been with that Shadow guy for oh so long, he's changed her. I think she must have gone straight back to him after she hurt you.”\n\n\tSonic wasn't so much of an idiot. He knew Staci could twist things to suit herself, “I better go to her place.”\n\n\t“No!” she had growled, slamming him back down, “I mean, well I got Knuckles to carry you here and he told me they've been told to stay away from her hut. Well I reckon she must be with him, brought him back to the village to screw him in her own bed...you don't want to see that, do you?”\n\n\tLooking back at those events now Sonic was sure she was lying, but she had hit a raw nerve and it had worked. He had gone to see Amy the following day instead, and that had ended pretty badly too. His heart had raced when he had heard come through her door, but he had been so angry to overhear her dalliances from her own mouth he couldn't focus. The communicator message had been the final blow. When had heard that message played, he had felt backed in to a corner, and much like a caged beast he had lashed out.\n\n\tStaci had stuck to him like glue since Amy had come back, and though he was finding it frustrating he was using her as a cover. With Staci always there, he didn't have to face his friends of his pink comrade. Amy was right, he had no right to suggest she had done anything wrong. They were not officially a couple, and he had been with other females, but whereas he knew there was no emotional connection he couldn't say the same for Amy. Though the image of her entwined with Shadow put his heckles up, it was the fear that she was going to fall in love with him that shattered Sonic the most.\n\n\tThere was no sign of his ebony twin, but that didn't mean his mark wasn't there, hanging between them. He rubbed at his temples as he tried to plan his next move.\n\n*****\n\t\n\tShe was looking hard at her own reflection for a long time. If there was any chance she was telekinetic it would have shown itself then for her temper could have broken glass without physical contact. She only blinked when her eyes begun to water. Her breathing was so deep she was starting to feel sick and she finally turned away.\n\n\tIt had been quite a morning. Tails had snapped at her, Eggman had judged her and Sonic, well he had tried his best to humiliate her. \n\n\tEggman had changed his tune virtually in an instant, so that was no longer a worry. Tails had been right to get angry at her, but she desperately wanted to explain that she was just trying to show them how much her fighting had improved. She hadn't intended to take over the fight but she had surged with power and when she saw the chance to show off, she had. She didn't even notice Sonic was missing until she had knocked Eggman and his robots to the ground using a move she had picked up from Sonic himself. Shadow had taught her to quicken her reflexes and when put in to play these new skills had proven to be very useful.\n\n\tOf course, what was eating away at her was that idiot Blue. She could read him, perhaps not as well as she thought, but she was certain Staci was nothing more than a body to him. He was not tied to the bandicoot, not Mr Free-as-the-Wind, oh no. He had said that to upset her and though it had worked, it had also made her all the more determined. He had run from the situation, which was a sign he was fearing losing a battle. She knew him well enough to know that there was only one place he would run to when he was trying to hide. Biding her time was pointless, she had to act fast or risk losing the upper hand, so she quickly changed her attire, grabbed a towel and a book, and quickly dropped by Sticks to let her in on the plan.\n\n\tA sexually pent up hedgehog. Now there was something she knew how to deal with.\n\n*****\n\n\tAn hour or so had gone by when Sonic heard movement from below him. There was a gentle scuff of feet followed by a gentle voice humming a tune. He looked over the edge of his hiding place to see Amy strolling along in a light wrap with a towel slung over her shoulder. He pricked up an ear when her communicator beeped. He could only hear her half of the conversation but that caught his attention. \n\n\t“Oh hey Sticks, I'm already in the canyon.....no....he's probably with Tails....yea that little hidden spot by the beach....no Sticks I'm not going nude, might try losing the bikini top at most...I'm sure it is freeing but no....yes I trust you, nobody can find me. I'll just be a couple of hours...yes, I promise, I'm not going anywhere.”\n\n\tAs she walked away he kept a very close eye on her. He decided it would be safest if he were to keep an eye on her...from a distance of course...lest she did decide to disappear again. Yes he better watch out for her, it was the right thing to do.\n\n******\n\n\tAt the start of the year she might not have noticed someone following her, but her senses were fully awake and she knew the sound of his footfall. He ran in bursts, catching up as she got too far ahead and ducking out of sight when he risked getting too close. It's lucky Eggman was dumb because Sonic was as predictable as the sunrise.\n\n\tShe slipped in between two boulders. Unless you knew better you wouldn't think there was a space but she knew better. Or rather, Sticks knew better. Apparently she did use this as a place to hide and yes she even stripped down to bare fur and practised Tai Chi. Amy would not be going that far, but if showing him what a good fighter she had become wasn't getting his attention, she would have to use her more feminine charms.\n\n\tIt was actually a beautiful little spot and she lay her towel down on the soft grass. The boulders were the only way in to this hidden, minute valley. She made sure she was in view on the entrance, but far enough away that he could slip in and hide. This wouldn't be nearly as much fun if he knew she was aware of his presence. \n\n\tWith a little bit of an embarrassed flutter she removed the light robe so she was just left in her bikini and lay down on her front. Propped up on her elbows she opened her book and pretended to read. Her eyes skimmed over the words as she was too focussed on Sonic to pay it any real attention. She was sure he must be there, behind a tree or one of the larger rocks, spying on her. She took a deep breath and undid the knot on her bikini, letting it fall from around her neck. She was still covered up, just, but hopefully she had caught his eye.\n\n\tMoments passed, but he didn't make himself known, so she moved on to stage two. She was more bashful about this, but if she was going to catch her a Sonic she could no longer be a wallflower. With a very heavy, very audible sigh she closed her book and rolled over on her back, leaving one arm at her side and one hand resting between her breasts. It wasn't like he could see anything in great detail at a distance, but there was enough on display to entice him in, like a butterfly to a flower. She kept her eyes shut, closing off one sense to try and heighten the others.\n\n\tIt was instinct that was her strongest weapon. She could sense his approach, slow and careful as it was, he was burning in her minds eye. She could feel her heart start to race as she fought to keep her breath steady. She didn't know if he was aware of her ruse, as she felt the tension in the air grow, it didn't matter much.\n\n******\n\n\tHe knew it was wrong, he knew he should either leave or at the very least, look away. He had heard the words Amy had spoken to Sticks, he knew she was possibly planning to strip, but that hadn't halted his spying. Now he was here he was caught between horror and bliss. Horror because he was spying on a half naked Amy while they were in the middle of their biggest fall out, and bliss because if she wasn't the most perfect creature he had ever set eyes on. \n\n\tStaci was hot, and Staci knew it. Amy had tipped over from sweet to sexy as she had matured and the bashful way she was still covering herself was much hotter than the brash bandicoot could ever hope to be. Being with Shadow hadn't changed her, at least not in the negative way he had expected. Maybe...maybe he was wrong to be so angry with her after all. Would going over and apologising right now be the worst thing in the world? Show her how sorry he was, and he could think of a thousand ways to show her just how sorry. A quick cuddle, a quick kiss, a quick bang...he would take any right now.\n\n\tWhen she rolled on her back, the voice of reason shot itself between the eyes. The sigh that escaped her rosy lips sent a wave of need through his body. He had to be closer to her, and low to the ground he crawled with virtual silence towards her. He could smell her on the air, ripe like a peach to sink his teeth in to.\n\n\tHe nearly squeaked in surprise when his communicator suddenly beeped. Rather than dare be caught he ran and quickly as his legs could take him, hoping that it had happened too quickly for Amy to notice. It had broken the silence, but he could run faster than she could roll over.\n\n\t“Tails, is everything okay?” he answered once well out of ear shot, “no offence but it better not be!”\n\n\t“Babe, where are you?”.\n\n\tHe froze, and the warmth that had spread through him suddenly dissipated, “Staci? What are you doing with Tails communicator?”.\n\n\t“Oh it's still on his wrist. When I couldn't find you, he very kindly let me call you on it, didn't you Tails?”.\n\n\tSonic heard the nervous sound of Tails agreeing in the background. He had always been wary of women, especially ones as proactive as Staci. He doubted very much Tails was a willing participant.\n\n\t“I'm just out for a run Staci. I like to do that from time to time.”\n\n\t“Yes I know babe but SHE has disappeared too and I was making sure you weren't giving in to her because you KNOW I wouldn't be so pleased about that,” her voice voice came through, speedy and shrill.\n\n\tSonic tried to ignore the inappropriate thoughts that were threatening to cloud his judgement, “I've not seen her.”\n\n\tThere was a pause, before her voice chimed back in “Come back now baby. We can finish what we started earlier.”\n\n\tThrough her flirtatious giggle he heard a groan from Tails. The communicator clicked off suddenly and knowing how impressed Staci would be if she didn't get his own way, he begrudgingly made his way back. He needed a way to get rid of what had built up inside him anyway. He wanted to stay mad at Amy, but his resolve was breaking. She was winning, just as she always had.\n\n******\n\n\tNot that she thought so. Once a few minutes had gone by, and all she could hear were the birds, she screamed as loud as her dry throat would permit. ","writing_bbcode_parsed":"\tSticks ran a sponge carefully down Amy's arm. Most of her cuts and grazes were superficial and would heal within a day or two, but she was covered in them. The badger had been helping her friend bathe while the hedgehog told her tale. When she finally stopped talking, her shoulders visably drooped. She was worn in more ways than one.
\t“....and I thought the Black Badger was a scary thing to see in the woods. But you stood up to them, you got through, that's a good thing aint it?”
\tAmy sighed and slipped deeper in to the bubbles, “Yes, I think so. Although, I don't think I can go near a baby again for a good long while. My body might be telling me it's ready but THAT thing could have put me off forever.”
\t“I thought I saw some crazy things. I mean, there's a robot version of me living in the sky. But babies that turn in to aliens? You're nuts.”
\tAmy snorted harshly, “I'm sure you could be calling me worse things. I'm sure the villagers will be anyway.”
\tSticks, who was at leaning over the tub, drooped the sponge and looked Amy in the eye, “I don't know. I think there are a lot of secrets out there that each and every one of them would like to keep hidden. I hear Lady Walrus has a tattoo of her husband across her back, for example.”
\tAmy shrugged, “That doesn't sound so bad.”
\t“Romantic huh? So reliable spies tell me, it's a beautiful depiction of him stark naked but for a tasteful loin cloth. And some cupid wings.”
\tAmy drooped her jaw open, “......how do you...”
\tStick smiled. “I've seen it. No more reliable spy than myself. Lady Walrus is probably your biggest threat, but if she wants to keep that quiet, she won't be calling you anything.”
\tAmy laughed, “Do you have dirt on everyone?”
\t“Oh you bet, you don't get to be me by not spying on all your neighbours. No matter what hour of night or day you think you can sneak around, I am there. Even when Sonic tries to get away in the blink of an eye I've seen him...”
\tSticks froze, mouth halted in the last shape she was speaking in, not knowing where to go from there.
\tAmy's face dropped again, “It's okay Sticks, I know everything. Well maybe not the sordid details, but enough. He left me a message on my communicator before I came back,” she laughed bitterly, “still can't handle his alcohol”
\tSticks felt awful to feel so relieved. She had debated telling Amy what she knew, but it was not a secret that could be swept under the rug. Sonic had been so reckless without Amy to keep an eye on him and he had got drunk on more than one occasion. He seemed to have a fair few black holes in his memory. There was no way he knew he had drunk called Amy and confessed his deeds...he would have skipped town by now if so.
\t“I don't think he knows you know. It's not exactly a secret, but it's all in hushed voices. Nobody knew about the city girls as he was keeping that away from home, but Staci lives in the village and she hasn't shut up about...”
\tAmy sat bolt upright, “City girls?!”
\tSticks froze again and stared unblinking, fumbling her words, “What? City....what words are you making up....I don't...forest demons talking to you.”
\tAmy screamed in frustration, grabbing hold of the sponge and twisted it tight, “I should have known! Here I am trying to fight back the guilt of sleeping with Shadow while Sonic has been out chasing tail left right and centre! How long has this been going on? Years? Kept me hanging on...and he's...buried in...the nearest...”. She tore the sponge in two.
\tAfter an awkward pause, Sticks spoke again, “Never another hedgehog though.”
\tAmy stood up, her stance low but her face was fierce.
\t“What does that have to do with anything?” she grumbled as she stepped out of the bath, not caring that she was soaking the floor as she walked passed Sticks. When she finally grabbed a towel she realised Sticks was scrutinizing her back.
\t“What are you doing?”
\tSticks cocked her head sideways, “You er....did say you slept with Shadow?”
\tAmy rolled her eyes, “if you about to try and guilt trip me or call me a hypoc....”
\t“No! No, nothing like that.”
\t“Then if you were expecting any further details...”
\tSticks chewed on her lip, “No I wasn't expecting that either.”
\tAmy started squeezing the water out of her quills. Taking deep breaths to stop herself from losing her temper and unfairly taking it out on her friend, she asked again, “Weave me a tale then Sticks, what is the significance of him not screwing another hedgehog?”
\tSticks was still chewing on her lip, harder this time. This was too heavy a conversation to have while Amy was in the place she was in, so she skirted around the truth.
\t“I don't know, guess he knew he couldn't ever replace you.”
\t“Ha, replace me?,” she laughed, whipping around, “he never had me! Good thing too, apparently I'd have been sharing him! Stupid, fucking...BLUE HEDGEHOG.”
\t“Don't give me that. If you didn't love him you wouldn't be this upset,” Sticks declared, pointing her finger at her rosy comrade.
\tAmy glared at the pointed digit, but rather than scream any more she let out a whoosh of breath.
\t“You know Sticks, I'm starting to wonder if you weren't once one of those forest ghosts. I do love him, and yes that may have been part of the reason I came back. I'm not happy to hear of other girls, but it's still Staci that hurts the most. Strangers are just physical, she is more personal. So there's competition. I'm not resting on my laurels now I know the truth. Just before I murder him, I'm going to make him mine”
\t“But,” Sticks pointed out in a low voice, “I'm pretty sure he is still bedding Staci.”
\tAmy looked over her shoulder at the younger badger and smiled devilishly.
\t“You think that's going to stop me?”
*****
\tSometimes he was an idiot, and often he frustrated her, but Knuckles was also by far the least judgemental creature she knew and when he bundled her up in a hug she gladly took it. He was so much taller and broader than anyone else, when he wrapped his arms around her she virtually vanished in to his red fur.
\t“I am so glad you're back! I was worried you would never be back from your Aunt's,” he cried, finally putting her down.
\tShe raised an eyebrow, “my...my Aunts?”
\t“The family you were visiting,” Tails interrupted, giving her a toothy smile and nodding with encouragement.
\t“Oh,” she replied, “Yes my Auntie...Flo...Tation.”
\t“Auntie Flo Tation?” Knuckled mumbled, narrowing his eyes.
\t“Twice removed on my cousins side.”
\t“....she sounds nice.”
\tAmy grinned as Knuckles went back to play with his console, and then looked questioningly at Tails. He sidled up to her and whispered in her ear.
\t“We told the villagers you were visiting family. He did know where you were to start with, but when he started to believe the lie instead, we decided not to correct him.”
\t“What was wrong with the truth?” she asked defensively.
\tTails shook his head “He was worried enough, we just didn't want to confuse him.”
\tShe released her frown and looked a little sheepish, “Yes, of course.”
\tThey were in Tails workshop. It was the day after Amy's return and she was beginning to find her feet again. Tails had called by but Sticks had sent him away with the promise that Amy would be able to see them once she was herself. Amy had been happy at least that they had come to see her. Really they were all delaying the inevitable meeting with Sonic, but Tails reassured them he would not be there. The young fox did not want to be caught in the middle of that.
\t“Where were you? I should have been able to track you once you picked up your communicator, but the signal jumped all over the place. I did wonder if Shadow was teleporting you place to place?”
\t“To be honest Tails, I don't think I know myself where we were. Shadow can move through time and space in a different way to the rest of us. I was right here, but not here at all. I think, I was in between reality and something else.”
\tHe scratched his chin, “So an alternate dimension? He always did seem to appear and vanish at a moments notice. Maybe on the same time wave as us, which is why we could call you. Do you think it was the same place where the other Knuckles came from? The other Eggman? Did you experience any anomalies, like we did with him? No that can't be, it only took a few hours for issues to present themselves then. If you never saw anyone but him maybe it wasn't even this planet! What if...”
\t“I'm sorry I didn't come home,” she sighed suddenly, the words spilling from her without her even realising she needed to say them so strongly, “and I'm sorry I didn't keep in touch. It was selfish of me to make you worry, and even worse that I let it go on so long.”
\tAfter a few seconds where he seemed to be calculating her words, he smiled at her and said, “It's your life Amy, once we knew you were safe, we were happy enough.”
\tShe smiled weakly in return, “I wouldn't say you were all happy. Sticks had been looking after me since I got back, but just before I came here she flipped just like that. She forbade me from seeing or speaking to her for exactly five hours.”
\tKnuckles walked back over to them, “Yea she's nuts, but she doesn't want to actually kill Sonic any more so I'm sure she will forgive you for running away with the creepy hedgehog who sometimes attacks us.”
\tAmy and Tails just stared at him.
\t“What? Hey if Sonic is going to play the field why shouldn't you? Though you must have arrived at your Aunts late in the evening thought amirite? Hope she didn't keep asking you awkward questions.”
\t“Knuckles, you are an enigma,” Amy gasped in surprise.
\t“It's pronounce Ek Id Nah.”
\tShe sighed, “Shadow knows how to fight well, obviously. He was able to pick up on my flaws, which is mostly my reaction speed. It's why he could sneak up on us so easily. I can hit, I can hit hard, but when he caught me off guard I couldn't react quick enough. I was learning to be more prepared in battle, because you never know if Metal Sonic could return. That's what I was learning while I was there. Why would you assume I was up to anything different?”
\t“The guilty way you apologised. I mean, if you're sorry you didn't come back, that means you could have sooner right? Something must have been keeping you there voluntarily. You're a tough fighter Amy, Shadow couldn't have shown you that much” Tails chimed in, not able to look directly at her.
\t“Yea, it's like those Jimmy Pond films I like to watch. No matter how he treats them, if he spends more than a few hours with a woman, they give in to his good looks and cold, distant stare” Knuckles beamed.
\tAmy snorted, “Shadow showed me a lot. It wasn't just physical...I mean fighting physically. He taught me not to doubt what I can do. He has respect for my intelligence, and knows it too can be a weapon. Under his training I got back in to reading the Ancients texts, I shed the remains of my fear of Lyric.”
\tKnuckles smiled harder, “You had sex with him too right?”
\t“YES OKAY I DID HAVE SEX WITH HIM! I DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER TO YOU TWO. YOU GUYS ARE ALL ALIKE! CAN WE CONCENTRATE ON ALL THE OTHER THINGS I DID?”
\tBoth guys were cowering in the corner, but she was too mad to feel bad about screeching from the rooftop. She should have known they would concentrate on that of all things. Even Sticks who was half feral and was the only one who knew of Amy's time in heat, hadn't asked about Amy's sex life right away.
\t“We're sorry Amy, that was very rude of him,” Tails whimpered, “C-c-c-can I ask you more about the world you were in?”
\tAmy pouted, but nodded. While Knuckles remained hidden across the other side of the room she explained to Tails about the forest and the creatures that dwelled within. Recounting her adventures through the monstrous woods was rewarding and difficult. She didn't go in to any great details about her visions, as though they were her nightmares, they would still be disturbing to her friends. He seemed fascinated with the prospect of other worlds running parallel to their own and he vowed to find a way through to them. If Eggman could do it then so could he.
\t“I mean, Shadow can do it just by thinking about it, it shouldn't be too difficult to create a portal again. It's more making sure that portal leads to the right place. And that it's stable this time”
\tAmy watched and listened as Tails wandered around his workshop muttering to himself. He seemed genuinely excited. She knew deserting them for her own gain had been selfish, but at least she was able to give something back. She looked over at Knuckles who was still sat stock still in the corner.
\t“Hey Ek Id Nah, I never quite mastered breaking rocks with my fists, think you can show me how?”
\tHe beamed, “Oh boy, would I? No hammers though, right?”
******
\tThe day had been long, but at least it now felt like she had never been away. It had been the most brutal method, but Knuckles badgering had at least cleared the air. Though it had sounded like him being nosey, she was sure buried under his curiosity had been a sense of protectiveness. They had spent years together and fighting alongside each other, so it was only natural for them to feel disconnected and concerned when she had grown up without them. She sighed with contentment as she pushed her door open, safe in the knowledge they loved her still.
\tThe blue of his fur was a stark contrast to the lilac of her couch. He was slouched, with his feet on the table, flicking through the channels on her T.V. As she shut the door behind her, he flicked off the box and slowly lowered his feet to the floor, but he did not turn to her.
\t“Not sure I deserved that,” he said in a low voice while pointing to his cheek. She could see the swelling under his eye.
\t“That was an accident,” she replied, feeling the chill emanating from him, like opening a freezer on a summer day.
\t“You accidentally punch people often? Or is this something Shadow has taught you?”
\tShe stumbled over her words, caught unguarded by his sudden appearance, “I didn't realise....you weren't meant to....look I'm not explaining right now.”
\tHe clenched his jaw while nodding his head, “Why do I get the feeling there's a lot you won't be explaining.”
\tAmy puffed up her chest. She should have been more prepared for his reaction after her time in the woods, but the demons only read her fears...they didn't know how the real Sonic would react. Neither did she, and it had not started well.
\t“What do you mean by that?” she snapped.
\tHe stood up and turned completely away from her, “I strolled by the workshop earlier. You aren't very good at controlling your volume when you're angry. Don;t get me wrong it was just me who got an earful, pretty much the whole village heard you.”
\tShe sucked in a deep breath, and let it out of her lungs slowly, “According to Sticks you had already told them I had 'shacked up' with Shadow.”
\t“I wasn't lying though was I?” he snarled.
\tHe remained a short distance away but he finally turned to look at her. His eyes were just as cold as his words and, just for a second, again she stumbled. Of all pain, of all fears Shadow had shown her how to overcome, she was lost. She could see the anger and the hurt buried in those emerald gems and guilt spread through her. He had never looked upon her with such eyes.
\t“Sonic,” she breathed, “it wasn't like that, he....”
\t“Not like that? So when you bellowed earlier you did have sex with him, you didn't mean it? Those actual words came out of your mouth, but it 'wasn't like that'?”
\tHer temper finally began to kick back in and she found the fire she needed to complete with his icy stare.
\t“Fine, it wasn't like that to begin with. I knew I was weak, emotionally and physically, and so did he. He respected the boundaries I fought to keep up. It was...it was a battle I was losing around yo....”
\tHe laughed, halting her words, “You caved in eventually though didn't you? A few weeks with him and you let him have his dirty way with you. What did change your mind then, hey Rosie?”
\tShe sniffed haughtily. She unhooked her communicator from her wrist, and setting up the answer machine message, she threw it at his feet. As his drunken voice played it's relationship destroying message, she watched his face flicker from fear, to guilt, to anger, to finally rest on a placid, blank slate as it all went quiet again. She didn't want to hear him speak, but it was also all she craved.
\t“Revenge sex,” he finally coughed, rolling his head backwards, “most people aren't virgins when they have it, hats off to you I guess” he sneered.
\tShe choked out a bitter laugh that bubbled from the pit of her stomach, “You would know. That's why you went back to her isn't it? To get back at me for ditching you? I'm not hanging on your every word for five minutes and you ride the village bike.”
\t“You ditched us all. Like an idiot I was worried about you when all along you were getting your rocks off,” he growled at her.
\t“I told you it wasn't like that. Right up until the point I heard that message I was staying faithful to you, even though I had no reason to. You can't act like I cheated on you when you never wanted me.”
\tThere was a blue blur and a slam, and he was miles away by the time she finally let out a scream of hurt and confusion.
******
\tThat night she went through just about every emotion she could muster. The stress and the sleep deprivation and the memory of Sonics cold stare drove her to tears more than once. In the early hours of the morning she found herself slowly walking towards the woods. She was almost there before she realised she had even left the tainted sanctuary of her village. She needed to be held, she needed to melt back into the shadows. She couldn't think why she ever left in the first place.
\tIn the darkness of the night something scuttled by and she leapt out of her skin. It was just a bug, but they snatched the rose tinted glasses off her tired eyes. The visions of lying in the empty bed while the woods whispered to her came flooding back. She had battled them, but she did not want to do it again. Going back to Shadow would be the cowards way out, and he wouldn't allow it even if she tried.
\tStaci was not going to win, she had decided that. But Sonic had cut her deeply and a scar was forming on her heart. He was hurt, and though they had fallen out before this was on a whole new level. Whatever happened, they made up; they never hated each other for long. If she left now, she would break their fragile bond completely.
\tShe wouldn't go running to one, she wouldn't hide from the other. She had to get Sonics attention and if one thing was sure to work, it was to make herself more alluring. He was closing in on his nineteenth Birthday, and he had shown them all now he was under the spell of his own dick. She would have to stomp down her pride if she was going to catch his eye. A fight was a fight, and she would fight dirty to win.
*****
\tShe was out of breath but her senses were alert. Eggman had tried a sneak attack on the village square but he had not reckoned on Amy's new ability to sense danger approaching. Without the need to call her team she had tackled the bots on the ground with nothing but her fists and her feet. She was connected to her hammer but there was a new desire in her to be more tactile in battle. Lassoing one of the B-Bots with her energy beam she swung it in to the Eggmobile. Then another and then another. The commotion had been loud enough to attract the attention of Knuckles, Tails and Sticks and she heard them calling to her.
\t“Stay back! This is my fight!”
\t“Amy we're all here, you don't have to carry on alone.”
\t“I said, stay back Tails. I started this, I can end this.”
\t“You don't have your hammer.”
\t“I'm aware of that Sticks.”
\t“Upper cut, UPPER CUT.”
\t“Thanks Knuckles.”
\tShe wasn't going to punch the Eggmobile, but she felt like she could. She grabbed the end of the broken rope that was swinging from the flag pole and ran around it in a circle to build momentum. She couldn't perform this trick as effectively as Sonic, but she had already caused extensive damage to Eggman. She ran as fast as her legs could go and with one hard spring she flew in to the air and smashed both feet in to the weak, exposed Eggmobile exhaust. It crashed to the ground, and the Doc and his two minions, Orbot and Cubot, were sent rolling.
\t“I must say, Miss Rose has certainly grown more resilient,” the red robot observed.
\t“Yea, and she can take a punch,” his metallic comrade added.
\t“Her speed has increased by approximately thirty percent. The acceleration behind her blows accounts for her ability to strike us so harshly without her hammer,” Orbot carried on.
\t“Wow, she can react almost as quickly as Shadow. I wonder how she picked that up?” Cubot mused.
\t“Are you done with the boring chit chat?” Amy screeched at them.
\tDoctor Eggman brushed the dust of his legs and grumbled, “Woke up on the wrong side of someone else's bed I see.”
\tThis time she did call her hammer to hand. With a snap of her fingers her Piko hammer felt nice and heavy in her hand. She still felt it made her reactions sluggish at times, but it was too much a part of her to give up completely.
\t“What was that Egghead? Didn't quite catch that last part!”
\tEveryone took a step back, everyone except Eggman.
\tHe folded his arms and gave her a scowl.
\t“I was rooting for you! We were all rooting for you! I sent my Spybots out looking for you because I actually began to wonder if you were safe. Sure Shadow is handsome, and aloof, and gives off the aura of a damaged soul that the right person could come along and heal, and strong and....where was I?”
\t“I believe Sir, you were telling her what a terrible idea it was to run away with Shadow.”
\t“I knew that you scarlet scrap heap!” he yelled at Orbot, before turning to Amy again, “It was a terrible idea to...”
\tShe threw her hammer at them, missing them by inches. The doctor laughed for a few seconds, before an almighty crack of wood made him turn to look. She'd destroyed the supporting beam of the stall behind them, and the tin roof fell on all three of them. One thing Shadow had not taught her was to control her temper, but at least she could now focus it better. She hadn't bothered to look if the stallholder was there, it was by luck he wasn't.
\tStrolling over to the debris to pick up her hammer, she took a moment of pity on their enemy. There was nothing to indicate he knew of the sister he lost. If he was even born before she perished, it was safe to assume his parents had kept her loss secret. Or maybe Eggman just never spoke about it. It was not her place to reveal the truth to him now, but she had studied enough psychology to believe he felt his sisters loss, somehow. His family has seemed such an insignificant part of him, but as the only human in there world, perhaps it was something she should have considered.
\t“Running away with Shadow was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not you, not Sonic, not anyone can make me think otherwise.”
\t“Okay guys I'm here to save the d.....”
\tSonic finally ran on to the scene, his scarf twisted around and his shoes half undone. Amy kicked off the metal sheeting from Eggman so he could see Sonic for himself.
\t“Oh how nice of you to join us rodent,” he mocked, “I hope we didn't interrupt your sleep.”
\tAmy snorted, “I don't think he was sleeping.”
\t“Now Amy,” Knuckles piped up, “we all know how deeply Sonic can sleep.”
\tIt was at this point Staci strolled through the middle of the scene, smoothing down her fur and doing back up the zip on her top. She winked at Sonic and blew him a kiss as they all silently watch her pass. Once she was out of sight, Eggman took in a deep gasp of breath.
\t“I was rooting for you hedgehog!”
\t“What? When have I ever listened to you?” Sonic replied nonchalantly.
\t“But..you...we...ooooh you randy little rat. Amy, I take it back, you did the right hog. Up top girl.”
\tWithout breaking her glare on Sonic she high fived the Doctor, then barked at him to leave or she would let her team mates attack him. He managed to roll his Eggmobile back in to it's upright position and start up the engine. She tried not to laugh as out of the corner of her eye she saw Eggman flip Sonic off before they flew away.
\t“Hey,” he cried after them, “why does she get the praise for this while I'm treated like that?”
\tTails and the others walked over to them, “Well she did just defeat Eggman with no help at all.”
\t“Pssh, I've done that a dozen times,” Sonic replied with a dismissive flick of his hand.
\t“Yes, and whichever one of you does it, IT'S ARROGANT. We are a team for a reason! The pair of you pull your head out of your own backsides and stop putting yourself in danger just to prove a point!”
\tBoth hedgehogs jumped at the sudden burst of anger out of the little fox. He, Knuckles and even Sticks sent their noses skyward and walked off together, leaving blue and pink behind.
\t“That seemed uncalled for.”
\t“Welcome to my world,” Sonic sighed, “Tails has been calling me that for years.”
\t“I'm used to 'bossy' and 'overbearing' but arrogant seems a step too far. Still it wasn't like you were going to step in any time soon.”
\tSonic shrugged, “Well apparently it doesn't matter does it? You took care of everything juuuust fine.”
\t“Doesn't matter? You didn't show up to help save the village because you were too busy with...her,” she replied, saying the last word through gritted teeth.
\t“Jelly, Amy?”
\tShe scowled briefly before rearranging her expression in to a twisted smile.
\t“The adoration of the village or my fur stinking of you, I do wonder which I would prefer?”
\tHe grinned just as wickedly back, “True, get off on a little attention don't you? Don't assume that means all the locals want to get you in bed as eagerly as Shadow did.”
\tHer hand snapped up to try and slap him, but the fastest thing alive was prepared and he blocked her. When she aimed with her other hand he took hold of her wrist.
\t“Stop that,” he said in a sharp tone.
\t“Make me,” she bit back.
\tHe twisted her arm around her back, not so hard as to hurt her but enough to make his point. But rather than twist away, she used his close proximity to her advantage and dug the claws of her free arm in to his chest. She knew what would break skin and what would sting, and he hissed through his teeth. She returned the baring of teeth, and nose to nose they dared the other to push just that little bit further.
\tThe power play was turning him on.
\t“You might want to take me, but you can't win this, you can't have me” he purred. She didn't talk, but the subtle flattening of her ears demonstrated her shift towards submission.
\tHe couldn't lean against her any more without the situation becoming seriously awkward. With the angle he was holding her at, her chest pushed outwards, cleavage pushed against the trim of her dress. He had a hard time pushing down the physical signs of his arousal. Even if it mean she won, he had to get out of there, and releasing her arm her prised himself from her claws and bolted.
*****
\tHe didn't consider his options until he started running. He couldn't go back to his hut because Staci would inevitably hunt him down there. He couldn't hide at one of his friends as that could lead him straight back in to Amy's path and she would definitely be baying for his blood now.
\tHe wasn't quite sure why he had said it. Perhaps it's because he could use a good spar and that had been denied him. Maybe it was because Eggman seemed in favour of what Amy had done instead of being mad with her. None of them seemed mad at her, and that wound him up even more. The only one who seemed happy to call out Amy's actions was Staci. That was how Sonic had ended up back in her bed that morning, he needed reassurance and she was always up for that. Physically any way, she was not gifted with conversation or a gentle touch. Either way he did not belong to Staci, and right at that moment he couldn't face either of them.
\tThe canyon was calling to him. Though they all went there from time to time it was also an excellent place to hide, plenty of caves and high rocks to bury himself inside. He needed a moment to think about what he was going to do. Being between Staci and Amy was as good as being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Both were terrifying, both could destroy him, but whereas one could give him what her physically needed, the other called to a part of his heart that was way deeper than anything else he had known.
\tHe needed fresh air so he clambered up high, rather than bury himself in a cave. This way he was still hidden from anyone at ground level, but he could stare in to the sky and shut off.
\tWhen he had woken up after Amy had so painfully knocked him out a few days ago, he found himself in Staci's bed with her sat at his feet.
\t“You've been asleep for hours,” she had snapped impatiently.
\t“Did I see her?” he had asked groggily. It hadn't been the correct thing to say.
\t“Sure enough, it was HER alright. I saw the whole thing. She was real proud of herself. Sauntered through the village like she owned the damn place. She didn't even check if you were okay! Just belted you and ran”
\t“Are you sure it was....”
\t“How many pink hedgehogs do ya know? I'm asking seriously...have y'all been seeing others?” she asked, her pitch getting higher.
\tSonic shook his head, “It's just...that doesn't sound like her.”
\tStaci crawled over to him and touched the bump on his head, “Poor baby, did you forget? She's been with that Shadow guy for oh so long, he's changed her. I think she must have gone straight back to him after she hurt you.”
\tSonic wasn't so much of an idiot. He knew Staci could twist things to suit herself, “I better go to her place.”
\t“No!” she had growled, slamming him back down, “I mean, well I got Knuckles to carry you here and he told me they've been told to stay away from her hut. Well I reckon she must be with him, brought him back to the village to screw him in her own bed...you don't want to see that, do you?”
\tLooking back at those events now Sonic was sure she was lying, but she had hit a raw nerve and it had worked. He had gone to see Amy the following day instead, and that had ended pretty badly too. His heart had raced when he had heard come through her door, but he had been so angry to overhear her dalliances from her own mouth he couldn't focus. The communicator message had been the final blow. When had heard that message played, he had felt backed in to a corner, and much like a caged beast he had lashed out.
\tStaci had stuck to him like glue since Amy had come back, and though he was finding it frustrating he was using her as a cover. With Staci always there, he didn't have to face his friends of his pink comrade. Amy was right, he had no right to suggest she had done anything wrong. They were not officially a couple, and he had been with other females, but whereas he knew there was no emotional connection he couldn't say the same for Amy. Though the image of her entwined with Shadow put his heckles up, it was the fear that she was going to fall in love with him that shattered Sonic the most.
\tThere was no sign of his ebony twin, but that didn't mean his mark wasn't there, hanging between them. He rubbed at his temples as he tried to plan his next move.
*****
\t
\tShe was looking hard at her own reflection for a long time. If there was any chance she was telekinetic it would have shown itself then for her temper could have broken glass without physical contact. She only blinked when her eyes begun to water. Her breathing was so deep she was starting to feel sick and she finally turned away.
\tIt had been quite a morning. Tails had snapped at her, Eggman had judged her and Sonic, well he had tried his best to humiliate her.
\tEggman had changed his tune virtually in an instant, so that was no longer a worry. Tails had been right to get angry at her, but she desperately wanted to explain that she was just trying to show them how much her fighting had improved. She hadn't intended to take over the fight but she had surged with power and when she saw the chance to show off, she had. She didn't even notice Sonic was missing until she had knocked Eggman and his robots to the ground using a move she had picked up from Sonic himself. Shadow had taught her to quicken her reflexes and when put in to play these new skills had proven to be very useful.
\tOf course, what was eating away at her was that idiot Blue. She could read him, perhaps not as well as she thought, but she was certain Staci was nothing more than a body to him. He was not tied to the bandicoot, not Mr Free-as-the-Wind, oh no. He had said that to upset her and though it had worked, it had also made her all the more determined. He had run from the situation, which was a sign he was fearing losing a battle. She knew him well enough to know that there was only one place he would run to when he was trying to hide. Biding her time was pointless, she had to act fast or risk losing the upper hand, so she quickly changed her attire, grabbed a towel and a book, and quickly dropped by Sticks to let her in on the plan.
\tA sexually pent up hedgehog. Now there was something she knew how to deal with.
*****
\tAn hour or so had gone by when Sonic heard movement from below him. There was a gentle scuff of feet followed by a gentle voice humming a tune. He looked over the edge of his hiding place to see Amy strolling along in a light wrap with a towel slung over her shoulder. He pricked up an ear when her communicator beeped. He could only hear her half of the conversation but that caught his attention.
\t“Oh hey Sticks, I'm already in the canyon.....no....he's probably with Tails....yea that little hidden spot by the beach....no Sticks I'm not going nude, might try losing the bikini top at most...I'm sure it is freeing but no....yes I trust you, nobody can find me. I'll just be a couple of hours...yes, I promise, I'm not going anywhere.”
\tAs she walked away he kept a very close eye on her. He decided it would be safest if he were to keep an eye on her...from a distance of course...lest she did decide to disappear again. Yes he better watch out for her, it was the right thing to do.
******
\tAt the start of the year she might not have noticed someone following her, but her senses were fully awake and she knew the sound of his footfall. He ran in bursts, catching up as she got too far ahead and ducking out of sight when he risked getting too close. It's lucky Eggman was dumb because Sonic was as predictable as the sunrise.
\tShe slipped in between two boulders. Unless you knew better you wouldn't think there was a space but she knew better. Or rather, Sticks knew better. Apparently she did use this as a place to hide and yes she even stripped down to bare fur and practised Tai Chi. Amy would not be going that far, but if showing him what a good fighter she had become wasn't getting his attention, she would have to use her more feminine charms.
\tIt was actually a beautiful little spot and she lay her towel down on the soft grass. The boulders were the only way in to this hidden, minute valley. She made sure she was in view on the entrance, but far enough away that he could slip in and hide. This wouldn't be nearly as much fun if he knew she was aware of his presence.
\tWith a little bit of an embarrassed flutter she removed the light robe so she was just left in her bikini and lay down on her front. Propped up on her elbows she opened her book and pretended to read. Her eyes skimmed over the words as she was too focussed on Sonic to pay it any real attention. She was sure he must be there, behind a tree or one of the larger rocks, spying on her. She took a deep breath and undid the knot on her bikini, letting it fall from around her neck. She was still covered up, just, but hopefully she had caught his eye.
\tMoments passed, but he didn't make himself known, so she moved on to stage two. She was more bashful about this, but if she was going to catch her a Sonic she could no longer be a wallflower. With a very heavy, very audible sigh she closed her book and rolled over on her back, leaving one arm at her side and one hand resting between her breasts. It wasn't like he could see anything in great detail at a distance, but there was enough on display to entice him in, like a butterfly to a flower. She kept her eyes shut, closing off one sense to try and heighten the others.
\tIt was instinct that was her strongest weapon. She could sense his approach, slow and careful as it was, he was burning in her minds eye. She could feel her heart start to race as she fought to keep her breath steady. She didn't know if he was aware of her ruse, as she felt the tension in the air grow, it didn't matter much.
******
\tHe knew it was wrong, he knew he should either leave or at the very least, look away. He had heard the words Amy had spoken to Sticks, he knew she was possibly planning to strip, but that hadn't halted his spying. Now he was here he was caught between horror and bliss. Horror because he was spying on a half naked Amy while they were in the middle of their biggest fall out, and bliss because if she wasn't the most perfect creature he had ever set eyes on.
\tStaci was hot, and Staci knew it. Amy had tipped over from sweet to sexy as she had matured and the bashful way she was still covering herself was much hotter than the brash bandicoot could ever hope to be. Being with Shadow hadn't changed her, at least not in the negative way he had expected. Maybe...maybe he was wrong to be so angry with her after all. Would going over and apologising right now be the worst thing in the world? Show her how sorry he was, and he could think of a thousand ways to show her just how sorry. A quick cuddle, a quick kiss, a quick bang...he would take any right now.
\tWhen she rolled on her back, the voice of reason shot itself between the eyes. The sigh that escaped her rosy lips sent a wave of need through his body. He had to be closer to her, and low to the ground he crawled with virtual silence towards her. He could smell her on the air, ripe like a peach to sink his teeth in to.
\tHe nearly squeaked in surprise when his communicator suddenly beeped. Rather than dare be caught he ran and quickly as his legs could take him, hoping that it had happened too quickly for Amy to notice. It had broken the silence, but he could run faster than she could roll over.
\t“Tails, is everything okay?” he answered once well out of ear shot, “no offence but it better not be!”
\t“Babe, where are you?”.
\tHe froze, and the warmth that had spread through him suddenly dissipated, “Staci? What are you doing with Tails communicator?”.
\t“Oh it's still on his wrist. When I couldn't find you, he very kindly let me call you on it, didn't you Tails?”.
\tSonic heard the nervous sound of Tails agreeing in the background. He had always been wary of women, especially ones as proactive as Staci. He doubted very much Tails was a willing participant.
\t“I'm just out for a run Staci. I like to do that from time to time.”
\t“Yes I know babe but SHE has disappeared too and I was making sure you weren't giving in to her because you KNOW I wouldn't be so pleased about that,” her voice voice came through, speedy and shrill.
\tSonic tried to ignore the inappropriate thoughts that were threatening to cloud his judgement, “I've not seen her.”
\tThere was a pause, before her voice chimed back in “Come back now baby. We can finish what we started earlier.”
\tThrough her flirtatious giggle he heard a groan from Tails. The communicator clicked off suddenly and knowing how impressed Staci would be if she didn't get his own way, he begrudgingly made his way back. He needed a way to get rid of what had built up inside him anyway. He wanted to stay mad at Amy, but his resolve was breaking. She was winning, just as she always had.
******
\tNot that she thought so. Once a few minutes had gone by, and all she could hear were the birds, she screamed as loud as her dry throat would permit. ","pools_count":1,"title":"Internal Combustion: 8","deleted":"f","public":"t","mimetype":"application/msword","pagecount":"1","rating_id":"1","rating_name":"Mature","ratings":[{"content_tag_id":"2","name":"Nudity","description":"Nonsexual nudity exposing breasts or genitals (must not show arousal)","rating_id":"1"}],"submission_type_id":"12","type_name":"Writing - Document","guest_block":"t","friends_only":"f","comments_count":"4","views":"111","sales_description":null,"forsale":"f","digitalsales":"f","printsales":"f","digital_price":""}