Chapter Text
It had been six years after that fateful meeting of his precious family, the people so viciously taken from him. Back then, in White Space, every moment he spent with them felt like an eternity but also like it wasn't enough. There was so much more he wanted to say, so many questions he had accumulated after 50 years apart, so many adventures he wanted to take them on and show them how he's changed. The moment White Space started falling apart he felt his heart shatter along with it. Seeing the Doctor and his precious, precious granddaughter fade from existence made his body ache. His chest tightened, his breathing came out short and quick.
He had felt like a scared child holding their teddy bear under the covers as tightly as they could despite the roar of the scary monster called thunder shouting at them over and over. The child would squeeze their eyes shut and whisper to their teddy bear that it'll be over soon, putting on a brave face even though they were shaking like a leaf from fear. Praying to whatever God was out there to make it stop, to never ever bring thunder back out.
He felt like he was dying with them.
He felt… Alone. All over again.
As he fumbled for words to try and convince them to stay with him even just a little while longer, Maria fell to her knees in pain and took him in her arms in a tight hug. He froze in place, waiting for her to move again. When she did, she took his hands and said not to worry, to continue living and to find happiness in his world. Her gentle voice, the one that would read her favorite books to him before bed and crack jokes during their school lessons, regarded him with the same softness he always held close to his heart. She urged him to keep going even when he didn't want to. To keep fighting, stay strong, and to always remember why she named him Shadow.
As Shadow fought every urge he had to stop time and keep them safe in his arms forever and ever, he knew he had to let go again. He ran, not looking back. Ignoring his flying companion as she flew at a distance behind him out of White Space. Ignoring the streaks of wetness falling from his eyes as the world zipped past and faded around him to something more familiar.
Once home, Shadow immediately threw himself into G.U.N.S missions list. Anything to distract himself from the turmoil he felt in his heart and mind. He did whatever mission came his way and kept himself as busy as he possibly could for months. Shadow took as little time as possible to sleep to not waste time. Three, maybe four, hours every few days. Barely sleeping, and eating just enough to not die of starvation, he pushed his body to its absolute limit. He had never felt so exhausted and worn out but he had to keep going.
If he stopped, he just might die, he had told himself repeatedly back then.
Rouge had tried to tell him he needed to take a break but of course, he didn't listen. They had been on a mission to keep an eye on a local art thief when Rouge tried to broach the subject for the third time. With Eggman stuck in White Space for the foreseeable future and since Shadow had helped clear up a good chunk of missions that had been put on the back burner, G.U.N. was starting to lower the amount of resources they needed, she had said. She told him that he needed to listen to Maria, that she wouldn't have wanted this for him. For her best friend, no, her brother, to kill himself because he couldn't change the past.
Shadow chuckled at the memory lightly. Oh how things have changed.
He was much different now, wiser, calmer but still held an air of superiority about him. He was the Ultimate Lifeform of course but that didn’t mean he had to be at one hundred and ten percent all the time.
The smell of the ocean hit his sensitive nostrils as he took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before exhaling. Along with the salty scent came the smell of the flowers littered here and there on the cliff. He hadn't been able to appreciate them before but now, as Shadow looked around and watched how they swayed with the breeze, he was able to admire their beauty. ‘Maria would've loved to stargaze here,’ is a thought he had often when he came here. Shifting his attention away from the flora around him, he listened to the push and pull of the water just past the cliff. The waves lapped at the shore below softly, the fractured moon above high in the sky indicating it was well into the night. He stared up at the glowing moon and placed his gloveless hands behind him, leaning back on them. The tree stump he had cut down in a fit of rage before he had gone back to Space Colony ARK all those years ago was still holding strong and he drummed his claws against it as he started speaking aloud to himself.
“Maria, I miss you dearly.” He said in a hushed tone. “I wish you could be here to see how much I've grown since you last saw me. I've changed, others say for the better, and I would have to agree.”
Shadow took another deep breath before continuing.
“I've stopped being so quick to anger, however, Sonic can still push me to my limit faster than anyone. I've taken time for myself, even went on a vacation for the first time ever last year. You would've loved to see Spagonia. All the shopping areas, malls, even a roller rink.” Shadow furrowed his brows, mulling over his next words.
“The one thing I can't figure out how to do is find true happiness like you told me to do.” The hedgehog curled his fingers inwards, trying not to dig his claws into the wood. “I've been discovering little things that bring me peace, but true happiness?”
The next words he couldn't say out loud. He didn't want Maria to hear him say that he didn't think he could ever be truly happy with her gone. She took a part of him when she died and seeing her again in White Space didn't help much even if years had passed since then. He was more mature, taller, more of a man now but there was still a small part that just couldn't fully believe her.
That he could be truly happy without her.
Shadow shook the thoughts from his mind. Now wasn't the time to dwell on the unknown and uncertain. He had come here to clear his mind before going home after his week-long mission finished up. He was sore, dirty, and most of all hungrier than a horse.
“I've gotta get back home,” Shadow said as he stood, a heaviness now lingering in his shoulders. “I'll bring some sweets for you next time I visit.” The hedgehog ran his hands through his quills and made a mental note to himself to bring some of Amy’s pastries the next time he came up here. He wasn’t sure exactly when that would be but he always kept his promises. Shadow only ever got pastries directly from the one who made them the best and he was lucky enough to live within walking distance of the cafe she had opened about a year and a half ago.
It had been a while since he had placed an order for his coffee beans and muffins she prepared especially for him, he thought. Maybe it was time to pay a visit.
With one final goodbye Shadow took out his Chaos Emerald and teleported to the dimly lit living room of his apartment he had recently moved into in the city at Rouges behest. Out of habit he kept at least one light on, something his housemates did to let the others know someone was home. Living alone was a foreign concept to him and he was still getting used to it.
The home he had been sharing with Rouge and Omega was big enough for the three of them and he enjoyed returning from a mission or outing to hear the two of them arguing over what shows to watch after a long day. He didn’t care much for what was actually on the tv so he never really put in his two cents. Shadow would just come in, silent as ever, place his air shoes by the front door and tuck himself in the dark gray leather recliner his bat companion had insisted he purchase as a celebratory gift for some reason he couldn’t remember. Shadow enjoyed having his own space for the first time in a long time even if he did miss the craziness of his closest confidants from time to time.
What he did remember and missed most of all was the warmth those two brought into his lives while together. Sure, they still saw each other on a regular basis at G.U.N. headquarters but it was nothing like before. His apartment lacked that certain comforting aura he had come to crave so fiercely. It was an adjustment for everyone involved but it was a good one nonetheless.
As he started making his way towards his bedroom he looked over towards the clock ticking away in his living room, the hands showing 2:34 in the morning. That realization of exactly how late it was made his body seem even heavier than it already was and he groaned low in his throat. If it hadn't been for the grunts he had been placed in charge of the mission would've gone a lot smoother and finished up a lot faster than it did. He probably would've been home in time to listen to the first half of whatever movie was playing on whatever channel he settled on while he made dinner, which reminded him that he still hadn't eaten all night.
There was no way he could stay up long enough to cook now or even to shower, not with his bed calling his name.
Each step towards his bedroom felt like an eternity but eventually he made it to his door. He swung the door open with a little too much force and grimaced as the door thudded against the wall. Hopefully it didn’t leave a mark. He would have to check in the morning when he was more coherent than he was now.
Even without flipping the light switch Shadow was able to navigate around his room with ease. His bedroom had been almost exactly as it had been at their shared home. A queen sized bed draped in gray satin sheets and a thin quilted blanket that was black, red and white in color sat between two white nightstands on either side of the headboard, both adorned with a lamp Omega had gotten him as a housewarming gift. That was one of the only new additions to his sleeping quarters. His dresser, bookshelf and desk all were the same as before. Simple in design and white in color.
Despite what most would think of Shadow’s taste based on his outward appearance and broody nature, he liked to keep his decor simple and easy. White was something that goes with everything, didn’t require much upkeep and looked nice and clean.
He liked clean.
Right now though, even if he knew he should strip and scrub clean his sweaty fur and quills before getting into his pristine bed, all he wanted to do was sleep. Shadow removed his jean jacket and tossed it towards the general direction of his clothes hamper. He did the same with his pants and tank top, not bothering to look where he was tossing them. As he lifted the blanket and settled into bed he forced his mind to calm itself so he could sleep.
Shadow awoke with a start, his eyes barely having time to adjust to the light slipping in from his blackout curtains. They shouldn't have been able to let any light in but when he tilted his head down he could see his jacket had hit the curtain and moved it just enough to let a sliver of light in, beaming directly into his eyes as a harsh wake up call. The jarring sound of the smartphone laying in his jacket pocket rattled his sleep racked brain as he sat up with a stretch and wide mouthed yawn. His body screamed at him for the motion, wanting to crawl back under the too warm covers and continue being dead to the world but he knew he had to get to his phone.
As much as he didn't like the thing he knew it would be better to answer it now than get yelled at by whoever for not answering later.
As he rose from his oh so comfy domain and shuffled over to his discarded jacket he rubbed the sleep from his crimson eyes. He crouched down and blindly felt around for the stupid thing that rang too loudly for his liking. He had forgotten to put the ringer on silent before his mission yesterday and thankfully it didn’t go off during it. It wasn’t like he got many messages on it anyway so it wasn’t something he thought to do on the regular but still, the sound of his phone going off grated on his nerves and his eardrums. At times he cursed the Professor for creating him with heightened senses yet at the same time, they came in handy when he needed to listen to enemy plans during a stakeout or sniffing out dangerous material scattered haphazardly around Eggman’s bases.
With a grunt, Shadow pulled the phone out of the jacket pocket and hit the green circle to answer the call before it went to voicemail.
“Gotcha, stupid contraption.” He mumbled. “Hello?” Shadow put the phone to his ear in a way an elderly person would, the bottom of the phone's speakers directly in line with his ears and waited for the other person to speak. He could hear shifting in the background, some hushed frantic voices, then finally a familiar voice as sweet as honey graced his presence.
Amy huffed before speaking in her usual chipper tone. “Good morning Shadow! Oh jeez, sorry to wake you so early- hey, hey be careful with that!”
“No need to apologize, I was already awake.” A little white lie never hurt anyone.
Shadow stood to his full height and put the call on speaker, moving the phone right back to his ear but not as close as he had it last time. His mind was less groggy now that he was up and moving. His feet took him to the hallway closet to grab the bathroom necessities needed to clean the stench assaulting his nose coming from his fur. He lifted his arm and took a quick sniff, grimacing at the acrid smell. The Ultimate Lifeform took pride in his ability to clean up well, always ensuring he had and maintained a rotation of soaps and colognes he liked so this was a personal attack on his senses.
“Oh that's good, because I'd hate to have woken- please don't drop those! They go in the display case in the window!” Amy shouted to someone he assumed was Charmy the Bee considering he heard the now teen kid squeak out a loud ‘Sorry ma'am!’, through the phone.
Shadow could practically picture the look of stress Amy was displaying and trying to hide from her young employees. She always made an attempt to keep the peace at all times with anyone she interacted with, something Shadow had a hard time doing even now. He took a second to turn the shower on and let the water warm up, placing a hand under the faucet.
“What can I help you with Amy?”
“Oh yes, sorry but is there any way at all I could ask you to grab a delivery for me? The company I ordered my new plates from says they're running behind in deliveries and can't bring mine to the cafe on time and I need those for my cakes! Can you believe that? I even paid for express shipping and they're refusing to help me!”
Shadow exhaled through his nose, amused and not at all surprised hearing Amy go on and on about her plights with the shipping company. This wasn't the first time she had asked him for a favor like this and he knew it wouldn't be the last.
“Yes Amy, I'll help.” Shadow shook the water from his hands as it turned a little too hot for his liking, adjusting the nozzle to a more cool temperature. “Is it the same sleazy company as last time?”
He heard the green eyed girl on the other end of the phone squeal with elation, causing Shadow to move his hand away from his ears until she stopped.
“Oh thank you Shadow! Yes it's that same company, I've got to find a new vendor this weekend,” her words trailed off before she continued. “I'll be sure to leave a few bags of coffee beans to the side and some of those muffins you really like. The ones soaked in espresso right?”
A half smile flashed on the usually stoic hedgehog's face.
He brought the phone down to his lips to respond, “I would like that,” then back up to his ear to listen for a response.
“Okay wonderful! I’ll see you in a bit!” Then Amy hung up and Shadow was grateful the call was over so he could use both hands to bathe himself. A small part of him wished he could've stayed on the phone a little while longer but he pushed the thought from his mind, focusing on the water running through his quills.
Amy was one of the only people besides his two fellow G.U.N. agents that he could tolerate sharing more than a few words with. She made it easy to speak with her, always asking questions or posing hypotheticals to keep the conversation going a little longer than it should. He never minded when it was her, growing to enjoy her company over the last eight months.
The two had definitely gotten closer since Eggman’s disappearance. With no world ending disaster lurking around the corner every time they blinked, it gave everyone a chance to focus on themselves and strengthen the bonds that had been built up over time of fighting side by side with each other. There were things Amy would only tell Shadow she said she couldn’t tell Blaze or Cream because he gave more logical answers instead of being her cheerleader in everything she did. He liked knowing that someone valued his opinion more than others and found himself wanting to engage with her more, but something in the back of his mind kept stopping him from doing so.
Shadow was still keeping everyone besides those he considered his closest friends at a distance. Years of pushing himself to his limits to try, in his own way, to deal with the trauma of losing Maria twice made him come off as even more standoffish than he already was to those he wasn't close with. Sonic and his gaggle of found family regarded him with kind eyes and pleasantries when they saw him around but nothing more than that. He had never felt the need to be all buddy buddy with them, a quick ‘hmph’ often satisfying the others' need for conversation.
Amy was the only one not phased by it. If anything, she was making even more of an effort now to make him feel wanted. Like he had a place in the world. She reminded him of Maria, always willing to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and extend a friendly hand. Underneath it all there was something else he felt towards her. It was something he couldn’t quite describe yet, not fully knowing what to do with the feelings that bubbled up and subsequently forced down when he was with her.
He never cared if others thought he was rude or an asshole for being as he was and that wasn't going to change any time soon. Maybe it was atonement, divine intervention or what have you but Shadow couldn't see himself getting so close to someone that he would consider them…
Consider them what? Shadow didn't want to continue that train of thought, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands to somehow get the thoughts of a lover out of his head. There was no way he would even be worthy of such a thing. Not after everything he's done.
Yet he couldn't stop the pang in his heart and the way his breath caught in his throat thinking how nice it must be to have someone to come home to, to care for…
“Someone to love…”
The words slipped free without thinking.
Could he? Could Amy…?
No. Not as he was.
No one would want to love someone like him.
Not wanting to dwell on these strange and conflicting feelings anymore, Shadow continued his shower. Having an elevated body temperature meant he took all his showers in barely warm water, enjoying the cooling feeling running down his face. Shadow took his time washing his scarred body, making sure to scrub his paw pads free of dirt. As he cleaned away the layers of filth, his mind wandered again to Amy and the muffins he would demolish as soon as he got home from his impromptu errands.
His stomach rumbled loudly over the sound of the rushing water and he forced himself to finish with his shower, moving a little too quickly to get ready and get the day started. Shadow decided to wear his black jacket dawning the G.U.N. logo across the back with a white tank top tucked into his favorite pair of black ripped jeans. He skipped adding his cologne, wanting to keep things casual today.
After about thirty minutes, Shadow strode up to Amy’s cafe with two large boxes of plates in his hands. The white and pink floral themed sign above the door reading ‘The Pink Petal’ was turned off, indicating she hadn’t opened shop yet. Shadow hadn’t realized until he was on his way to the warehouse exactly what time it was and as he used his foot to knock on the metal frame of the glass door, he started to feel the lack of sleep catching up to him as the boxes started feeling heavier and heavier.
He heard a ding from the bell above the door as it opened, taking a few steps inside and waiting to be told where to drop the boxes. Cream had been the one to open the door and as she locked it, Cheese took hold of Shadow’s arm and began pulling him towards the kitchen.
“Over here Mister Shadow!” The rabbit girl said, cheerful as ever.
Shadow followed the pair to the kitchen and set the boxes on the floor beside the black swinging door, his eyes drifting around the room as Cream and Cheese went back to helping Charmy stock the display window. He hadn’t seen Amy yet but he knew she was here. His nose had picked up the perfume she wore during her shifts, which was getting stronger as she came up behind him and bumped hips with him. Shadow turned his head to the side and saw the pink haired girl with flour smeared on her cheek, a smile reaching up to her eyes. He noticed she had her quills down today since they were usually up in a messy bun or ponytail during her shifts. It seemed longer than the last time he saw her, now reaching her mid back and brushing against his arm as she moved past him.
He noticed she wasn’t wearing the knee length, dusty pink dress she typically wore during her shifts, now wearing a pair of pale pink overalls accompanied with her signature red frilly apron adorned with the cafe’s namesake petal. A white, long sleeve shirt rolled up to the elbow was under the overalls and Shadow could see small embroidered roses sprinkled throughout the fabric. Had Amy done that herself? Shadow wouldn’t put it past her considering how talented she was.
“You have no idea how much you’ve saved my butt Shadow! I really appreciate all the help,” she beamed up at him. How she could be the embodiment of a literal ball of sunshine so goddamn early in the morning baffled him. As he watched Amy take a step towards the delivery he had brought, Shadow felt the urge to wipe the flour off her cheek but stopped himself.
“It's no big deal.” He said with a shrug of his shoulders.
Amy giggled and began taking the plates out of the boxes, Shadow crouching down alongside her to help.
“As long as you get your treats huh?” She said in a singsong voice.
Shadow let a small smile creep its way onto his face as he took the first load of plates to the metal counter lined with all the mini cakes he assumed the plates were for, as well as a few random assortment of various pastries. “You caught me red handed,” he said as he went back for another set of plates. “Maybe I should turn myself in.”
Amy rolled her eyes dramatically, setting the plates down and beginning to place the cakes on their new homes.
“Instead of turning yourself in, why don't I make it up to you?” She turned her head to lock eyes with the red striped hedgehog, that sweet smile still stretching across pink glossed lips. Before Shadow could question what she meant she continued. “I could make you a big lunch this weekend as an apology for getting you out here to help me so early. You just got back from an assignment right?”
He nodded, then spoke. “I did but you don't have to go through all that trouble. The beans and muffins are plenty.” Shadow didn't remember telling her when he would be back. Maybe it was Rouge who had let it slip, no big deal.
Amy waved a hand dismissively at him, a scoff falling from her lips before she said, “Nonsense, it's the least I could do.”
Shadow placed a hand on Amy’s shoulder, giving it a light squeeze to get her attention while also using it as a distraction as he snuck one of the pastries into his mouth. He could've sworn he felt her jump slightly at his touch but was too focused on his stolen but not so stolen cherry filled cheese danish, eating half in one fell swoop.
Maybe he imagined it.
”How about I take one of these and call it a day?” He asked as he ate the other half of the danish, licking the powdered sugar that had fallen on his lips and gazed down at the green eyes that had peered up at him as he moved. Amy let out a breath in a way that made it seem like she was nervous about something, but again, Shadow thought he might’ve been imagining it. His sleep deprived mind must’ve been playing tricks on him. What would Amy have to be nervous about?
“Well alright, I won’t push you any further but the offer still stands.” She said as she shifted out from under his hand he had forgotten to move. Amy cleared her throat before continuing. “I’ll be home on Saturday and I’ll just so happen to be cooking so if a certain hedgehog,” a pointed look was thrown his way and was greeted by a raised brow, “would like to join me then the door will be unlocked. How’s that sound?”
Shadow ‘hmphed’ and took a step back from the metal table, looking around the kitchen for his promised goods. Not wanting ro respond more than that, he located a bag with a piece of paper stapled to the front with his name on it accompanied by a small drawing of his face. Probably drawn by Cream he thought as he grabbed it. The smell of the freshly baked muffins soaked in espresso made his stomach growl in anticipation, earning a giggle from Amy behind him.
He turned and gave Amy a look that said ‘don’t start’, causing her to laugh lightly. Shadow began walking towards the door, planning on going home and devouring at least two muffins before taking a well deserved all day nap. The espresso in the muffins and coffee in general wouldn’t do anything to his energy levels. He just liked coffee merely for the taste.
As he said his goodbyes to the two tweens and chao, Shadow heard Amy shout from the kitchen, “Don’t leave me hanging Mr Ultimate Lifeform!” He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as he brought out his chaos emerald and went home.
He needed a nap.
‘Thank goodness Shadow was here to help me out this morning,’ thought Amy as she served another customer the cake she had put together this morning, the dainty plate leaving her hand. It was now later in the day, just about lunch time actually, and the pink hedgehog turned to check her coffee pot to see it had been close to empty. Time for a refill it seemed.
The day had gone pretty smoothly after Shadow left. Each cake was placed one by one onto the plates and the rest were put away for later use. Amy really did need to find another vendor she thought as she stepped away from the cash register.
Shadow was always a big help when she needed him which wasn’t often but she always made sure he knew he was appreciated to the max. The espresso soaked muffins weren’t something she sold at all, it was something she had made especially for him as a thank you for his help. Making specific items for her friends she knew without a doubt they would love was a way to show her love for them, no matter how long it took.
“Miss Amy, Miss Amy!”
Amy had been reaching for the coffee grounds she kept in the cabinet above the sink for the upcoming lunch rush of customers she knew was bound to come in when Cream had come out from the kitchen in a panic. The young rabbit had a tendency to panic at the smallest things and Amy often had to talk her off the ledge but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. She had been the same once in her younger years but eventually grew out of it.
Cream ran up to Amy with a tray of cookies with a few of them flipped over to reveal slightly burnt bottoms. An easy fix for sure.
”It’s okay Cream, just take a knife and scrap the bottoms off. We’ll sell them at a discount.” She said, taking one from the tray and biting into it. “Tastes perfectly fine honestly, just a little well done.” Amy smiled at Cream sweetly, offering the cookie for her to try. With some slight hesitation, Cream took a bite and evaluated the taste, determining they weren’t ruined as she smiled brightly after swallowing.
Cream turned to walk back towards the kitchen, saying over her shoulder, “Thank you Miss Amy! I’ll get these wrapped right away!”, as she disappeared behind the black swinging door.
Amy giggled, going back to her coffee and filling the reservoir with water. She loved the hustle and bustle of the shop, the challenges that came with it and never knowing what to expect with two pre-teens as her employees. She wouldn’t have it any other way if she was honest with herself. Charmy and Cream were very hard workers and she loved watching them work together to get through the day. They reminded her of how Amy was with her friends when she was younger, before she got stronger, more capable of taking care of herself.
She started to reminisce on her old adventures with Sonic, Tails and Knuckles, a part of her wishing she could go back to that life but now that Eggman was stuck in White Space with no sign of returning she didn’t need to. She loved her life now, her dream of owning her own bakery slash cafe combo finally coming true after so long. Everything was perfect!
Except for one thing.
Her crush on Shadow.
Her crush she was admitting to herself was more than a schoolyard crush like she had fooled herself into believing for years.
She realized she had more feelings for the guy the more time they spent together. Since Shadow stopped taking on so many missions with G.U.N., it allowed them to get to know each other better. Amy had thought for the longest time that her fluttering feelings that came up when Shadow appeared while fighting Eggman would go away over time. Yet every time they hung out she couldn't help the warmth spreading across her face as she snuck glances at him, wanting nothing more than to take his hands in hers and draw him in for a hug. A hug…
Maybe even a kiss?
No, no way Shadow would ever want that. She shook her head, trying to chase away the image in her mind. He never gave any hints at wanting to be anything more than what they were now. Although, Amy couldn't help but fantasize what it would be like to be with Shadow. Would he be the same person in a more intimate setting? More laid back? Amy couldn't help but sigh dreamily at the image of Shadow whisking her away on a romantic night on his motorcycle, her hands wrapped around his waist as they rode into the night.
A little too into her fantasy, she failed to realize she was about to pour the coffee she brewed directly onto her left hand until it was too late.
The pink hedgehog was pulled from her daydream with a jolt, a hushed expletive leaving her lips. She put the pot down on the counter and moved towards the sink beside her, turning the cold water on and sticking her hand under with a sharp inhale. Charmy had heard the commotion and flew over, a worried look on his face.
“Miss Amy, are you okay?!” He said a little too loudly. A few of the patrons inside turned their heads towards them before going back to minding their own business. Amy felt the sting of the cold water soothing her burn and she cursed herself for getting too invested in her thoughts. She mustered up a smile at Charmy, her eyes meeting his as she spoke.
“I'm okay Charmy, just a little burn.” Amy gestured towards the kitchen with her head. “Can you run in the back and get the first aid kit?”
Charmy nodded, dashing off into the back and appearing a second later with the red box in hand.
Amy took it with her free hand, thanking the boy and instructing him to continue serving their guests while she patched herself up.
’I’ve gotta stop letting myself get so lost in these thoughts!’ Amy thought to herself as she dried her hand. ‘I know I shouldn’t be thinking like this about Shadow anyway but I can’t help it. He’s just so… so…!’
She couldn’t bring herself to finish the thought, forcing herself to continue administering first aid to her accidental wound. Even though she had gotten older and more mature, she was still prone to her over active imagination. Amy would often find herself getting lost in romance novel after romance novel, wanting to be in the main character's place so badly. She knew better than to wish for what could not be after so many years of chasing after Sonic. He had made it clear that night she had confessed for what felt like the hundredth time that he was not interested in the slightest, wanting to remain friends and nothing more. After that night, something changed in Amy. She went home, got in bed, and had a strange dream. One she could recall with ease.
She dreamt of a gold chain held taut by two posts on either side of a great ravine. Balancing on the chain was none other than herself holding a long pole in both hands like a tightrope walker would. Slowly, ever so slowly, she crossed step by step towards the other side to get to Sonic standing on the other side. Her Sonic. He was so close she could almost grab him. A gust of wind threatened to throw Amy off balance but she persevered, each step bringing her closer and closer until-
The chain snapped. The world around her froze, the air turned cold and her heart jumped into her throat. Amy tried to reach for Sonic but he turned his back to her as she fell and she heard his exasperated words from earlier repeated in the dream.
“I think we would be better off remaining as friends. I mean, aren’t you getting tired of me always saying no?”
The words felt like a stab to her heart as she tumbled down, her arms swinging wildly around her to try and find something to grab on to. She tried and tried, but nothing worked. Everytime something came within reach it would disappear within seconds and she would continue falling. Just as she was about to give up, to curl her arms around her legs and scream her agony and pain into them, she felt a warmth surrounding her. This was something familiar, a warmth she had felt before. She heard Sonic's voice again, softer, sweeter and lighter.
“I’ll always have love for you in my heart Ames, just not the kind you want and I’m sorry for that. I can’t give you what you want. You deserve to be loved how you want- no, how you deserve and I just know you’ll find it one day.”
Did she truly believe him? Did he truly believe his own words?
Amy could only look up from the depths below her and found Sonic falling down towards her, reaching a hand out to grab her. She hesitantly reached out to take his gloved hand in hers and when she did, the world changed around her. A field of flowers was now under her, her quills being warmed by the sun beaming down. Her feet were back on solid ground and her hand was still clasped tightly in Sonic’s but he didn’t seem to mind.
She looked over his face for any signs of deception, any inkling that he might have been saying those words to appease her and get her to leave him alone for a little while but there was nothing. Nothing but a genuine smile and the kindest eyes she had ever seen on him. At that moment Amy knew she could let Sonic go and everything would be fine. She didn’t need to chase and chase and chase someone who didn’t want to be chased. She could enjoy things as they were with the blue ball of energy she was grateful to call her friend.
Amy remembered waking up that day with tears in her eyes but not from sadness. Her dream had allowed her to finally let go and move on from him. She began to focus on herself, building stronger bonds with everyone in her life, some mentioning that she had changed but she waved them off dismissively. They would press to find out why she had a little more pep in her step each day but Amy would just laugh and switch the conversation to something else.
She felt content in her decision to let Sonic go and didn’t feel the need to explain herself to others. Blaze and Cream being the only exception to the rule and like always, they cheered her on and showered her in love. Eventually the subject was dropped and the world kept turning. Each day something new and exciting.
Finishing up with wrapping her hands in bandages, Amy couldn’t help but smile throughout the rest of her shift. By the end of the day her hand was throbbing in pain despite the anti burn ointment coating it. She would have to take some pain medicine tonight before bed and reapply the ointment.
It took about an hour to clean up the cafe after the last customer left, Charmy and Cream taking on the dishes while Amy wiped the tables and windows. With all three working together the cafe was clean in no time. The two of them came out of the kitchen simultaneously, laughing to themselves about a joke Amy was sure Charmy had said out of ear shot.
”We did it! Another day in the books!” Beamed Charmy, giving Cheese then Cream a high five. He looked over at Amy with that same worried look from earlier. “How’s your hand Miss Amy?”
Amy tossed the rag she was using with her right hand over the counter and watched as it landed in the sink behind the cash register with a wet plop.
”It’s a little better but I’ll definitely need to take it easy for a few days.” She beckoned them to come closer, unwrapping her hand and showing them the angry red patch of skin. “I don’t think I need to go to the hospital, but I definitely can’t bake anything like this.” She sighed, biting her lip anxiously. She hadn’t thought of that until now. How would she be able to keep up with her hand out of commission?
She felt Cream take her free hand and hold it tightly in both hands, a determined look in her eyes.
“Don’t worry Miss Amy, I’ll ask my mom if she can take over while you’re recovering!”
”Oh nonsense, I can’t ask Vanilla to do that for me. She’s already so busy with-“
Cream shook her head as did Cheese and Amy couldn’t help but giggle at the sight.
“My mom would love to help! Trust me, she’s been wanting to get out of the house more.”
Charmy chimed in at that moment. “Yeah Miss Amy, take a few days off. It’ll be good for you! Plus,” he trailed off, a teasing tone lacing his words. “It’ll give you time to prepare that big lunch you promised Mister Shadow~!” He smiled widely as he dashed towards the door, narrowly avoiding the wad of paper towels Cream had thrown at him.
“Okay okay I'm going!“ With one last laugh Charmy was out the door, flying off towards the Chaotix base Amy assumed. That boy was always keeping her on her toes.
“Jeez, how rude!” Cream said with a stomp of her foot. Amy just laughed it off and walked with Cream and Cheese out of the cafe, locking the door behind them.
The two discussed Vanilla taking over Amy’s shifts for the rest of the week while she treated her burn, Cream all but banishing her from the cafe until Amy had to agree to get the rabbit off her back. Maybe this would be good for her like Charmy said. She was feeling a little more tired than usual, wanting to sleep in more and more each day but she was the only one who could open the cafe. She hadn’t trained her two plucky friends turned employees on opening yet, opting to have them come in towards the afternoon so they could focus on school.
The more she thought about it, the more it seemed appealing to take some time for herself for the first time in… She couldn’t remember the last time she had more than one day off a week since opening The Pink Petal actually.
Amy gave Cream and Cheese a hug as they came to the end of the street, Cream telling Amy not to come in for the rest of the week. That her and her mom would take extra special care of The Pink Petal while she was at home resting. Amy nodded, giving the girl a sweet smile while her uninjured hand dug around her pocket for the key to the cafe.
”Let your mom know I”ll send her instructions on how to open the shop when I get home okay? Here,” she pulled the key out and handed it to Cream before continuing. “This is the key to get in. Don’t lose it, okay?”
“You got it!”
With that Cream was off, waving goodbye to Amy as she ran off towards her house. Soon enough Amy was home as well. She opened the door and turned on the living room light, tossing her shoes to the side of the couch as she laid face down on the cushions.
She couldn’t wait to sleep in and enjoy her impromptu vacation even if it was caused by injury, but what would she do with all that time? She was still planning on making a feast on Saturday like she told Shadow but it was Tuesday. She had three whole days between then and now to try and find something to do.
With a sigh, she decided that was something for tomorrow's Amy to figure out. Today’s Amy needed a warm bath, a glass of wine and a good movie. She heaved her body off the couch, reached for her phone and sent over a list of instructions to Vanilla as well as where to find the recipes and on what days to make them. When Vanilla responded that she understood and to enjoy her time off, Amy felt like she could relax for the first time all evening.
She went into the kitchen and grabbed the bottle of moscato she kept in the fridge and a wine glass, her bath tub calling her name oh so sweetly.
Time to relax.