Rated: Fiction T (Teen) (PG-13) - English - Romance/Adventure - Sonic & Amy

Chapter Two - Surprising Revelation

Dark storm clouds billowed over the countryside and the thriving city of Station Square just a few miles away. Ever since Sonic's shocking and sudden death two weeks ago the weather has been grim. It's as though the world itself was crying over the loss of its hero. Thunder cracked and heavy raindrops fell against the windows of a small cottage home. Inside was Amy Rose, lying in bed, hiding underneath her blankets and sobbing into her pillow. Amy's mood matched the miserable, gloomy weather happening outside. By now her pillow was drenched from her salty tears and her eyes were dry and sore from her excessive crying. The events of that fateful day continued to plague and torment her mind as she tried to find solace in sleep once more.

A low groan escaped her lips as she clutched her blankets tightly. Her stomach was in knots and the desire to get sick again was growing stronger. Amy closed her eyes and took in unsteady breaths as she tried to keep her mind off of her uneasy stomach. She could feel the bile building in the back of her throat and knew she couldn't avoid the inevitable. Headaches, fatigue, and extreme nausea have become a daily routine for her. She supposed it was because she was making herself sick. She hadn't really been eating and spent the majority of her time locked away in her bedroom crying. In fact, her sudden reclusion worried her good friend Cream who was like a little sister to her. Amy didn't mean to ignore her or the rest of her friends during this hard time but her heartache and her profound guilt were overwhelming her.

As if on cue, Amy placed her hand over her mouth and quickly pulled the covers off of her. It was happening again. She was going to get sick. She quickly got up and stumbled as she tried to make her way to the bathroom. She practically fell on her knees as she leaned over and just barely made it in time to the toilet. Almost immediately she began to violently retch out the contents in her stomach while trying to take in short breaths. Due to having mostly water in her system she was practically dry heaving. After a couple of minutes her stomach finally relaxed and she took a moment to cough and take in steady breaths. It took Amy a moment before she could find the strength to stand and flushed the toilet. Sweating and feeling a bit faint, she made her way towards the sink to wash her face and rinse her mouth out.

Amy looked into the mirror and saw her reflection. What she saw staring back at her looked like an empty shell of her former self. Her quills were disheveled and her usually rosy pink fur was pale and sickly looking. She had bags under her reddened eyes from lack of sleep and the usual sparkle and gleam in her jade colored eyes was nonexistent leaving only a lifeless, dull, color in its place. Tears began to fill her eyes as the thoughts of Sonic and that horrible day began to replay throughout her mind again. She wiped them away hurriedly as she began dragging herself back to bed. Amy didn't think she would ever be happy again. Her happiness had been violently taken away from her and the worst part about it was it was all her fault. Half the reason why she ignored her friends was due to the fact she couldn't face them. Especially Tails.

When she had revealed the news to both him and Knuckles of Sonic's fate, Tails was speechless and in utter disbelief. He refused to believe that Sonic could have fallen in defeat to Eggman of all people. He refused to believe anything terrible could have happened to his beloved big brother. He shook his head in denial refusing to take in anything she had to say to either of them. Tails had gotten angry at her and even called her a liar. That hurt Amy more than he'll ever know but she didn't blame him. She didn't think he would ever forgive her for this. The plane ride home was an awkward and silent one. Knuckles had surprisingly been the strong one out of all of them. His eyes were soft and he tried his hardest to make an unreadable expression but even Amy could tell he was hurting badly on the inside. Once Tails had landed the plane on the runway outside of his workshop he broke down and cried. He was hysterical and his reaction was almost identical to Amy's initial one.

Knuckles had to help escort Tails inside the house and it was he who had to break the news to the rest of their friends. Knuckles had earned a whole new respect from Amy. His inner strength and support through all of this awed her. He was able to keep his sadness and grief locked away in order to help support his friends in their time of need and Amy commended him for that. Though Knuckles didn't show it, she knew how much he cared about Sonic. She knew how much this must have been hurting him too.

Amy crawled back into her bed and snuggled amongst her warm woolen blankets. She curled herself into a little ball and huddled as she tried to suppress a new batch of tears that were threatening her eyes. Her heart ached so badly. Even her dreams were haunted with nightmares of Sonic's death. She could still hear his pain filled screams and see the look of sheer agony etched onto his usually carefree and smiling face. She shivered and dried her dampened eyes on her pillow. She closed her eyes as a sudden heaviness began to overtake her and the last thing she thought before drifting off into a deep sleep was that she will never know happiness again.

It was pouring outside downtown Westopolis. Some streets were becoming flooded and the majority of civilians had taken cover elsewhere leaving the sidewalks vacant and empty. The cold rain gave the city a gloomy, misty and ghostly effect as fog filled the air. Leaning against a wall in a back alley not too far from G.U.N headquarters was an ebony hedgehog with sharp crimson eyes. He sighed heavily before taking another long drag of his lit cigarette. Shadow was growing tired of waiting and felt the urge to leave but the dire situation at hand kept him planted right in place.

"You should really quit smoking. It's bad for you, ya know." An alluring voice purred from behind him. Shadow already knowing who the owner of the voice was, turned around with an agitated look upon his face.

"Humph…don't count on it." He dismissed quickly as he crossed his arms. "Do you have any concept of time?" He asked in frustration.

Rouge smiled seductively. "What's the matter Shadow? Miss me too much?" She said flirtatiously as she traced two of her fingers through his chest fur. Shadow's frown deepened and he pulled himself further away from her.

"Knock it off. This is serious." He said in annoyance. Rouge let her hand drop to her side and cut the act. Her face immediately grew stern. "Alright, fine. Perhaps this will make things up to you." She said as she held a Chaos Emerald in front of him.

Shadow eyed the gray and lifeless gem with great concern and suspicion. "It's just as I suspected. This emerald looks exactly the same as the one I have on me right now." He said as he placed his cigarette in his mouth and took his own emerald out to compare them.

Rouge looked at him feeling truly perplexed. "What do you think this means? Could it have anything to do with what happened to Sonic?" Shadow was silent for a moment as he continued inspecting the powerless Chaos Emeralds. He couldn't even feel any energy within or around them. "…I'm not sure but I think it may have to do with the Master Emerald more so than Sonic." He stated.

The two of them grew silent for a moment as Shadow tossed one of the powerless emeralds back to Rouge. "You're the one who's always hanging around that Guardian; did he ever tell you anything about the Master Emerald that could explain what's happening with the Chaos Emeralds?"

Rouge shook her head. "The only thing I know is that the Master Emerald has the power to neutralize and control the Chaos Emeralds." Shadow shook his head as he took another inhale of his cigarette. "It doesn't make any sense…" He said in bafflement as smoke filled the air. "I can usually draw Chaos energy without even having an emerald but now I can't even do that."

After taking one last drag, Shadow flicked his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. "The doctor must have done something to the Master Emerald. Did anyone see what happened?"

"Knuckles said Amy was there but-" Shadow cut her off midsentence. "Then I guess it's time we paid Rose a visit." He said as he looked towards the street ahead of them. The rain had finally let up for the time being but thunder could still be heard in the distance. Without further hesitation, Shadow left the alley with Rouge following close behind.

Shadow banged hastily on Amy Rose's front door. He was beginning to feel impatient from receiving no answer. Rouge wore a sympathetic expression. "Maybe we should give her some more time…" She suggested. She knew how much Amy cared for Sonic. Everyone did. She could only imagine the heartache and pain Amy must be feeling right now.

"Don't you understand? We don't have time." Shadow said feeling truly frustrated now as he turned to look at her.

"Shadow…how could you be so cold about-" Shadow immediately cut her off.

"Don't patronize me Rouge!" He shouted as he shut his eyes.

Rouge was taken aback by Shadow's sudden burst of anger. Usually she wouldn't care so much about how others are feeling or what they were going through. She was always more concerned with her own desires and needs as selfish as that sounded. But even she was affected by Sonic's sudden demise. When Knuckles broke the news to her she was shocked and at a loss for words. Never had she thought Sonic would ever fail at anything let alone Eggman of all people being the one to do him in. She would never show or admit it but Sonic's death affected her too.

Shadow turned his back to her. "I know all too well how it feels…to lose someone close to you." He said in a soft and quiet voice.

Rouge's eyes grew soft. She knew who he was referring to. "Shadow-" She started but stopped as Shadow turned the knob on the door finding the door unlocked. Without acknowledging her, he stepped inside the home uninvited and Rouge had no choice but to follow. The two walked inside the usually warm, welcoming, and pleasant home which now felt cold, dark, and depressing. All the lights were turned off and the thunder and darkening sky outside made the house feel much more decrepit and eerie than it should have been. The house was unkempt with a sink stacked with unwashed dishes, clothes and garbage scattered across the floor, and the house itself didn't smell very fresh or clean. Rouge wrinkled her nose in disgust at the sight. If her house looked this bad she was almost afraid to see how Amy herself was looking right now.

"Amy…?" Rouge called out softly. She waited for some type of response but received none. "Amy, are you home?" She tried again beginning to feel a little anxious. The house continued to remain silent. All Rouge or Shadow could hear aside from thunder booming in the distance was Amy's refrigerator humming quietly in the kitchen. Now Rouge was starting to get really worried. Amy wouldn't try hurting herself would she? Was she that crazily in love with Sonic? Before her mind could wander any further on different possible scenarios Shadow took the initiative to ascend the staircase. Rouge wordlessly followed along still feeling a bit unnerved.

As Shadow reached the top he looked around the hallway still finding no signs of life. "Maybe she's just not home." Rouge figured as she glanced down the hall at the open bedroom. The door was open halfway and she could see an unmade and messy bed through the darkness. Shadow shook his head in disagreement. "No, look." He pointed towards a closed door. They both could see the light on through the bottom crack. Just as Shadow was about to say something the sounds of coughing filled his and Rouge's ears. They both looked at one another before turning their attention to the door. The violent coughing seemed to continue for a few more moments until the flush of a toilet was heard.

"Was she throwing up?" Rouge wondered to herself. She looked at Shadow who looked like he was unsure what to do from here. The bathroom door suddenly opened revealing a very tired and sickly looking Amy Rose. Her eyes grew wide the moment she noticed the two shadows standing before her and let out a scream. She stumbled backwards and fell to the bathroom floor with a thud and yelped in pain. "Rose?" Shadow said gently. Rouge quickly found the light switch in the hallway and flipped it on.

As the lights came on Amy had to close her eyes to allow herself to adjust to the sudden brightness. She blinked a few times before looking up to see Shadow and Rouge standing in front of the bathroom threshold. She looked at them in confusion. "Shadow…Rouge…What are you two doing here?"

"We came to see how you were holding up." Rouge fibbed. Shadow on the other hand, got straight to the point. Blunt as usual. "Rose, we need to talk with you. It's important." He stated as he held his hand out for her to take. After hesitating for a moment Amy gently grasped it and allowed him to pull her up. "About what? What's wrong?" She asked in worry. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and Shadow could see the sadness deep within them. He wasn't sure why but seeing her in such a sorry state really bothered him.

Shadow sighed. "We need you to tell us what happened that day with Sonic." Amy pulled her hand away as though it were on fire and shook her head. Tears were already forming in her eyes and she looked away from them. "No." She said firmly. "What? Why not?" Shadow said in exasperation. He reached out for her but she backed further away still looking down and shaking her head.

Rouge watched the scene quietly feeling a bit sorry for the poor hedgehog. She looked awful. A visible tear rolled down Amy's cheek as she looked back up into Shadow's crimson eyes. "I-I'm sorry…but I can't…" She said quietly before quickly rushing past them.

"I told you she needed more time! She's not ready yet Shadow. It's too sudden." Rouge exclaimed as she left to follow where Amy had run off to.

Shadow grunted in frustration. "We don't have time for this Rouge! Don't you understand what's going to happen if we don't hurry?" He shouted as he followed after her.

"Of course I do! But badgering her won't help us get anywhere." Rouge yelled in annoyance. Shadow's being really insensitive about this despite going through a similar experience himself. She understood the situation but even she knew when to let things go.

"Amy!" She called after her as she ran down the stairs. Sobbing filled their ears as they looked to see Amy sitting on her couch with her hands over her face. Rouge felt a tug on her heart strings. She walked over to the now hysterical hedgehog and sat on the couch next to her. She wrapped her arms around Amy and pulled her into a strong embrace and allowed her to cry. "It's okay Amy…Just let it all out." She said in a soothing, soft voice. Amy hugged onto her friend tightly and cried.

Shadow quietly walked up to the two young women suddenly feeling a bit awkward. "Rose, I-"

"Please…" Amy sobbed into Rouge's shoulder. "L-leave me alone…" She choked.

Now it was Shadow's turn to feel a bit of remorse. He had never seen Amy looking so distraught before. He had always seen her so happy and bubbly. She was always optimistic and hopeful; she never gave up on anyone or anything. Now here she was looking completely broken. He opened his mouth to say something but found himself with nothing to left to say.

A couple of minutes passed as Rouge continued to comfort Amy to the best of her ability. She rocked her slowly back and forth while rubbing her back in a soothing manner. Shadow just stood in front of the two with his arms crossed. Amy began to quiet down somewhat just sniffling every now and then. The loud growling of her stomach suddenly got everyone's attention and she pulled away from Rouge bashfully.

"Sorry…" She whispered as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Rouge looked at Amy closely and noticed just how frail and sickly she really looked. "Hon…have you been eating?" Amy looked away feeling a bit ashamed. "I…" She trailed off. "I haven't been really hungry." She stated softly. Rouge looked at Amy sympathetically until she found herself with an idea, one that will help not just Amy but Shadow as well.

"Well…it sounds like you're hungry now. Why don't we get a bite to eat hm? It'll be my treat." Rouge suggested in a much lighter and cheery tone.

"I…I don't know…I-I haven't been really feeling well and-" Amy stammered before abruptly being cut off.

Rouge grabbed Amy's hand and stood up, pulling Amy up close beside her. "I'm not taking no for an answer. You need to eat and get out of this house! Locking yourself up in your room all day isn't good for you." Rouge reasoned. There was no way Amy was going to try and talk herself out of this.

"I-I'm fine…Really! I am…I was just going to make myself some tea when-" She didn't have a chance to finish her sentence for the second time as Rouge dragged her towards the front door. Shadow watched the scene perplexed. Rouge was up to something he just wasn't sure what. Nevertheless, he saw Amy's jacket sitting on the hook by the front door and grabbed it. He tossed it her way as she looked at the two of them with wide eyes. All she wanted to do was crawl back into bed.

Rouge opened the front door and noticed the weather beginning to act up again. The winds were starting to pick up and thunder was becoming much louder. Amy looked at the weather then back to her friends with questioning eyes. Were they really going to go through this weather just to get lunch? "We better leave now before it starts to rain again." Rouge announced as she took hold of Amy's hand and pulled her outside. Shadow followed along close behind and shut her front door. Amy couldn't believe what just happened.

They had gone all the way to the Central District of Station Square just to get a bite to eat. They had made it just in time before the rain to a small but popular burger joint known as The Burger Shop. The quiet and quaint little diner had a 60's theme to it. The floors were checkered red and white with matching red booths, tables, and seats. There was even a milkshake bar with red swivel chairs. Oldies music played through an old jukebox in the corner of the restaurant which really set up the feel of the theme. Even the employees wore matching red and white uniforms with white wedged caps. The three of them had decided on a booth near the window and were currently looking through menu's deciding what to order.

Amy was thankful the diner was nearly deserted due to the weather. She felt terrible and knew she looked it too. She twirled her straw in her glass of water absentmindedly as she watched the rain hitting the window beside her. She felt flattered that Rouge and even Shadow wanted to try and cheer her up but she really just wished to go back home and hide amongst her warm woolen blankets. She was a little afraid to eat anything. Her stomach has been so upset lately even when she hardly ate anything. Rouge watched Amy sigh sadly while transfixed on the weather outside and decided to try and distract her for the time being. If she didn't she knew the pink hedgehog would burst into tears soon enough.

"Amy, do you know what you're going to order?" She asked as she inspected her manicured nails. Amy shook her head as she turned her attention back to the menu sitting on the table in front of her. Shadow was staring intensely at Amy just waiting for the right opportunity to ask her what he desperately wanted to know. Rouge had clued him in on what she was up to when Amy wasn't paying much attention. Once Amy was full and had enough to eat, cheered up, and was distracted enough, he'll try and ask her again. Maybe then she'll cooperate. If not, then all hell would break lose. She was the only key they had to this puzzle and he wasn't going to leave after all of this empty handed.

Amy studied the menu trying to find something to her liking. As she read each option she felt her stomach growling more than it already was. Each selection made her mouth water and she realized just how hungry she really was. It's been a while since she had a decent meal. As she thumbed through the menu one particular selection caught her eye. She wasn't sure why but she had a strong craving and desire to have it. She found herself picking out other sides to go along with it that will satisfy her.

"Ok…I'm ready." Amy announced as she placed her menu back down on the table.

Rouge was just going to have something light. She only went to the diner to get Amy out of the house anyway. Shadow on the other hand, didn't really care what he had to eat just as long as he got Amy to give him the information he required he would be satisfied.

A waiter approached their table with a bright smile and whipped out a pad and pen. "Are you guys ready to order?" The male grey wolf asked with great enthusiasm. Amy nodded with a faint smile while Shadow and Rouge both said "Yes." in unison.

"I'm just gonna have a Caesar salad. Gotta watch my figure ya know." Rouge said as she winked at the wolf with a flirty smile. He blushed faintly as he scribbled down her order and turned his attention to the ebony hedgehog beside her. "And for you Sir?"

"I'll just have anything." Shadow said nonchalantly. The waiter looked at him strangely unsure what to do or say. "Um…" Surprisingly, it was Amy who tossed out a suggestion. "Why not try the chocolate milkshake? It looks pretty good." Shadow nodded and turned his attention back to the grey wolf. "I'll take that then." He confirmed.

The waiter added his order and turned his attention to the pink hedgehog. "And for you miss?" Amy was a little hesitant at first before giving her order. "Umm…Can I have three chilidogs, an extra side of fries, some union rings…mmm…the chicken nuggets look pretty good too…Oh! And may I have a chocolate milkshake as well? It really sounds good!" Amy exclaimed with a bright and excited smile.

The waiter as well as Shadow and Rouge looked at Amy with wide stunned eyes. "Are you sure you can eat all of that…?" The waiter asked nervously. Amy smiled sheepishly and felt her face flush. She nodded slowly before handing him back her menu. The waiter shakily took hers along with Rouge and Shadow's. "I'll be back with your orders shortly." He said in a hurry before heading off towards the kitchen.

Amy felt eyes burning into her as she suddenly found the table much more interesting. "I knew you were hungry…but not this much." Rouge exclaimed a bit breathlessly. Amy twiddled her fingers nervously as she tried to explain herself. She couldn't help it. She had such a strong desire to eat all those things. She wasn't really sure why herself.

"And since when did you like chilidogs?" Rouge asked suspiciously. Everyone knew that that was Sonic's favorite food. That simple fact alone brought back sadness to Amy when she was just starting to feel a little better for a while. "…I honestly never tried one before." Amy said softly. Rouge looked at her strangely. Amy was acting a little weird and she wasn't exactly sure what to think.

When their food arrived Shadow and Rouge couldn't help but watch as the waiter placed the various trays with Amy's orders all around her. Her orders alone took up half the table. "Thank you." Amy politely said as she glanced down at her order of three chilidogs. She picked one of them up timidly and stared at it for a moment. She always did wonder why Sonic liked these so much. "I wonder what he would say if he saw me trying one…" She thought to herself sadly. She bet he would be excited and happy especially if she ended up really liking it.

She cautiously brought the spicy hotdog up to her mouth and closed her eyes. She slowly took a small bite and chewed. Within seconds her eyes opened and grew wide as she swallowed. "Wow! This tastes amazing!" She exclaimed excitedly. Shadow and Rouge exchanged looks. Before either of them could blink, Amy was taking larger bites and literally scarfing her meal down. "Mmm…" She smiled in delight. The way she was eating, she looked like a female version of Sonic himself.

Shadow watched Amy as she continued picking at her fries and onion rings. Boy could this girl eat. Rouge finished her salad feeling slightly disgusted at watching Amy. Never in her life did she see a girl eat so much. After having not said very much since he left the house, Shadow decided it was time to cut to the chase.

"Feeling better now Rose?" He asked, already knowing his answer. Amy looked up at him and nodded. "Thanks…you guys. This really did cheer me up." Shadow couldn't help but feel his spirits lift slightly. It was good to see Amy acting more like the bubbly self he had grown so accustomed to. He frowned a bit, knowing his next set of words would most likely shatter her current happiness.

He pulled out his powerless Chaos Emerald and placed it on the table in front of her. Amy let out a gasp as she looked at the gem in awe and confusion. "Is…Is that a Chaos Emerald?" She asked, reaching her hand out to touch it. Shadow nodded. "What's wrong with it?" Amy asked feeling a little worried.

"Well Rose, I was hoping you would have the answer to that." Amy looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Shadow sighed. "Ever since that day with the doctor…the Chaos Emeralds have lost their power. You were the only one who saw what happened." Amy frowned and looked down at the empty trays in front of her. "Oh…" She said quietly.

"I need to know exactly what happened. What did the doctor do to the Master Emerald?" Rouge watched silently and turned her attention to Amy who looked like she was again fighting back tears. Amy shook her head as tears brim her eyes. "I-I don't know…" She whispered honestly.

"Tell me what you saw." Shadow pushed for answers. He wasn't trying to make her upset but he honestly needed to know. Amy shut her eyes tight and tears began to roll down her cheeks. She felt her body shaking and her stomach was starting to feel uneasy again.

"Shadow…" Rouge felt this wasn't a good idea after all.

"I-I don't want to remember! Amy shouted suddenly as she placed her hands over her face. She started crying again and Shadow felt a mixture of frustration and guilt.

"You don't understand! If we don't act now the doctor will-" Amy cut him off as a fit of fury suddenly overcame her. She pulled her hands away from her face and looked at him angrily.

"NO! You don't understand!" Amy yelled as she stood up. "It's my entire fault Sonic's gone! The beam was meant for me! Not him! ME!" Her eyes welled with fresh new tears. "I-I was forced to stand there and watch him die right in front of me…" Amy's anger broke down as she began to cry hysterically. Rouge's eyes widened as did Shadow's. "T-That's what…what I saw…" Amy hid her face in her hands again as she wept.

By now she had unintentionally attracted the attention of several employees within the diner who were now staring at her with concern. Amy felt the food she had only just eaten beginning to churn within her stomach and wiped at her eyes hurriedly. The bile was finding its way in her throat again and she instantly knew she was going to be sick. Amy placed a hand over her mouth and without any warning ran as fast as she could to the nearest restroom.

"Amy?" Rouge called as she ran into the bathroom. The sounds of vomiting filled her ears from one of the middle stalls. Amy choked as she tried to find time to take in breaths of fresh air. Her throat was burning and her stomach twisted in pain; getting sick hurt so much more now that she actually had food in her system to regurgitate. Rouge waited patiently for Amy to finish and tried her hardest not to feel sick herself. She was worried for the pink hedgehog now. Something was seriously wrong here. No amount of depression can make someone throw up as much as she seems to be doing. It suddenly fell silent and a flush was heard not to long afterwards. Amy opened the stall door and had tears in her eyes. She was breathing heavily and was leaning over with a hand on her stomach in pain.

"Rouge…I-I think something's wrong with me…" She stuttered weakly. Rouge walked over to her and placed both her hands on her shoulders. "Come on." Rouge said in a soothing voice. She helped lead Amy towards the bathroom sink to let her wash her face. Amy rinsed her face with warm water and tried to regain her composure. As Amy relaxed Rouge stood in deep thought trying to figure out what was wrong with her. "I-I'm scared." Amy whispered softly. She originally thought that her upset stomach was centered on her lack of food intake and stress but it's starting to appear to be much more than that.

"It'll be alright Amy. I'm sure it's nothing serious." Rouge tried to reassure her.

Amy looked down at the floor and fiddled with her fingers nervously. Rouge coughed uncomfortably as she tried to solve this mystery and cheer up the sullen hedgehog. "It's probably just a stomach bug…or the fact that you're so stressed out right now." She reasoned as she quickly inspected herself in the mirror.

Amy shook her head in disagreement. "No…I don't think that's it…"

Rouge turned to look at her. "Well, what do you think it is?"

Amy rubbed her arm as she tried to provide herself some form of comfort. "I-I don't know…" Amy's mind swam with possible reasons all of which terrified her. Was she terminally ill? Was she dying? Perhaps it was food poisoning?

She was pulled away from her thoughts as Rouge spoke once more. "How about this, why don't you tell me what else you've been feeling besides an upset stomach and I'll try and figure it out."

"A-alright…Umm…Well…I feel tired a lot and I get frequent headaches." Amy admitted.

This was getting Rouge nowhere. This could be anything. It's too vague of information. "Is that all? What about when you get sick? When do you feel like vomiting the most?" Rouge was beginning to feel like a personal physician.

"In the mornings. Mostly right when I wake up." Amy said without hesitation.

Rouge took a moment to think. "So there's headaches, fatigue, and nausea…" Her mind suddenly wandered back to Amy's strange behavior mostly earlier in the diner when she ordered all that food. "Increased appetite…?" Then she recalled Amy's sudden desire to eat specific things off the menu some of which she admitted she'd never even tried before. "Cravings…" Rouge's eyes grew wide when the only logical explanation crossed her mind. "No…It couldn't be that! Definitely not that! This is Amy Rose here!"

Rouge had to shake her head to dismiss the very thought of that possibility. She inwardly laughed at the ridiculousness of even considering it in the first place. Rouge failed to notice Amy had been watching her intently and looked to see her with a very worried expression.

"What is it? What do you think it is?" She asked anxiously.

"It's…nothing. I don't know why I even thought of it." Rouge dismissed, fully confident that her assumptions were totally wrong and misguided.

"Please tell me!" Amy pleaded.

Rouge had to laugh slightly. "Alright but I already know this isn't what it is." Amy looked at Rouge eagerly. She was so afraid of what might be wrong with her.

"Well, the only thing I can think of when I look at your symptoms is pregnancy and you and I both know that can't be it."

Rouge expected Amy to immediately deny that idea and move on to the next possibility but what she saw instead surprised her greatly. Amy let out a soft gasp and her eyes widened to the size of saucers. Her hand instinctively landed on her flat stomach and she looked down at it in wonder. Her expression looked like a mixture of surprise, fear, sadness, and remembrance. Rouge distinctly noticed a light blush on her pale muzzle and noticed Amy looked away from her as if she were embarrassed or ashamed.

Oh God.

Rouge's eyes grew wide. "…Amy…?" Tears began to fill Amy's eyes as she slowly slid down to the floor in shock. Rouge knelt down in front of her and studied her face. "Amy…that can't be it, can it?" This certainly took Rouge by surprise. Amy looked away as she began to cry. Rouge was unsure of what to say as she was still trying to get over her initial shock.

"When…When did this happen?" Rouge breathed in astonishment.

"A week before the incident…" Amy whispered, refusing to meet Rouge's gaze.

Rouge couldn't believe what she was hearing. Since when was Amy of all people sexually active? And with who, the only person she could think of was…

"Sonic…" Amy whimpered sadly. She pulled her knees close to her chest and hugged them. "If it were any other time…I would be extremely happy…but…S-Sonic's gone…and I'm all alone…" Amy began to sob. "I'm so scared…" She cried almost inaudibly.

Rouge pulled Amy into a tight embrace. "No, you're not alone Amy. You have all your friends who will support you." Rouge said comfortingly.

"Please…promise you won't tell anyone." Amy pleaded to her.

"Amy, they are going to find out eventually." Rouge stated to her. "It's kind of hard to hide a suddenly large belly from your friends."

"I-I know…just for now…I'm not ready for anyone to know…" Amy whispered as she wiped her tears with her glove.

Rouge's curiosity was on haywire. There were so many questions booming in her head at that very moment. Since when were Sonic and Amy even together? Throughout the years as far as she could see it was a one sided crush Amy had for the blue blur. Now all of a sudden Amy's possibly baring his unborn child?

Then an uncharacteristic hint of anger fueled through Rouge. "How could you guys be so irresponsible?" She yelled in a raised voice, making Amy flinch. Rouge felt mostly angry with Sonic more so than Amy. Sonic was three years older than her and should have known better. When Amy remained silent Rouge continued. "Didn't he have any sense at all? At least have the smarts to wear a rubber!" She shrieked. "…What's that…? Amy asked timidly. Rouge wanted to face palm. "…Never mind."

The two young women were quiet for a few minutes. Rouge continued to soothe Amy through a strong and comforting hug. Amy's cries quieted down to sniffles and she appeared to be thinking hard about something. Rouge knew she must be worried and scared about their uncertain future. "Amy, it's going to be alright." She reassured. Amy merely nodded silently. In a way, Rouge felt a little happy. She and Amy were never really close nor did they ever talk to each other much. Today was probably the first day she spent actual time with the pink hedgehog and she had to admit it wasn't half bad.

Rouge decided to try and lighten the mood, for Amy's sake. "Well, at least now I know why you ordered all those chilidogs." A soft, muffled giggle was heard from Amy as she laid her head on Rouge's shoulder. It was the first time she had laughed since the day Sonic left her life. Rouge smiled from her minor success. What a surprising revelation this turned out to be.

Meanwhile, outside the bathroom door stood an ebony hedgehog with crimson eyes. He had gotten up to check on the girls after the scene at the table only to overhear information that left him speechless. "Rose is pregnant?"