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

Summary

Sonic the Hedgehog has always had a very hard life. After a tragic accident lands him in an orphanage, he meets a young girl named Amy Rose who quickly becomes his closest friend. As they grow older together, Sonic finds himself feeling confused about his feelings and relationship with Amy. He begins to question whether or not he likes her as just a best friend or possibly something far more. If that wasn't enough on his mind, what will Sonic do when he finds his troubled past coming back to haunt him years later?

Chapter One – Keeping It Secret

It was a calm, bright, sunny day in early August; hardly any clouds could be seen in the sky. In the isolated suburban neighborhood a small blue figure could be seen walking to the front door of his two story home. He carefully opened the door slowly and peaked his head in first to see if anyone was home. The lights were off and the only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of house hold appliances humming. The little hedgehog sighed in relief realizing nobody was home yet and threw his back pack on the floor by the front door.

He quickly ran up the stairs to reach his tiny bedroom where he shut the door slowly. His mother, Bernadette worked long hours and almost always came home late; his father Jules, however, usually came home in the late afternoons much to Sonic's dismay. The little hedgehog ran over to his toys laying on the floor and began to play with them. Sonic was a small five year old cobalt hedgehog with emerald green eyes; he used to be a very outgoing, outspoken child but as of late he's become more quiet and submissive. Keeping to himself as much as possible and not saying much, he knew it worried his mother but he couldn't say why he's become this way. He couldn't tell anybody why.

A half an hour had passed, just as the small boy felt comfortable and got heavily involved with playing with his toys the sound of the front door slamming filled his ears. An angry voice filled the house as the man screamed after tripping over something, a back pack. Sonic yelped in fear immediately recognizing the voice and stopped playing. He quickly looked around for a place to hide and ran to his closet shutting the door and trying to hide in a corner amongst toys and stuffed animals.

"Sonic!" The man yelled, it was none other than his father Jules.

"Sonic! Get down here right now!" The man yelled again slurring his words.

Sonic began to quiver in fear as he heard his father yelling and tried to stay as silent as possible as he heard heavy foot steps heading towards his bedroom. The door swung open violently as his father kicked it open yelling his name once again. His father looked around seeing no sign of the small boy.

"I know you're in here you little shit...don't try to hide from me." He said angrily looking around for the small boy.

His father started to violently tear the bedroom apart; he kicked around at Sonic's toys, uprooted his mattress leaving it dangling off of his bed and the blankets a mess. Sonic sat in the corner of his closet holding his legs close to his chest; he gulped and closed his eyes hoping his father would not find him.

His father looked under the bed first but found nothing. He looked up and checked his surroundings once again when his eyes landed on the closet door. An evil smirk came across his face and he laughed maliciously.

The room was suddenly quiet and Sonic opened one eye wondering if his father had given up and left; he began to feel slightly relieved and calm but that feeling washed away as quickly as it had come when his closet door was suddenly ripped open with much force. He looked up in fear as he saw his father looking back down at him and before he could register what was going on his father had grabbed him and pulled him out of the closet.

He whimpered in pain as his father's grip on his wrist tightened and he was swung into the bedroom wall. He winced as he tried to open his eyes and keep from falling to the floor. Suddenly a sharp pain was felt in his stomach as his father had hit him. He felt the air being knocked right out of him and he began to collapse to the bedroom floor.

His father continued to beat him relentlessly almost as if he truly enjoyed causing the little hedgehog pain. The little boy begged for his father to stop, hot tears streaming down his cheeks. His father kicked him in the stomach one last time before finally stopping. Sonic lay on the floor clutching his stomach gasping for breath. His face stained with tears from the pain he had just received.

His father looked down at the sad sight and felt satisfied with what he had done. He looked around at the destroyed bedroom and then looked back down at the crying boy.

"Don't cross me again or next time your punishment will be much worse." He said coldly.

The pain was unbearable, Sonic ached all over and he struggled to open his eyes to face his father. His father's eyes were dull and emotionless as he looked down at his pathetic excuse for a son.

"Remember what I said Sonic...this is our little secret. You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to your mother now would you?" He smiled darkly as Sonic's eyes widened in fear. He mustered as much strength as he could as he shook his head slightly. "No..." He whispered softly.

His father just smirked at him. He looked around the bedroom once more as he began to leave; he kicked more of Sonic's toys around as he reached the bedroom door.

"And clean all this shit up before your mother gets home!" He said bitterly as he slammed the bedroom door shut.

Sonic's eyes brimmed with freshly new tears as he tried his hardest to hold them in. He lay there on the floor feeling weak in pain trying to find the strength to sit up. As he forced himself up dizziness overcame him. He held his hand up to his head and closed his eyes as he fought to recollect himself. After a few minutes he summoned enough strength to stand and began to try and clean his room and hide any evidence of foul play; he wanted to tell his mother what was happening to him so badly but was very afraid.

He was afraid his father would hurt his mother like he claims he would. Sonic loved his mother more than anything the last thing he wanted was her getting hurt because of him. As he finished fixing his bedroom and pushing his mattress back in place he collapsed on the bed and began to sob uncontrollably. The sun was beginning to set, its soft orange and red rays of light lite up the room through his blinds. The tiny hedgehog pulled the covers over him and hugged them tightly as he clutched his stuffed chao, his warm salty tears soaking it.

"Why?" He asked himself. "Why does daddy hate me so much?" He hugged his chao stuffed animal even tighter. How he wished he could have a normal life; at school he would see all the other children with both loving parents. Boy's playing ball in the park with their fathers or flying kites together, how he wished he could have a loving relationship like that with his father. He couldn't even think of a single sincere fond memory of him and his father together.

He wiped his tears away and closed his eyes trying to fall asleep. At least he had his mother, he would be at a total loss without her. Unfortunately she worked long, unpredictable hours and he was stuck at home alone with his father most of the time. The moments he spent with his mother, however, were some of the most happiest moments in his life. He sniffed as his eyes began to feel heavy and soon enough sleep overcame him.

Hours had past and his room was now draped in pure darkness. "Mmm..." He mumbled as he opened his sore eyes. He could hear conversation downstairs and a faint aroma of food filled his nose. His mother must have come home by now and was talking to his dad. As much as he wanted to go downstairs and greet his mother warmly he didn't want to leave his bed. His body felt sore from the beating he had received earlier and the last thing he wanted was to be near his father right now.

His stomach suddenly growled fiercely and he groaned; he was hungry, the smell of the food cooking downstairs was beckoning him. He sighed and pulled the covers off of himself, his eyes were now fully adjusted to the darkness. He looked down at his chao stuffed animal and gave it one more strong hug before standing up. He winced in pain and immediately regretted it wanting to sit back down.

Ignoring his pain he walked over to the bedroom door, taking a deep breath he opened the door to head downstairs. He had to act like everything was fine otherwise his mother will be suspicious. Slowly walking downstairs he saw his mother cooking dinner at the stove and his father sitting at the dinner table. He gulped and felt apprehensive when walking closer.

Bernadette had just finished cooking and began preparing to put the food on everyone's plates when she saw her young son enter the room. She smiled brightly at him and he returned the smile rushing over to her giving her a big hug.

"Hi mommy!" He said brightly, all his troubles immediately vanishing from his mind.

"Hey sweetheart! Did you have a nice nap?" Sonic nodded

Jules watched the scene between the two in disgust but hid it well. Bernadette ushered her son to his seat and continued to serve everyone their meal. Dinner time was very awkward for Sonic, his father acted like a completely different person around his mother. He acted like a kind, sincere and honest man. The complete opposite of how he acted when Sonic was alone with him. Sonic ate his dinner in a hurry, his growling stomach not wanting him to slow down for a second; his mother giggled at her son, watching him get covered in food.

"Slow down Sonic you're getting food all over the place." She held in another giggle as she looked at her son who was now a complete mess. He just looked up at her with a bright smile, his eyes lighting up.

"I can't! I'm so hungry!"

"You're always hungry." She teased, he smiled.

"Well I'm even more hungry tonight!" He said while slurping up some of his soup. She smiled lovingly at her son.

"Didn't you eat the lunch I packed for you today?"

"Of course I did!" He beamed.

"Did you find mommy's note in it?" He smiled and nodded. His mother would always write a loving note on his napkins for him to find each day. They would say little gestures such as "Have a nice day!" or "I love you!" They never ceased to cheer him up and bring a smile to his face. If he was having a bad day at school his mother's notes were always in his lunch box to make everything better.

Jules rolled his eyes and continued to eat his meal quietly. "So how was your day dear?" She asked her husband. She knew she was treading on a sensitive topic, work has been difficult for her husband lately. He's been under a lot of stress.

Jules sighed and put down his fork. "Nothing has improved, there's simply no business."

She frowned. "I don't know how much longer I can handle this." He said while getting up to put his plate in the sink. She stood up to comfort her husband, rubbing his back gently. "Don't worry...things will get better soon you'll see." He smiled at his wife and pecked her lips softly. "I hope you're right honey."

Sonic sat quietly watching the scene taking place. Sadness swept over him suddenly and he frowned looking down at the table. "Maybe it's all my fault that daddy's so angry and sad." He thought to himself.

He was taken away from his thoughts as he heard his mother's voice once again. "How about you sweety...how was your day today?" He smiled weakly at his mother. "It was okay...we played a number game today...and...did a lot of finger painting." She smiled at her son as she began to wash his face lightly with a wet cloth.

"Anything else exciting happen?" She asked.

He put his hand to his chin and thought for a moment. "Oh yeah! We got longer time on the playground today because our teacher lost track of the time! It was great!" He exclaimed excitedly.

She smiled as she continued to wipe his face. "You're such a mess, you're going to need a nice bath tonight." He grimaced at the thought; he absolutely hated water. "Aw...do I have to?" She giggled, "Yes, Sonic, you have to." He crossed his arms and made a face as she tried getting globs of food out of his ears.

As she began wiping his left cheek he suddenly winced in pain and pulled away from her immediately as if her touch burned him. He whimpered softly trying to conceal any signs of pain. She looked at him suspiciously, concern and worry filling her eyes.

She lifted his chin up to get a better view of his left cheek and noticed it seemed slightly swollen. She touched it gingerly with her fingers and noticed him closing his eyes flinching slightly. She frowned, looking into her son's emerald green orbs.

"Sonic...what happened?" She asked him soothingly. His eyes widened in fear and he suddenly tried to think of something to say.

"N-nothing...I-I'm f-fine..." He stuttered while trying to break eye contact with his mother. He turned and looked at his father who was glaring at him. He was livid, his eyes filled with rage and hatred for him. He gulped unsure of how to get out of this situation.

"Really...mommy...I'm fine..." She eyed him questioningly, she knew he wasn't being honest with her. The past few months she's noticed a significant change in her son; he was once a very happy, outgoing and very outspoken child always looking for fun and adventure. Lately though...he's become more shy and quiet, he keeps to himself and has become very soft spoken.

She was worried about him, she knew there was something he was not telling her; she had hoped he would have been honest and told her what it was by now. She sighed pulling her son into a strong embrace; Sonic buried his face into her and fought back the tears that threatened to leak out of his green eyes. She stroked his quills soothingly and looked to her husband for support. He wore a false expression that read a mixture of sympathy and confusion.

With one quick swoop she lifted her son up into her arms and began to carry him upstairs. He lay his head on her shoulder closing his eyes. He felt so safe in her arms, he never wanted her to let him go. She led them towards the bathroom in silence and gently sat him down on the bathroom counter. After cleaning out the tub she began to fill it with warm water and added bubble bath.

She tossed some of Sonic's toys into the tub in hopes of cheering the melancholy boy up. He just watched his mother in silence. She turned the faucet off stopping the water and walked over to her sullen son. She asked him again softly while cupping his face in her hands. "Sonic...what happened to you...?"

He pulled his face away and looked down at the tile floor. "Nothing...mommy honest...I just fell while playing outside that's all..." She sighed again and hugged him gently a look of sadness apparent in her emerald green eyes. Deciding to let the subject go she began to undress him, starting with his school shirt.

When she finally removed the last of his garments she led him to the bath. He frowned when he looked down at the water then he looked back at his mother pleadingly.

"Go on...get in." She ordered. He sighed and slowly stepped into the tub and sat down; she pulled a small stool over and sat on it holding a wash cloth in her hand. She attempted to make bath time fun for him and cheer him up. They played with the bubble bath, sang songs and he began to play with his toys. She got him to finally laugh and smile again. As she finished washing him she unplugged the drain to drain out the water and helped him up wrapping him in a towel.

He looked up at his mother lovingly as they walked into his bedroom. She pulled out warm red pajama's from his dresser and began dressing him, tickling him while doing so. He giggled uncontrollably, squirming to try and escape her grasp. "Oh no you don't! You can't get away from me that easily!" She teased. He tried to tickle her back in hopes she'll let go of him.

Both hedgehogs were now laughing as she tried to put his pajama shirt on. When he saw the opportunity to escape her grasp he took it. He ran to the other end of the bedroom laughing.

"Sonic get back here so I can put your shirt on."

"Not-uh" He teased.

She began running after him and failed to catch him each time. He was just to fast for her, every time she got close enough to grab him he would dart to the other side of the room. She began to feel out of breath and paused for a moment to catch herself. He stopped and walked closer to his mother and she sought the opportunity to grab him and succeeded.

"Gotcha!"

"No! No! No!" He squirmed trying to escape from her firm hold once again. She chuckled and began to tickle him again. He giggled while he continued to struggle in her arms. She sat him back on his bed and pulled the pajama shirt down over his head.

"Finally..." She pretended to wipe sweat off her forehead. "Phew...what a workout." She teased. He laughed at her.

"Alright kiddo...time to brush your teeth and go to bed."

"Aw...but it's still early!"

"No but's you have school tomorrow." He sighed.

Losing that argument the little hedgehog walked back to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. As he came back into the bedroom his mother led him to bed and tucked him in. She nuzzled her nose against his and kissed his cheek lovingly.

"I love you Sonic." She told her son.

"I love you too mommy." He hugged her tight.

As she stood up and began turning to leave the room she felt a little hand on her wrist; she turned to look back at her son.

"Mommy can you read me a story..." He asked softly.

She smiled. "Alright...but a quick one okay?" He nodded.

She went to the book shelf and searched for a quick story book to read him. She sat back down beside him and began to read him the story, while doing so he snuggled close to her. As she finished the story she looked back over at her son to find him fast asleep. She smiled at him and kissed him on the forehead softly.

While she went to put the book away she turned around and faced him again. There was something bothering her she wanted to check out. While giving him a bath she could have sworn she saw marks on his stomach...but she couldn't tell without further examination. He was already upset so she decided to leave it alone for the rest of the evening.

She walked back over to him, pulling the blankets down softly and began to lift his little pajama shirt up. When she did and got a glimpse of his stomach she let out of quick gasp immediately holding her hand up to her mouth. His stomach was covered in little black and blue bruises. Tears threatened her eyes when she saw how badly he was bruised.

"How...?"

"How did this happen?"

She traced her fingers over his stomach gently and Sonic twitched in his sleep slightly while she did so.

"Who did this to you baby..."

She felt tears roll down her cheeks as she held her one hand over her mouth. She pulled his pajama shirt back down and pulled his blankets back over him. She kissed him again softly before walking towards the bedroom door. She turned the lights off and took one last look at her son before quietly shutting his bedroom door.

"I need to talk to Jules about this..." She thought. This was serious someone was physically hurting her son and she wanted to know who and why. She walked into her bedroom to find Jules already in bed; she turned on the lamp on her end of the bed as she sat down.

"Jules...we need to talk about Sonic." She whispered giving her husband a gentle push on the shoulder.

Jules was annoyed, however, he didn't want his wife to know. He had slipped up today; he had gotten carried away with his punishment on Sonic and left evidence for her to find. He needed to make sure that that little shit would not say a word to her but it will have to wait until tomorrow.

"Mm...?" He pretended he was asleep and suddenly awoken.

"What about Sonic?" He pretended to sound concerned.

"I just looked at his stomach when I was putting him to bed...he's covered in bruises."

She looked down at her hands. "I knew there has been something bothering him lately...but he would never tell me what it is." Fear crossed Jule's mind for a moment.

"Did he tell you anything tonight?" He asked sitting up. "Any clues as to what may be happening to him?" He continued to sound very concerned as he put an arm around his wife's shoulder.

She shook her head. "No...he won't tell me anything no matter how much I ask him." A wave of relief came over Jules.

"Don't worry Bernadette...I'm sure he's going to be fine...he's a tough kid." He said giving her false encouragement.

She nodded. "I know he is...but I'm getting really upset..." Tears threatened her eyes once again as she fought to hold them in.

"Who would do this?" She asked shaking slightly.

"Why?" She wiped a loose tear that fell freely from one eye. Jules hugged his wife pretending to be just as clueless as she was.

"I don't know..."

"Perhaps he's being picked on by kids at school?" She suddenly wondered. "I should make an appointment for a conference...maybe the teacher can tell me something."

"Do you really think thats necessary?" He asked slightly nervous. "If the teachers check him and notice anything odd they may want to investigate." He thought.

She nodded. "Mmhmm" He sighed.

"Do whatever you want to do...but I don't think you should worry too much...he'll be fine."

Desperately wanting a change in subject he kissed his wife on the lips softly. "Come on...it's getting late...why don't we get some shut eye eh?"

"A-alright..." He laid back down as she leaned over and turned off the lamp. While she snuggled next to her husband her mind wandered on different thoughts of their son. She couldn't help thinking of different reasons as to why he's getting hurt.

What bothered her the most was why he refused to tell her about it. If it was just ordinary bullies at school why did he insist on being so secretive about it? She sighed closing her eyes beginning to feel drowsy. "I may just take off work tomorrow...maybe I can squeeze myself into a conference or something." She looked at her husband expecting a reply but got none; she frowned slightly and closed her eyes slowly drifting off to sleep.