a/n: Came up with this story idea as a prelude to something bigger, another series of stories that I'm working on. Hope you all enjoy.

I lie back against the wall, my clothes tattered and torn. Both of my shoes are missing, and my new outfit is ruined. I had planned to go out on the town, have some fun with the girls.

It wasn't supposed to turn out like this.

He stands before me, becoming increasingly frustrated with the gun in his hands. Finally, he empties the clip onto the floor and roughly pulls the weapon apart, tossing it down as well. His beautiful blue fur is stained with blood, but his eyes…they look upon me affectionately, lovingly…

"Are you alright, Ames?"

I nod slowly and try to stand, but the shock from earlier courses through me. I slide back down, defeated. He steps over to pick me up, carrying me in his strong arms…

"Sorry 'bout the blood."

I smile. "No worries."

We head downstairs, out of the abandoned apartment building and out onto the street. As I expected, there was a throng of people, from onlookers to police to reporters…it was a bit scary. As if he could sense my fear, Sonic held me closer, as if he was telling me not to worry. So…I didn't. I chose instead to savour his warmth.

He had saved me, once more. Somehow, I had happened upon a really big drug operation, and they kidnapped me to make sure I kept my mouth shut as they carried on. They almost shot me, killed me. It was sort of…cliché, I guess? But it happened. It was real, and I was scared.

But he showed up…my knight. My Sonic.

He gave them his warning, and counted down from ten. A storm of bullets came for him, the fear creeping up on the criminals as they saw him. They knew who he was. They knew what he could do.

He was too fast, too smart for them. He continued to count down until he reached zero.

A smirk came onto his face, and I felt my heart jump for joy at that moment.

I barely noticed the gun pointed at me, and I couldn't even gasp, couldn't even scream out before something hit me in the chest, throwing me back into one of the apartment walls. I slumped down, stunned, but unable to move. I didn't know what it was that paralyzed me so, but…

I saw my hero start to shake as the guns were trained on him.

And then he exploded.

My mind was too much of a mess to keep up, and when I could feel myself finally regaining control, I saw Sonic twisting a man's wrist as he tried to fire off his pistol. The barrel's direction reversed, he staggered back as the bullet went through him.

Sonic ripped the gun away as he fell, lying in his own blood.

The rest of them, those criminals, were lying on the floor, broken and bleeding, but still alive. Sonic was passionate about his friends, the ones he cared about. But he never lost control.

He would never kill someone.

"Sonic…"

His ears flickered as he heard my weak whisper, and he rushed to me. "Amy? Ames, you…"

"I'm…" I winced as the pain finally came through – the bullet had struck a decorative piece of metal on my clothing. It fell off as I shifted my blouse to see what was going on.

"I'm okay…"

He sighed in relief. "Thank God…"

"I'm sorry for scaring you…"

"You didn't mean to…I…I'm sorry. I wasn't fast enough. I only lucked out…"

I managed a weak smile. "Everyone needs a little luck sometimes, right?"

Another sigh. "I suppose…you're right."

He puts me down in front of the paramedics, wincing as he gets an earful from the sergeant for what he had done, since they had been following that drug ring for the longes time. I feel like giggling at the scene, because Sonic's carefree nature makes for such a contrast against everything else – his eye rolls, his yawns, the tapping of his feet.

Then another man in a black suit arrives, and speaks with the sergeant before talking to Sonic. I now see something that I don't see often.

Sonic folding his arms.

My heart begins to speed up. Sonic rarely did something like that.

The 'suit' and Sonic are exchanging words, and Sonic's expression begins to harden with each passing moment. They finally stop talking, and the police go up to see about the criminals that Sonic left unconscious, or in the case of one person, dead.

I see the 'suit' walk towards me. He asks the paramedics if I am okay. They say yes. He asks me if I am okay. I say the same.

"Can I ask you a few questions about tonight?"

I nod and follow him. Sonic waves to me, his face looking worried.

My heart screams at me, telling me that this is bad. That something terrible was going to happen. But I know that if it is so…I can do nothing at this point to stop it.

It's a few weeks later, and I find myself outside of a federal courthouse, the dark sky alight with stars.

"Sonic?"

I know that he's been standing there for hours upon hours, ever since the verdict was handed down. Ever since he learned of the truth.

He turns, and I'm on him in a flash, my mind racing as I pin him down on top of the stone steps. My body is shaking, and he's looking at me impassively.

"Amy…are you okay?" There's a measure of sadness in his eyes. Guilt over the rescue in the apartment, along with something else.

"No. No, I'm not. There's something I need."

He doesn't flinch. "What could that be?" he asks. But he knows. Oh, he knows exactly what I want.

"There's no need to repeat myself," I say softly. My face is close to his, and I want to kiss him. No, not want.

I'm going to kiss him. And then he'll kiss me back. And then we'll be wrapped up in each other, for this one night. We'll wake up in the morning, safely in each other's arms, tired and spent. I'll be his, and he'll be mine.

It will end this way.

"Close your eyes," I say with a whisper. "I want you to savour every moment…just as I will…"

His eyes are staring up at me, our lips moving closer and closer together. I can feel it, now. I'll have him, just as I wanted. My heart is pounding through my chest, and as I'm moving forward by inches…inches and inches…

I realize why I'm doing this. He does as well.

And I kiss him.