I walked the streets of Ozera, all alone. My older brother had forgotten my birthday too many times, so now I don't even bother. I felt alone, suicidal. It's not like anyone cared, anyways. I felt a hand on my should. A man, probably about 50 years old, smiled down at me.

"Why're you all alone, honey?"

Annoyed, I shrugged his hand off my shoulder. This is what I get for walking along the streets at night time. Ugh. I walked a little faster when I notice the man's shadow following me. Still, she shadow sped up even more. His hand fell on my shoulder again, and I tensed up.

"Oh, sugar, don't worry, just do my a favor: don't scream!" He forced me to turn and look at him. I was frightened beyond belief, but I made sure it didn't show in my face. As I tried to pull away, I heard a kind, yet harsh voice behind me.

"Hey, buddy...Will you do my a favor?" The source of the voice dashed forward and knocked my man to the ground, causing him to let go of me. "Don't scream!" The boy pulled a switchblade from his pocket and drove it into the man's eyeball.

"Are you okay? How old are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you. I'm eleven-no, twelve. Today's my birthday!"

"Happy birthday!" He smiled. "My name is Shadow."

My eyes flickered open. "Shadow?" I whispered. "Shadow, where are you?"

"I'm right here, sweetheart." His gentle, sleepy voice rang through the darkness. My small body was shaking with fear, my ears burning from the cold. Even though he's only two years older than me, Shadow is kind of like my dad. I say up in my bed and rubbed my eyes, finding tears on my hands when I pulled them away.

"I had a bad dream." I whimpered. I heard him move closer to me. I felt his arms gently pull me closer. I rested my head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. I placed a hand on my own, willing my own heartbeat to be there. It never was.

"What was it about?" He whispered into my hair.

"I'm not sure. I was just doing what I normally do, except you weren't there." I felt another tear roll down my cheek.

"What's so scary about that?"

I chose my words carefully. "I need my best friend, always."

"Well, I'll always be here."

"Promise?" He reached over and turned on my beside lamp, then held my chin in his hands and looked strait into my eyes.

"I swear it." He checked the clock, which read 3 a.m. "Happy birthday, by the way. What are you, forty?"

"Thirteen!" I giggled.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "You need to get back to bed, sweetie."

"Stay?"

"Always."

Damn that stupid thing! I continued to tear my room apart in search of my iPod.

"Did you leave it in the bathroom or something?" I heard my brother yell. I decided to take his advice and search my bathroom where I had been taking a picture with Shadow in the mirror.

As I opened the door I saw Shadow in the shower, the wall covering from waist down. I blushed, not just at walking in on him in the shower, but at the fact that, well, damn! He was...hot. I scanned the counter, but didn't see my iPod.

"Sorry 'bout this...Well, my iPod's not in here so I suppose I'll just go..." I mumbled nervously.

"Alrighty, but you can always join me. If you want." I looked at him and he smiled, a failed attempt to look seductive. The reality is he looks like he was holding back laughter. "It's a serious offer, you know..." He chuckled.

"Thanks, but I'll pass." I turned around and blushed even redder.

"If you change your mind, let me know, 'kay?"

I laughed once. "You'll be the first." I turned to say goodbye, and saw real dissapointment on his face. I silently fumbled with the doorknob for a minute, then sighed.

"You know what?"

He looked confused. "What?"

"What the hell." i started taking my shirt off. Disbelief was splattered all over his face.

"Woah, what?" He smiled.

I rolled my eyes and stripped off the rest of my cloths. I slipped into the shower with him, enjoying the warm water. I felt his arms wrap around me, drawing me closer. He lifted my chin and gently kissed my lips.

"Oh, yeah, and happy birthday, hun. Fourteen this year?"

"Yes." I whispered. He leaned down and kissed me again.

"Have you seen Shadow?" I frantically searched now for my best friend. I'm usually able to sind him, but for some reason he's dissappeared.

Shadow's best friend Cyan shrugged. "He said somethin' about going shopping, but I figured he meant with you."

"Thanks." I bit my lip and ran through the hallways, asking anyone I saw where he was. So far, no one knew. I eventually gave up and went to my room to pout. When I opened the door, Shadow was sitting on my bed holding a boquet of roses.

"Happy fifteenth, girly." He stood up and handed me the flowers. "They aren't as pretty as you, but they smell nice."

I blushed. "Thanks!"

"Read the card." I did just that. "Okay...'My dearest Rose, I'm not prone to much eleoquence when I speak, so in this way, I'll ask you...' ask me what?"

"To be my girlfriend." he smiled weakly.

"Really?" I said in disbelief.

"Yeah, I mean we're basically like dating, except we aren't officially a couple, so I just thought-" I cut him off bythrowing my arms around him and kissing him.

"Is that a yes, or...?"

"It's a yes!" He smiled and pulled me closer in.

"Happy birthday."

Amy Rose completed her email and hit send. Moments later, she recieved her reply.

What's this for, Amy?

Shadow

She stopped for a moment.

Tomorrow is my sixteenth birthday.

To this, she recieved no reply. She though about how in that one short year their relationship had grown so much. She was currently on vacation at her brother's home, and he was back at their shared apartment at station square. This will be her first birthday spent without him since they met. She closed her computer and lay down on her bed. She closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.

When Amy awoke, there was red everywhere. She was confused untill she realized she was surrounded in hundred of red roses. She got out of bed and opened her bedroom ddor, only to find Shadow standing there with open arms.

"Didn't think I forgot, did you?" She leaped into his arms and kissed him. "I love you, I love you, I love you so much, Shadow!" She whispered into his neck.

"And I love you a thousand times more."