Chapter 13: Can You Believe In Love Again?

It'd been three days since Sonic and Amy came back to Knothole. They were happy to see their friends again who were overjoyed to have them back safe and sound. After the reunion, Sonic and Amy talked to the others about their relationship and they were all thrilled to hear that the hedgehogs were going steady at last.

That morning in Knothole, Amy was sprucing herself up, brushing her hair. She was smiling because things were peaceful and even better than before since she and Sonic became official.

While she was brushing, she thought about Scourge, who had died in Anti-Mobius after letting her go. She couldn't believe he had decided to let Sonic have her like that... She also couldn't believe how much he loved her. She actually felt a little bit of sympathy for him. She still didn't approve of what he did, but he cherished her like she cherishes Sonic. She would go to all crazy ends to make him hers until she realized it was best to leave him be and be a better person for him.

However, Scourge didn't do the same thing. Unlike Amy, he went from kidnapping to lying to giving her syrums to make her forget Sonic and like him and kissed her forcefully and used Sonic's life to blackmail her into accepting him. He claimed he wanted to be a good guy for her, but he was doing the exact opposite.

Still...I wish he didn't have to perish like that... He should've just moved on with his life. But what about me? What would I have done if Sonic had liked another girl?

She would've been sad...but she knew now that if Sonic did have someone else he wanted to be with, she would have to face it like a grown woman and be happy for him.

It's a miracle that he's accepted me now...

In the middle of the day, Sonic was running through the green hills of Knothole, getting his usual jog in. He closed his eyes, enjoying the rushing air blowing through his quills. To him, it was like all the excitement had never happened.

I sure wish it didn't. I was almost afraid I'd lose Amy forever.

Then he himself thought about Scourge and his accepting his defeat and letting Amy go home with him. He went that far to making her forget all about him and even threatened to kill him if Amy didn't agree to stay with him in Anti-Mobius for life. But in the end...he actually did the right thing.

I can't believe Green did that... He decided to accept that I was the one to take care of her...

He never thought he'd feel this way, but he felt sorry for him a bit. He hated what he did to Amy, but he did love her even though he didn't do it right.

At least he did better in the end... And at least Amy's home where she belongs...and that she's with me...

That late afternoon, Amy was dressed in a pink and white shirt with a red skirt, getting ready for her date with Sonic to the mountains. Because of what'd happened with her being kidnapped, they never got to go, but Sonic had asked her yesterday if she would go with him to see the flowers bloom again.

After spraying perfume on herself, she checked herself on the mirror and nodded in satisfaction. Then she heard a knock on the door that brought made her heart leap with joy. She ran downstairs, straightened her skirt and took a deep breath before opening the door to see Sonic.

"Hi, Sonic," she greeted, being slightly casual.

"Hi, Amy," Sonic waved, then stopped to look up and down at her. "Wow, you look good."

"Thank you," she replied, looking away with a bashful smile.

"Ready to go?" Sonic asked, extending his hand to her.

Amy nodded and took his hand. "Now more than ever."

Sonic picked her up bridal style and ran to the north of Knothole with Amy's arms around his shoulders. During the jog, Amy glanced at her blue crush, his gorgeous green eyes looking at the road ahead of them.

I could almost drown in those eyes.

Sonic blinked at her, making her blush and look away. Sonic grinned and picked up the pace, wanting to get to the mountains quickly. They saw the broken bridge ahead and Amy clung on to Sonic, closing her eyes shut. Sonic, with great determination, kept Amy close to him and jumped off of the edge above the deep gorge below them and landed safely to the other side and kept running.

Amy opened an eye and saw that they were both across the bridge and headed to the mountains. She looked at Sonic in amazement. Was there nothing her hero in blue could do?

He jogged toward the bottom of the mountains until he saw the spot of green grass that was their destination and skidded to a halt. "Here it is," Sonic announced.

Amy looked to see that the flowers were still closed since it was moonlight yet, but to her surprise, she saw a picnic blanket with a picnic basket and a little stereo. "What's all this?" Amy asked, tilting her head.

"I thought we'd do something while we wait for the flowers to bloom, so I set this up," Sonic said.

Amy was speechless. Sonic had never done something like this before... Sonic gently put her down and took her hand, leading her to the blanket to sit down. Sonic pulled out two fine glasses and poured apple cider and took out a plate of the same pasta Amy liked and both clicked their glasses together and enjoyed their meal.

After they were done, the sky was getting darker as the sun went down and they started to clean everything up. It was still a little early for the flowers for the moon to come out, so Sonic turned on the stereo to a song called Love Again by a blonde feline called Cascata.

I can see it in your eyes. No more tears, no more alibis. I'm still in love with you. There's so much I gotta show. I will never let you go.

Amy closed her eyes, listening to the lyrics that were describing her feelings for Sonic, who cleared his throat making her look at him.

"May I have this dance?" Sonic asked, bowing in a gentlemanly manner.

"Why, yes," Amy answered, pleasantly, locking her hand on his with his other hand on her back and her free arm resting on his as they spun around.

But still I know for sure. Come take me by the hand. This summer never ends.

The two hedgehogs looked into each other's eyes, smiling as they kept spinning around on the grass.

And I wanna know, could you believe in love again? Please tell me now that it's not the end. 'Cause this I promise you so true, this summer belongs to you. Could you believe in love again? How can I make you understand? But this I promise you so true, this summer belongs to you.

The song played instrumental now and Sonic and Amy's beat went faster with the song's. Sonic suddenly spun her around under his arm, making her laugh as he twirled her back to him, making him stare into his lovely green eyes that made her blush.

This summer belongs to you.

They kept dancing again for a few seconds that felt like forever, until the stars lit up in the sky, but the love hogs felt like they were close to the stars themselves as they danced.

Amy felt like the luckiest girl on Mobius that Sonic had accepted her. She'd always dreamt of being with him, but she knew she was overdoing it in the past and that was why she wanted to be what he would want her to be and leave him be in his own private life.

Would you catch me if I fall? Crash and burn and lose it all. Tell me what to do. 'Cause I need you night and day. Will you ever run away?

She remembered when he would run away from her because she'd always pressure and scare him into going out with her, and she felt guilty. To her, she'd acted like a spoiled, immature child who thought she could use fear and brute force to make Sonic hers, which reminded her again of how Scourge would force Amy to be his.

Just one more thing to say: Come take me by the hand. This summer never ends.

But she also reminded herself again that she'd at last decided to be a better lady for him and a better friend which at least wasn't too late and that had really turned things around for her and Sonic. Amy had earned his feelings fairly and nicely.

And I wanna know, could you believe in love again? Please tell me now it's not the end. 'Cause this I promise you so true, this summer belongs to you. Could you believe in love again? How can I make you understand? But this I promise you so true, this summer belongs to you.

They picked up the pace again, Sonic twirling her some more and both felt lighter on their feet as well as their hearts with each step.

This summer belongs to you.

Sonic, well, he really hated it when Amy would pester him and stalk him all the time and try to make him like her back. But when she'd changed herself, Sonic was really amazed at her sudden maturity as well as proud. She really had turned into the grown up woman he'd come to appreciate, respect, and loved day.

Finally, when the song was done, Amy found herself leaning against his arm and both were staring into each other's eyes again. They slowly went up to each other's faces, looking like they were going to kiss, but then, something glowed on the ground next to them.

They looked to see a luminous white flower that had just opened, along with another, and three more, and ten more, and then all of the other flower buds opened into white flowers glowing on the ground, looking as beautiful as the stars and bright as the moon in the sky.

Amy stared in awe, not believing that how wonderful these flowers looked.

"Aren't they something?" Sonic asked.

Amy nodded slowly. "It's so...it's so..." she sighed. "I can't even begin to describe it."

Sonic grinned, "You know, flowers that bloom in the day are good for everyone who are awake to see, but these flowers that bloom at night are even better because they give us light for us to see as well as the moon. They bring us out of the darkness, to show us there's a lot more beauty at night than scary things that you think might lurk in the shadows. It's sort of like space."

Sonic looked up to the starlit sky with Amy looking at his direction as he continued. "We know that there are other worlds out there, but some people are afraid to explore up there because it's so dark and they don't know what and whom they'll find. But they still have the stars to light their way, to show that they're not alone and that there's always a light in the deepest darkness. The day is good, but the night is just as good, too."

Amy listened until he was done speaking. To her, it was like listening to poetry. "Wow, Sonic, that was beautiful," she commented.

"Thanks," he nodded.

Both looked at the flowers again, then Sonic took a look at Amy whose head was faced to the white flowers. He slowly reached his hand on her face to gently turned it to his. Amy blinked, then closed her eyes as he reached for her, and she felt his lips on her forehead.

Amy opened her eyes, surprised it wasn't her mouth he touched. "Sorry, I missed," he apologized. Amy blinked again in confusion. "I meant to aim for here." Before she knew it, he pressed his lips on hers, wrapping his arms around her waist, bringing her close to him. Amy slowly closed her eyes again and wrapped her hands around his neck. Both felt hot at the kiss until they pulled away from each other to breathe.

"Amy, I love you," Sonic whispered.

"I love you, too, Sonic," Amy nodded, her eyes starting to weep with joy. Sonic wiped the tears way with his thumb, and brought her into a tight hug, stroking her short pink hair. Amy returned the hug, fingering his own long blue quills, and she felt that this summer night belonged to the both of them.

"I definitely believe in love again," Sonic murmured, not letting go of her.

"So do I," Amy agreed, kissing his cheek, earning a kiss on the forehead from him. They smiled at each other as they turned back to the glowing white flowers, holding on to each other's hands, enjoying the lovely sight in the peaceful moonlit night.

(And that's the end of Stolen Hearts. What do you guys think, huh? I hope this was a good story to all of you and I want to thank those who had liked and commented on my story. Thanks kindly and good-bye. God bless.)