Black Rose

Song: Chasing Cars-Snow Patrol Rating: 10! Really good song; very deep.

Chapter 40 (Epilogue)-Always

Three Years later

I woke up to the alarm clock, how else, and reached over to push the button practically in my sleep. I knew if I stayed still for any amount of time, sleep would creep back over me inevitably, especially since we had been up late last night. I untangled the sheets from around myself and rolled out of the bed, stretching to un-stiffen my body. I shrugged into a sweatshirt and groggily moved downstairs, pushing the button to start the coffee. I chuckled slightly as I peeked in on Angie, laying sideways on her bed, slumped half way over either side, and thought about how Sonic said I never moved in my sleep while she was a very restless sleeper, sometimes waking up in an entirely different room, not remembering how she got there in the first place.

Joseph was asleep in his own room now, making me cold just to look at him with no covers or shirt, but he looked perfectly warm. I couldn't remember being able to sleep without any covers in several years, if not never. I sighed and went to check the coffee. It was almost done, so I got two cups out and went to use the bathroom and wash my face. After pouring coffee, I took the two steaming cups and went around again, opening the bedroom doors and telling the two to wake up. They had chosen to go to a school in the town until at least the end of middle school and then stop and either learn from home or whatever. They both groaned, but started waking up. I took the cups of coffee upstairs and set them both on the bedside table, leaning over Sonic and placing my mouth on his gently, letting him join in slowly as he woke up.

"Morning." He said happily.

"Time to get up."

"I figured." He sighed but sat up just the same.

"You have coffee." I pointed out, and he leaned back on the pillows, sipping it before bothering to do more as far as waking up.

I went down and made lunches for the two kids as they came out for breakfast.

After they were ready, I went over to make sure everyone else was up next door. They all left and walked to the school in town together around 7:30. I did feel kind of motherly, standing out and waving them off to school each morning, but it was a nice feeling at the same time. It made me curious, though, where I could have picked up such feelings when my own mother had never done quite the same as I was now doing.
Carly was lazing against a computer desk, having fallen asleep working last night. She was doing on line classes while researching for a job she was getting in a few weeks, so she ended up tired and falling asleep working pretty often. Carson and Jason had moved back to the city a few months ago, but we came to see them or them here every weekend or so.
Brian and Charlotte stayed just outside the nearest city, between there and here, now married and raising their baby girl, Lucy, and with Timmy and Hannah practically living with them now. Things were quiet and calm lately, ignoring Eggman's occasional robot attack or a social conflict with the kids at school; nothing we couldn't handle.
''Eep!'' I squealed as a pair of arms surprised me, wrapping around my waist from behind.
''Guess who?'' Sonic chuckled, lifting me slightly for his mouth to find residence on my neck.
''Gee I wonder? Could it be...Eggman? Here to capture me and lure Sonic into another of his evil traps?'' I joked.
''Eww; I hope make-outs aren't part of his capture routine, or we might have us a problem.''
''You two already do, and no; those are just for you.'' I smiled, turning towards him to let his tongue trace over my lips ''So what made you decide to sneak up on me?''
He smirked broadly, not answering. ''What?'' I demanded, but he began kissing me deeply as a distraction. The worst part is it almost worked! ''Okay, tell me what's going on!''
He chuckled, ''You still haven't figured it out.''
''Figured WHAT out?''
''Don't you know what today is?''
''Yes; it's September 14th. Still three days before my birthday if that's what you're getting at! Plus I already told you that I have everything I want and you SHOULDN'T do anything special!''
He only laughed. ''Oh I can't believe it worked!''
''WHAT?'' I demanded.
''I changed all your calendars about two weeks ago! Happy Birthday, Ames!'' he was chuckling between words, obviously fully content with his wonderful prank, whereas I just gaped at him, not sure if I really believed him.
''You-did-NOT!'' I let out a short laugh to while he finished cracking up.
''I'll prove it if you want.'' he offered.
''Yes! Prove it!'' he scooped my lips up for one last quick before holding me against him, taking off towards Tails's workshop, where him and Cream were chatting and holding hands outside.
''Happy birthday, Amy!'' Cream said, hugging me briefly as Sonic set me down.
''Oh so you're in on it too!''
Tails laughed, ''She did fall for it! I didn't think it was possible to get the schedule and order queen out of whack!''
I glared at them all as they finished laughing at what was obviously some hilarious joke, which I was still skeptical to believe at all.
Finally, once they finished cracking up, I sighed and gave up. ''Okay, fine! You win! Happy birthday to me! I'm old enough to drink! Whoop-de-doo, what I great stepping stone I don't even freakin CARE about!'' they all laughed. ''So what now? You just wanted a birthday prank on me and it's over now?''
Sonic laughed a little, ''Oh, like you're getting off that easy! You know there's more.'' I rolled my eyes and went inside with them, where everything was decorated and all the kids, who had presumably gone off to school over an hour ago, plus everyone else from our group greeted me with a loud ''happy birthday''.
''Okay, why aren't you in school?'' I scolded, approaching Samuel, as he was closest to me.
''Amy, its Saturday! Wow, Sonic; you did get her!''
He let out a teasing laugh and took my hand, leading me around the party for the next few hours.
After awhile, running through all the regular birthday standards for the party, Sonic finally took me outside alone.
''And I suppose your little prank wasn't enough for this year, was it?'' I guessed as we walked around the building in the direction of the beach.
''You know it, babe.'' he smirked, but looked serious, trying to cover it with cockiness maybe.
''Alright, so what do you have in mind?''
''Well, at first I thought about our cave, but I wanna stay close to the party for a while. Is the beach okay?''
''Sure if you don't mind.''
''Just don't go in the water.''
I laughed at that. ''Yeah, because you know how much I love swimming on cold days.''
Now he laughed, ''It's not cold!''
''Whatever.'' I sighed as we came to the edges of the sand, where he sat pulling me into his lap so that we could kick our shoes off and let our feet mingle in the sand.
''Amy, do you remember your first night back here a few years ago?''
I smiled at the memory of our night in the cave, for the first and only time indulging in the full intimacy of one another's bodies. ''Hard to forget.'' both of our smiles widened and I kissed his cheek.
''And you remember my condition for if we took things all the way that night?''
''Of course I do.'' he looked to lighten a little at my smile.
''Well you're 21 now and we're still just as in love...'' he reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black box, which he flipped opened, revealing a gleam of light nearly slicing through my eyes reflecting off the diamond ring inside. ''Amelia Tracy Rosalyn, will you officially marry me?'' he asked and I forced myself to look at him through my now tear-blurred vision.
I smiled so widely that it forced the tears out of my eyes, nodding my head since I couldn't find my voice anywhere. He smiled back, rubbing his thumbs gently over my cheeks to brush away the tears that were immediately replaced. I tried to blink them away, but it felt like I was just so overjoyed inside that the happy had started to leak out. He kissed my cheeks as I tried explaining this to him, which he smiled even wider at.
''I love you, Amy.''
''I love you too.''
I felt him slip the ring onto my finger, but our gaze never left each other I heard a few shouts in my head and realized it was actually outside too. Looking up to see Cream, Brian, Rogue, and a few others hiding up the beach a little, spying on us. Usually I might be a little annoyed by this, but I was still spilled over with pleasure and don't think I could have gotten mad even if Eggman or, dare I say it, KNUCKLES, tried their hardest to ruin the moment! It was just too perfect on its own. A few people on the beach, having recognized the two of us or even just the scene, applauded slightly, but it all seemed so distant. Like a different world that couldn't penetrate the bubble of happiness around the two of us as our lips met.

Sonic had saved me so many times, especially from myself. Without him, I would've drowned in my own blood by the knife in my own hand, but he was always there to stop me. Because he loved me just as much as I did him. That's what brought us to pull my family back together. It's what lead us to get married. And it's what encouraged us to start a life; together forever. Forever And Always.

A/N: OMG How's that for an ending! Let me assure you all that I cried when I wrote that part! I'm gonna miss this story and all of your readers, but maybe this isn't so much an end as a new beginning. I don't like to have more than one story going at once, just to make sure I can keep up with it all and not disappoint my readers. Anyway, I was planning on doing a few one/two-shots (sonfics most likely) and maybe another chapter story, but no promises. I already have one written, by the way, for the song Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down, which I will try to post soon enough, so look out for that if you want to, but other than that it's all just ideas that haven't made their way onto paper yet (or a computer). Anyway, thank you guys for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Bye guys! :'D