Chapter 33: Perseverance

Amy's POV:

Blinking the blurriness from my eyes, I see the familiar surroundings of my room.

"Hey Ames."

I'm greeted with comforting emerald green eyes, his voice quiet and soothing.

Looking up at Sonic confused, I brace my arms on the bed to sit up. When he quickly leans forwards to stop me, somewhat panicked, I become even more confused.

IV's are hooked into both of my arms, leading to a metal rod with wheels. Multiple bags are hanging from the hooks, and even Sonic has a few bandages wrapped about here and there.

Bits and pieces begin flooding back to me. Pieces that I wish I could permanently forget.

Eggman.

....Maria.

Calix.

As the next name pops into my mind, I look at Sonic.

"Tails?"

A grim expression overtakes his face as I mention his best friend.

"He's uh... He's okay. But.... He'll never be able to fly again."

Shocked, I was expecting Tails to already be in his workshop creating a top of the line prosthetic. He's never let himself be fazed by injuries, too scared to show us that he might actually be hurting.

"He comes to refill your pain medications a few times daily... But other than that I haven't really seen him. He doesn't want to talk about it."

Pain medication?

I forgot about....My back.

"Tell him I'm awake, please."

Getting up from his chair, Sonic looks back at me.

"Sure Ames, I'll be back in a flash."

Stopping him before he takes off, I ask "oh and um.... Shadow..?"

Sonic chuckles, looking at me with a knowing expression. "Yeah, he's been waiting for you everyday."

"Hold on, wait. Everyday? Sonic...How long have I been out?"

He hesitates, his grin from before fading to a sad smile as he looks down at the ground.

"It's uh... It's been little while."

Growing impatient and panicked, I ask "Sonic, how long is a little while?"

He quiet for a few seconds before answering me.

"4 months."

Sending papers flying and my curtains waving as he dashes out, I'm left laying in my bed in shock.

...4 months?

...

Shadow's POV

Watching a blur of blue fur fly by, I take that as a sign that she's awake.

Peeking through the open door way, I see Amelia staring at the wall with a rather blank expression.

Pulling her from her daze as I knock on the door frame, she turns to look at me. Sitting down on the chair in front of her bed as I wait for her to say something, she's silent. For a second I feel as if I've intruded into her safe space, or that she simply doesn't want to see me.

Until she grabs me and tightly wraps her arms around my shoulders. I'm shocked at the motion, and it takes me a few seconds before I return her hug.

"Rose?..."

"I'm sorry."

I try to pull away to look at her, but her grip doesn't loosen.

"I'm so sorry."

Finally, she lets me see her eyes. No tears are flowing from them, but I can recognize my own sadness reflected back at me.

"She... She wanted you to know that she was sorry for everything. That she hated what he made her do. And..."

She trails off, her eyes falling to the ground.

"The last thing isn't important. But... She just wanted you to know. And I'm sorry that I couldn't--"

Cutting her off, I shake my head.

"Don't, Rose.... It's not your fault. It was her own choice, and her way of protecting all of us. I don't agree with it... But I'm trying to accept it."

Seeing the guiltiness that's still in her eyes, I add "and accepting it starts with forgiving yourself."

When she looks back up at me, her eyes are glossy. And when the first tear falls, I can't help but reach out to brush it away. I let her lean her head against my shoulder as the tears continue to fall, silently. And it isn't until I place my hand on her shoulder that the sobs and hiccups begin.

I sit with her in the dark room, gently rubbing her shoulder for as long as she needs me to.

...

Amy's POV:

I cry until my wounds begin to ache and the tears run dry, and he sits with me quietly through all of it.

I cry for Maria.

I cry for my trauma.

And I cry for all of the times that I was too strong to admit that I needed help. That it was okay to be weak. I cry for all of the times I didn't allow myself to grieve.

And despite the comfort that I've found in his warmth, I pull away from Shadow to ease my own pain.

Laying back down on my bed, the pain that's been shooting through my back ever since I sat up finally fades. No amount of pain medication can hide the fractures and cracks throughout my lower spine.

Interrupting my thoughts, I hear a quiet knock on the door.

I notice the shadow on the wall before I recognize the yellow and white fur. His stature looks slouched, and defeated. A stub has replaced one of his long fluffy tails, and is still heavily bandaged.

Shadow looks down at me, and brushes my hair back behind my ear before smiling down at me. The smile is soft, but warm and genuine nonetheless.

"I'll be back later Rose."

I nod as he gets up to make room for Tails. As he passes the fox, he pats him on the shoulder before leaving us.

Our eyes meet, and I can't help but notice the tiredness behind his eyes. The defeated expression that I myself have worn so many times.

"Did you need your drip bags refilled?"

I shake my head no, and pat the side of the bed for him to sit down. When he doesn't, I feel a heavy sadness settle into my chest.

"Tails... Are you okay--"

"Can we not talk about that? I'm just here to check on your condition."

The words shock me, and I fight the urge to tell him that I'm his friend and not a patient. But for his sake, I bite my tongue.

"Sure."

"Can you move your toes yet?"

Waiting for the sensation of my toes wiggling to happen, it never comes... There's still no feeling or movement.

"No.... Wait. What do you mean yet?"

While checking the weird liquids inside of the hanging bags, he adds "you're not just a normal Mobian anymore Amy. You're infused with chaos energy. From what I've studied... Well, from the little amount of blood that Shadow has let me take... You can heal faster than the rest of us. That includes major breaks, even one as severe as yours."

I stare stare at him in utter shock.

"So what your saying is... I'll be able to walk again?"

Tails nods. "I'm not sure when that will be though. When I took your x-rays they were... Startling to say the least."

Watching him cap all of the syringes, I'm still in disbelief that I'll be able to feel my legs again.

"How bad was it?"

Hesitating before he answers me, Tails has a grim look on his face.

".... You're spine was completely snapped in half Amy. With multiple fractures and an unbelievable amount of swelling. It took me an hour just to re-set your spine back to where it needed to be so it could start healing properly. I'm not sure what happened... But it nearly put you in a coma."

I feel my smile falter as images flash through my mind of the red flashing lights. The grinding and cracking of his boot in my spine. I shiver, trying to chase the unwanted memories away.

"I.... um... I was trying to protect everyone... And I don't really want to talk about the rest."

Tails nods in understanding, getting ready to walk out.

"When I'm ready to walk again, maybe you can take me flying with that brand new top of the line prosthetic that I know you'll create. You've always been an inventor Tails, and a good one at that. You're also a fighter. Take the time you need, and when you're ready we'll all be waiting to welcome you back to the fight."

He stares at the ground, silent, before sighing.

"And one more thing... Since when did you become a doctor?"

He notices my smirk, and a ghost of a smile appears on his face.

"You know I love my books."

"No, you're just a genius Tails."

He rolls his eyes at me, his smile more prominent than before. Placing his hand on the door frame, he turns back to look at me one more time.

"Uh.... Thanks, Amy."

I nod, knowing he isn't thanking me for the comment about him being a genius.

"Always."

...

3 Weeks Later, Still Amy's POV:

Taking my very first shaky step, Sonic and Shadow stand on both sides of me, ready to catch me if I fall.

A few days after I woke up, I regained sensation in my toes and insisted that I start physical therapy immediately. Tails was hesitant, but eventually agreed after I nagged him for several days straight.

I went from hopeful, to frustrated, back to hopeful, and back to frustrated so many times that I've lost count. My progress hasn't exactly been consistent, but I've tried to be patient.

While I was waiting for my legs to catch up with my toes, I did every workout I could possibly think of that didn't involve the use of my lower body... Against Tails' medical advice of course.

The strange sensation of being able to feel the carpet underneath my feet again encourages me to take another shaky step.

I stumble a bit and Sonic immediately reaches out to catch me, but Shadow stops him. As I regain my balance, Shadow waits for me to stand back up right on my own. I glance at him gratefully, and also to Sonic for being ready to catch me.

One step after the other, and I've made it all the way to my bathroom. Tails releases his nervous breath, which he was holding from the corner of my room. Taking a few seconds to steady my legs before turning around, my eyes are filled with excitement as I look at Shadow and Sonic.

Sonic runs over to me, proudly picking me up and hugging me.

"You did it Ames!!"

I giddily laugh as he sets me down before Shadow awkwardly walks up beside us. He smiles happily at me, and it's one of the most genuine smiles that I've ever seen.

Grabbing his arm, I pull him into our group hug that he clearly wanted no part of. He looks shocked for a second, but rolls his eyes before placing one arm on my shoulder and hesitantly placing the other on Sonic.

I did it... I really did it.

With a new sense of self confidence freshly burning, I'm determined to get even stronger.

Because the way that I am now.... Will never able to protect me or the people that I care about.

...

Shadow's POV:

Watching Amy from across the clearing of our usual training area, I admit that I've been worried about her.

She's always been dedicated to her training, but as I watch her arms violently shake in the attempt to get one more pushup in, I feel that she's been pushing herself to her limits every day.

"That's enough, Rose."

She looks at me defiantly, sweat dripping down her arms and chest.

"No."

I begin walking towards her, but she immediately snaps at me.

"Stay away from me!!"

She quickly gets to her feet, her legs shaking after the intensive workout that she just put herself through. She's in a defensive position, with a recognizable fear in her eyes.

Gently placing my hand on her arm, which she has protecting her face, the fear slowly melts away. She's told me very little about what happened behind that closed door, but she mentioned the sound of his footsteps haunting her dreams. How the image of his boots in the corner of her vision was something she could never forget. As I began walking up to her, it must have triggered something.

"I-I'm sorry... I don't know what came over me.."

Desperately fighting the urge to pull her close and hug her as tightly as I can, I place my hand on her shoulder instead. I've lost everything.... And she's the only precious thing that I have left. As much as I'd like to comfort her, I'm not going to risk over stepping her boundaries and lose her completely.

"It's alright. You've been training all day, why don't we go into town so that I can treat you for all of your hard work?"

I can't help but feel a sense of warmth as her eyes light up at the mention of food.

"And while were there, that will give you time to find a dress."

"...A dress?"

At Amy's House, Still Shadow's POV:

Waiting patiently on the soft couch in her living room, I admire her subtly decorated home. Disturbing the calm silence as she comes flying down the stairs, her hair is still dripping wet and is flinging droplets onto the floor.

"It's alright Rose you don't have to rush, we have all day--"

"No! I'm the opposite of calm right now Shadow!! How could I forget about the Hero's Ball?! I usually have a dress months ahead of time!"

I laugh quietly as she rushes around the house looking for her shoes.

"Well you've been a little busy Rose."

Finding her shoes, she quickly slips them on.

"I guess you're right. Do you mind tagging along while I shop? It might take awhile."

Shaking my head as she grabs a towel to dry her hair, I tell her that I'm still treating her to lunch and have no problem watching her look for dresses.

...However, I hate to admit that the real reason I want to keep an eye on her is because of Calix. I've been grieving with the loss of Maria in my own ways, but the thought of seeing Amy take her place is unbearable.

"Ok, I'm ready."

Looking over the curve of the couch, her long hair is semi dry. But that still hasn't stopped it from soaking the shoulders of her oversized t-shirt. As she reaches for her purse, I tell her that she doesn't need it.

As she raises her eyebrow, all I can do is smile and escort her out the door. She still of course snags it anyways before I can get her out the door.

The center of town has never been very far from everything else, and it feels as if Amelia is practically running to get there.

Keeping up with her speedy pace, I spot a restaurant that I've been wanting to try for quite some time. The outside is decorated with hundreds of roses, and when I first passed the building it reminded of my nickname that I use for Amelia. As I grab her hand to lead her into the restaurant, it seems only fitting to take my rose into a rose themed restaurant.

.

.

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Amy's POV:

Dragged from my thoughts about what color dresses to look at first, I feel his calloused hand brush my fingertips. Letting him lead me away from the boutique just a few blocks further into town, my breath is swept away as I see the beautiful exterior of the building. It's a small building, but vines with flowering roses are covering almost every square inch of the beautiful brick wall. Hand written signs of the days specials are displayed on a chalk board as we walk in, and as I read through it my mouth begins to water. I've always been rather food oriented, so seeing this little hole in the wall Italian restaurant has my taste buds eagerly waiting.

"Hello, we'd like a table for two please."

Watching as the older ground hog gives me a knowing smile, I realize that Shadow is still holding my hand. Awkwardly smiling back at her, I drop his hand. He glances down at me, as it seems that he too forgot that we were holding hands. He apologizes as we're being led to our table, and I can't help but smile at the fact that he felt the need to apologize over something so small.

As I'm about to pull out my chair, he stops me before walking over and pulling the chair out for me.

"Oh... Uh, thank you."

Noticing my response, he glances down at the ground before pulling out his own chair.

"My apologies, it's um... A force of habit."

Maria flashes through my mind, and I feel a tinge of sadness at the thought of her smile. But at the same time, it makes me happy knowing that he treated her so well.

"There's no reason to apologize, you were just being a gentleman."

A sad smile flashes across his face before he reaches for a menu.

"Thank you."

Drawing his attention, he looks at me with a questioning gaze.

"For what?"

"For pulling my chair out, and for taking me to this wonderful restaurant."

The warm smile that I've grown so used to seeing makes an appearance. And as it does, I smile back at him before grabbing a menu.

.

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Shadow's POV:

Watching her whole demeanor change as our food is brought out, I watch her eyes light up as soon as the waitress places our plates down on the table. Immediately eying the soup that she got, she grabs a spoon and tastes it. Trying to stifle my laugh as I watch what feels like fireworks dance in her eyes, she goes in for another bite. Dancing happily as she eats, I decide to try mine now that I can see that she's happy with her food. As soon as the spoon enters my mouth, I can see why she was so excited. The flavors are practically melting in my mouth, and I'll gladly admit that this is the best vegetable soup that I've ever had. The tomato base isn't overpowering at all, and every bite of vegetable is perfectly tender and full of flavor.

"Would you like to try mine?"

Surprised that she's willing to share after being so happy with the meal, I nod as she hands me her spoon. As she waits patiently for me to try it, she breaks off a piece of her grilled cheese and dips it in her soup. Trying a small sip of it, the creamy tomato soup tastes even better than the soup that I ordered for myself.

"It's amazing."

She smiles happily and continues eating her soup, even offering me a few more bites throughout our meal.

.

.

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Amy's POV:

After a small argument over deciding who was going to pay for lunch, Shadow insisted that it was his treat and gave me a stern no when I asked him if I could pay. I thanked him for paying, and immediately regretted eating so much when we arrived at the boutique.

As I begin grabbing dresses, I notice Shadow sit down and patiently wait for me to try them on.

"Would you.... Like to pick one out?"

Is that a weird thing to ask?

"I would love to Rose, but I'm afraid that my fashion advice may not be up to your standards."

I smile and rolls my eyes.

"Just pick one."

As I continue to pick out more dresses to try, Shadow eventually walks up to me with a Sacramento colored dress. In all honesty, it's not a color that I would ever pick for myself, but I add it on to my pile of dresses anyways and head to the fitting room.

Trying on one dress after the other, Shadow respectfully says that each dress looks wonderful. But despite his sweet words, I haven't fallen in love with anything yet. Looking over to the last dress that's still on a hanger, it's the dress that Shadow picked out. Slipping into it, it's a skin tight dress with a slit that runs up to my thigh. It has decorative jewelry bedazzling the dress, with a sweetheart neckline and thin chains to hold up the top of the dress. Admiring myself in the mirror, it hugs every curve perfectly and accentuates my bust. It's... Perfect.

Slipping into my normal clothes and handing the dress to a cashier, Shadow asks "did you like any of them?"

Nodding as I give her a handful of rings, I say "yes, the one that you picked."

He seems shocked. "But I didn't see you try it on."

Looking over my shoulder, I smile at him.

"Of course not silly. No one has ever seen my dress until the night of the dance. It's tradition."

Taking my bag from the nice wombat and thanking her, he replies with "well then, I guess I'll just have to see it for myself when I pick you up tomorrow."

________________________________Bonus: A picture of Amy's dress !