For the first time in a while, there wasn't much on my plate. So, I could focus on anything I've been neglecting... Problem was, there were so many options to occupy my day that I didn't know what to do! Aaahh!! I wanted to see Metal again, but I didn't want to be super clingy. We've done so much hanging out and spent some nights together, so I wanted him to have a little break. I told my friends I'd be off when we went on our last trip; hopefully they didn't suddenly think I went missing again. I could probably say hi to anyone if I saw them and hang out for a bit.



I displayed the beautiful bouquet Metal gave me on my main counter in between my kitchen and living room, open for everyone to see-- especially me. I found myself looking at it constantly. I needed to press all the flowers from this bouquet when it was time! I could probably make a really nice collage or something with them.



Speaking of... the last flower I pressed-- the first one Metal gave me in-person-- might be fully dried. I went to the desk in my room and checked the book I used to press it. Awh, it was perfect! The petals were spread out perfectly, the opalescent and blue colors were gorgeous. I wanted to ask how he grew such a unique flower, but I had a feeling that was one of the few things he wouldn't tell me.



I carefully closed the book again because I needed to get a nice frame to display it before I started messing with it. I was really racking up the pictures in my house, so maybe time by myself could be used to do some reorganizing. While I'm at it, maybe I could sneak little-Sonic back to Tails's workshop... Oh yeah, and I need to give those fishing supplies back.



Okay! I had my plan for today. Drop stuff off at the workshop, go shopping for a special frame, and reward myself with a nice lunch. After that, I'd do some house chores... And finally, it was time for revenge. To continue my and Metal's tradition, I needed to write the best letter ever. It had to be more than a letter. It had to be something so good that he'd explode from reading it.



Ugh, but he thought everything was great, so I really needed to go for the jugular here. Maybe I could also give him something extra, like a cute photo of me. I didn't want to cheat, though. But he gave me a whole bouquet so maybe it was fair...



Haha, I realized how silly my train of thought was. I just wanted to give back as much as Metal gave me, but there wasn't really a system in place or any kinds of points that mattered. I just wanted to give him my best, so I would! Ooh, I could get some new stationery.



Yay for a me-day! I drove to Tails's workshop nearby and let myself in. "Delivery!" I yelled, dropping off Sonic's fishing stuff... Hmm, no one answered. Sonic and Tails must've been off doing something. I took the opportunity to drop off little-Sonic in an inconspicuous place where a bunch of other clutter was, then strolled myself out. Part one: complete!



Part two... Commence! There was a local furniture store I liked to go to that had a lot of beautiful interior decorations for sale, frames among them. I typically liked simple ones, white frames, pink frames, the occasional black frame here and there... I wondered if there were some nice metal frames I could find for the symbolism. Ah, I'd see what selection they'd have.



I went deeper into the city and parked in a less busy area, then strolled down the sidewalks. I really loved window shopping, but I had to stay on track. A beautiful frame was my main goal! And some cute stationery for my bouquet-level letter... Oooh, and what if I wore something special for that photo I wanted to take?



Focus, Amy! I had enough clothes! But did I have enough romantic clothes? Hehe.



I found the store I was looking for and searched for the perfect frame. I remembered playing around with the idea of having the fancy blue flower with the very first flower I received, but I'd need a much bigger frame and I didn't necessarily want any element to be overpowering... The flowers deserved their time to shine. Decisions, decisions...



...



I felt watched. I didn't see anyone while I was in the furniture store, but my fur stood on end. I kept looking around me after I picked the perfect frame and went to go buy it.



I didn't feel watched anymore when I left the store... Eh. I shook the feeling off and decided to go to get some cute new stationery.



I needed to control myself in the store. Sometimes I would see a cute set of pens or something that call to me even though I didn't need them. I could at least admire them for a little bit... I was honestly weak for anything with hearts or cute little critters on them. Especially little birds!!



I felt watched again. Instead of look around, I pretended to not feel it and picked up some paper I thought would be perfect for my Ultimate Love Letter. I checked around me as subtly as I could, bought my stuff, and got out of there.



I didn't know what exactly was following me. I never felt this way with Metal, so I was a little disturbed. Whoever was after me though was in for a rude awakening if they tried anything. I was still in a good mood, so I did go to a few clothing stores. I didn't buy anything!!!



... But there was this gorgeous nightgown I saw while passing by some aisles... Ugh, listen to me. Metal was messing with me. When I was in love with Sonic, I never thought of being sexy. I always preferred the more adorable route, which has a wide range of clothes flattering on me... sexy was more Rouge's style. But I wondered what Metal would think if I did try to be purposefully alluring. Swimsuits were just swimsuits, that didn't count. But would he notice something like this? He called me pretty and beautiful all the time...



Screw it!!! Life's short!!! I bought the nightgown. Even if not for a guy, I deserved to feel sexy once in a while. I walked back down the streets to return to my car.



Oh, hey! The Chaotix passed me by in their car. I noticed that croc-shaped hood anywhere. I gave them a polite wave, though I wasn't sure they could see me. I shrugged and went to the parking lot my car was in, then put all my goodies away.



Lunchtime! Hmm... What was I in the mood for? Maybe something away from downtown... I drove out and hummed to the song playing from my radio as I thought of what to eat.



I saw the Chaotix car again in my rear-view mirror. Huh, I thought they went a different way. Maybe I could drop by and give them some lunch if they were headed back to the detective agency.



I turned down a different street. There were a few cars between us, but they turned the same way. The detective agency was not this way. I tested a hunch and went down an obscure street. They passed by... I kept going down the same street and turned down to another highway, going the opposite direction.



They were behind me again. Oh my God, they were following me. When they wanted something, they just went to my house or approached me. They were deliberately following me like I committed a crime. What could I possibly-- ugh-- were they seriously acting this dumb?



I parked by a cafe I frequented and walked inside. After a minute, I walked out a different exit. Ah-ha! The croc car parked nearby and they didn't see me this time. I took out my hammer and leapt over to them.



THWACK! I brought my hammer down to the hood. The three Chaotix members-- Vector, Charmy, and Espio-- screamed, but I could only see Vector in the driver's seat and Charmy in the back.



"Why are you following me?!" I shouted.



All three of them began stammering and talking at the same time. I lifted my hammer up--



"Okay! Okay! Settle down!" cried out Vector, holding his hands up. "We just wanna talk to ya."



"Then talk! Don't follow me!" I huffed.



"Put the hammer down first. You're gonna make Charmy cry by waving that thing around," Vector pouted.



"Y-yeah!" Charmy sniveled. Vector was so low for teaching him crocodile tears!



"Show me the chameleon," I said with a squint.



"M-my deepest apologies!" Espio exclaimed, suddenly appearing in the passenger seat. All three of them had their hands up in surrender.



"Were you the one watching me while I was shopping?!" I growled out.



Espio hurriedly nodded.



I took a deep breath to calm down... Okay. I hopped off of the car and put my hammer away. "Fine, we can talk."





"Well, well, well. Look what we have here." Vector pointed a lamp to me on their dinky wooden desk they had me sit in front of at their detective agency. The lights were off, save for the lamp, and the shutters were closed.



"You asked me to come here!" I rolled my eyes. "And you told me this is a talk, not an interrogation."



"Well, that depends on you, Amy Rose... if that is your real name," Charmy said.



"Knock it off, Charmy," I huffed.



"I-I'm sorry, Amy, please don't stop bringing us pies," he whimpered back.



"This is just a discussion, everyone, so let's not jump to any conclusions," Espio said, his voice firm. He slapped both hands on the desk and leaned over to me. "Amy, we would like you to answer our questions." He squinted at me and made me feel like he did not want to have 'just a discussion'.



I sighed. "Okay, just tell me what this is about."



Vector cleared his throat and moved the lamp away. "Me and the boys are just a bit excited. 'Scuse us.... Anyways, our next case led us in some interesting directions and we think your side of the story will help us straighten some things out." Vector finally spoke normally and sat down in the seat across from me. Espio politely stood beside him, while Charmy freely buzzed around us all.



"I'll help if I can," I replied. "Did something happen?" I honestly didn't even know what I witnessed, if anything. The only recent situations I had were with Metal alone, other than the race, I guess?



Vector studied my face for a brief moment. All three of them were intuitive in their own way, but Vector was the leader for the reason; he was incredibly sharp. Admittedly, I got a little nervous. He started his explanation: "Our next investigation led us to checking on Eggman, just to make sure nothing crazy's happening. You know how it is." Vector casually gestured to me. "For a while, we found nothing. We eventually discovered a stripped down island Eggman was building on. We can't just jump to conclusions, so whether he was doing actually something world-ending or not, dunno yet. We prefer to hand that stuff over to you guys anyway," he said, flailing one of his hands. "The party came around so we focused on celebrating solving our last big case. But then something interesting happened..."



"Ooh! Can I say it?" Charmy asked.



Vector gave a little nod.



Charmy started: "Cream told me that you let her have the last dessert, but I didn't believe her, so I was gonna find you. You ran to the other side of the park and I saw you go up a tree."



My heart dropped.



"I saw you talkin' to that mean robot Sonic! He pointed at you, but it didn't look like you were gonna fight. It was weird, so I went back to Vector and Espio to tell 'em. Right as I did, you were already coming back to the party with the not mean Sonic."



"Wh...What?" I asked.



Vector studied me for a while more. God, I did not like this. I didn't want to lie to them or trick them, but I didn't want to reveal my relationship with Metal. It would just... everything would be so messy. It could put Metal in danger if more people knew and Eggman found out... Or it could sew actual distrust into our relationship, since Eggman could manipulate our love for his plans and Metal would have no choice. At least it didn't sound like Charmy stuck around long enough to see us hold and kiss each other...



"What were you two doing?" Vector asked, blunt.



I sighed and crossed my arms. Here goes. "Look, it was nothing. It's true I did come across Metal Sonic there, but I didn't actually think he would be there," I said, frowning. "Neither of us were there to fight. I confronted Metal, but Eggman communicated through him to say he wasn't interested or whatever, we argued a little, then I met up with Sonic. Eggman and Metal weren't aware of the party from what I could tell."



"But then why did you go up there in the first place?" Espio asked.



"I thought that tree had pretty flowers. Remember me walking back with a blossom near my headband?" I asked.



Charmy groaned. "Then why was Metal also there?"



"Beats me," I said. "When Eggman and Metal heard Sonic, they stayed away. They really didn't want any trouble, and I didn't want to stir anything and ruin the party, either." Nailed it.



Vector leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with me. He tilted his head a little, expression more solemn. "I guess that makes sense..."



"Uh, yeah, it better," I said back, grimacing. "Do you really think I'd just have a fun chat with Eggman?"



Vector's gaze made me uncomfortable, but I couldn't let him know I was nervous. "Amy, we're good friends... And you're a good person. I know you'd never actually side with the Doctor unless it was to save our world; a decision all of us made at some point."



"Why do I sense a 'but'?" I asked.



"You don't. I'm just thinkin'."



I would need to be so much more careful than I've already been... No more road trips, even though both were so fun... No more meetups that could possibly have other people in them. We could worry about fun outside dates later. I didn't think my house was safe, either. We'd figure this out, but the idea depressed me.



Vector snapped me out of my train of thought. "You're not a suspect or anything, Amy. Thank you for answerin' our questions. Just in case... if you're in trouble and Eggman's somehow coaxing you into whatever... We can help. You know that," he said, his voice calm.



"I know... Thanks," I said back and relaxed my shoulders. "I promise, I'm not involved with Eggman, voluntary or involuntary. And if anything weird happens to me, I'll let you know in case it helps the investigation you're doing. What is the investigation you're doing?"



"That's classified," all three of them said. Don't even know why I tried... But them telling me in unison was kinda cute.



The three of them accepted my previous answer and let me go. I was glad I didn't have to lie that much. I honestly wasn't sure if Vector let me completely off the hook yet, and similarly I didn't know what they were looking into other than potential Eggman business. Hopefully they'd figure it out and understand that I had nothing to do with it. Maybe Metal could be involved, but he didn't give me any special knowledge on whatever his 'master' was doing.



I went back into town to get me some lunch finally, along with an extra dessert because that ordeal exhausted me and Charmy made me want something sweet. Afterwards, I went back home, went inside with a few shopping bags in hand, and kicked my shoes off with a grunt. I planned to redecorate and then just not do anything. Hanging out with other friends would come later.



"Hello, Rosy."



I lifted my head up. "Metal!" Oh, geez, tone it down, Amy. "I was gonna give you a break today. What's up?" I asked.



Metal stood in my kitchen, staring at the food in my cabinets for some reason. He turned around, revealing he had a notepad and pen in hand. "I need to know what food you prefer."



I nearly snorted from a laugh. "Why?"



"I am not telling you. Answer me," he said, pointing the pen in my direction. He averted his eyes a little. "... Please."



God, I didn't think I could get tired of him. I wished I could just take him everywhere. I put my bags down on the couch nearby and walked over to him, but he took a step away when I reached out for a hug. "Hey!" I whined.



He slapped the notepad upside down on the counter behind him, then stepped forward, hugging me instead. I was so curious. He knew I was going to reach for the notepad behind him, because he slightly picked me up to move me out of the kitchen.



I kept looking behind him. "I'll tell you if you let me see--"



"No," he cut me off.



I laughed again. "Well, I tried. Sure, I'll tell you some of my favorites," I sweetly replied. Though, honestly, I liked plenty of food...



While letting myself stay in Metal's arms, I told him all my favorite meals. I listed some like, actual food first, and then I went off about all my favorite desserts. I wrapped back around to some fruits and vegetables I liked, favorite seasonal dishes... I was glad I ate already or else this conversation would make me hungry. I was kinda surprised he didn't write down in the notepad, since I assumed it was related to his request.



I finished my explanation with a confident nod. "That enough for you?" I asked, grinning.



"Yes. Thank you," he replied. He gently let go of me, then patted me on the head. He hovered backwards and snatched the notepad before I could even think about getting behind him, then he hovered to the ceiling to keep it out of my sight.



"Come on!" I huffed. "I won't look, okay?"



"Yes. You won't," he said back.



"You look ridiculous up there!"



He ignored me, writing whatever he was writing. I rolled my eyes and smiled.



When he was done, he focused on the page, then ripped it out. He descended back to the ground and placed the notebook and pen on the closest counter.



Whiiirrrrrrr... His turbine was really loud. An intense burst of energy came out from his back and he moved his hand, still with the paper, behind it. Just like that, the paper burnt into nothing.



"You are so paranoid," I said, raising my arms. "... Did you get ash on my floor?" I checked behind him.



"... I'll clean it." He reached for some paper towels I had out and wiped all evidence of what he burned. He balled the paper towel up and effortlessly tossed it into the nearby bin-- wow, he got it in one try. Nice.



Still curious, though. I crossed my arms. "Why do all that writing to just burn it?"



"I have the image saved," He said, tapping his head. "Writing it out is more organized for me and less conspicuous to those who survey my data. I must go now, Rosy. I love you. See you later." Aw, he didn't give an ominous 'goodbye' this time.



"Hold on!" I grabbed his arm before he left. "I have to tell you something. But first..." I tugged him over to me a little, then I gave him a kiss. His eyes glitched out for just a second. I loved when that happened...~ "I love you too!"



"I enjoy your message," he said, soft. "I know we typically spend more time together, but I need to go."



"Unfortunately, that wasn't the message." I sighed, looking at him more concerned. "No one other than Belle knows about us, but one of my friends saw us talking in the tree at the park. They didn't see us hold each other or anything, but... I think we need to be much more careful. I'm not even sure it's a good idea for you to hang out at my house for a while."



"We caught each other unaware at the park. That could be explained," he said, averting his eyes. "I thoroughly check the area before I enter your home. I left you flowers for many years and similarly would take your letters. No one has seen me directly at your house."



"I know," I said quietly. "I'm just really worried right now. This won't be forever, just until I can make sure everything's good, okay?" Knowing the Chaotix, they'd probably investigate me more just to make sure I was in the clear... I could not take that risk. "I'll visit your base more often to make up for it..."



With how he looked at me, one'd think I was breaking up with him. He fidgeted with his claws a little. "What if... I really need to see you?"



I hugged him. "Then you can come over."



He relaxed a lot more. "I accept these terms," he said. "... I am not happy the terms had to be made."



"Me neither," I sighed again. "It's just how it is. The both of us need to be safe. I won't keep you any longer though, Metal." I bumped my head with his. "So, please be careful when you leave, too."



He leaned his head against me too. "I will... Visit me often." He hugged me back, squeezed me a bit tight... then let go. He went towards the back door, took a few seconds to stare at me, then quietly left. I gave him a sad smile.



I knew I'd hate this. I hoped he would get the urge to visit me some nights and just stay with me, but I didn't want him to be emotionally distressed like he was before. I needed to watch the Chaotix a little more before I could relax and invite Metal back again. Until then, though...



Time to do some redecorating. I had a feeling Metal would like the changes I planned to make.