I was fine. I had plenty to do to keep my mind occupied. If I wasn't doing anything, I'd start thinking too much...



So much happened after Metal left, and then there was just... a long stretch of nothing. I haven't been sleeping well.



...



Rouge said the process of tracking down the robot was incredibly slow, but she was chasing plenty of leads. Funnily enough, I thought I overheard something similar from the Chaotix. Belle figured out the Eggtech attached to the crystal Rouge and I stole, but she wasn't yet sure how exactly the crystal itself messed with the robots since there was still such limited access to their code. The lab in Metal's base had whiteboards full of writing and notes that Belle added onto... she really was doing her research.



The second week was fine.



I spent a lot of time with Belle. She made me think of Metal a little bit... And she also missed him. It was kinda nice to visit and have her to talk to. The fruit trees fully grew, so Nova could basically eat whenever they wanted. Despite not even knowing Metal for very long, they were very attached to him... I could tell they really wanted him back. They took good care of the fruits and vegetables while Metal was gone, which was sweet.



I really was okay. Since Eggman's attack on the city with that robot he had under his control, I kept myself busy with some relief efforts. That whole area was fixed and people got their homes back, but rebuilding that sense of security was the real hard part. I wanted to do what I could to help people feel safe.



The third week was... fine.



The Chaotix appeared less, so I would've allowed Metal to visit again. Sonic and Tails were good as usual. I hung out with Sonic some and confirmed my hopes that he picked up signs far less than Rouge did. I didn't think he caught on who my real boyfriend was and it was gonna stay that way for a pretty long time if I could help it.



I had a harder time keeping my head up when the first bits of produce in Metal's garden ripened. I didn't really want anything to go to waste, but I also wanted to see Metal's reaction when I tried everything for the first time... I felt awful that he couldn't. I decided he would want me to get some use out of them and I cooked with his produce pretty much all the time.



It was all so delicious, too. He said I could take as much as I wanted, so I hoped he didn't mind I made a bunch of food for my friends and for the people getting back on their feet after Eggman's attack. To be fair, he helped me make stuff for my friends before, so...



The bouquet of flowers Metal gave me had to be pressed before they started to wilt.



The fourth week...



...



Today marked an entire month since he'd been gone.



I hadn't received any kind of flower in ages... He would give me one around this time. My vase was empty and I felt a little empty with it.



I knew the last lines for my love letter, but... I didn't want to write them down yet. I worked on it so slowly the entire month, then intentionally went even slower the longer he was gone. I got dressed in my usual outfit to go out and do something, but I found myself standing in front of my desk, reading my last love letter draft.



I put the paper down, then took out my favorite photo from my pocket. I fought back the tears that wanted to surface. This was such a long time for maintenance. What if something went wrong? What if he's... What if he's staying offline?



I needed to stop... Metal promised he would be back. I couldn't give up on him. I was fine.



I went to Metal's base to go check up on Nova. Belle mentioned taking a brief trip for a few days, so I wanted to make sure Nova was behaving and not feeling too lonely.



When I entered, Nova was standing right there, waiting for me to walk in. I gave them a bit of a sad smile. "Hey, cutie," I said.



"Chao!" Nova raised their arms up.



I gently picked them up and snuggled them to myself. Nova became a darker blue and had three little points behind their head like Metal did. I wondered if they were grabbing inspiration from the plushie and the young Metal they liked to take naps on.



"Wanna play?" I asked. They didn't reply to me, giving me cute little purrs instead. "Maybe we could go on an adventure? You know what, yeah, let's take a walk, Nova."



I left the base with Nova so we could both get some nice, fresh air. I think Nova did leave the base on their own sometimes, but they usually liked staying inside... kind of a hermit. We walked through the forest together. I saw them climb up some trees and reach for distant fruit, dangle themselves off branches, and just overall be a goofy little baby.



I loved watching them... And all that play undoubtedly made them stronger. I wondered how impressed Metal would be with them. He was very insistent on Nova outclassing all the other chao... though, I did enable him to say that. Hehe.



I heard a very familiar holler of excitement in the distance. Sounded like Sonic was on an adventure of his own... Honestly, I was glad someone was in a good mood. I eventually saw a blue blur above me in the sky while I sat down in the grass; I passed a casual wave and he eagerly waved back.



I expected a visitor in three, two, one...



"Hey, Ames!" beamed Sonic as he zoomed in, appearing out from the trees. "Whatcha up to?"



"Not much," I said with a shrug. "I'm just hanging out with a chao."



Sonic briefly looked around. "A chao?"



... Huh. I looked around too. Where did Nova go?



Sonic turned around, then jumped back. "Yeesh!" Nova was standing right there, staring at him. Sonic laughed. "Sorry, little buddy! You got me good." He smiled and leaned down to Nova's level. "You're Amy's friend too, yeah?"



Nova just kept staring. After a few seconds, Nova sniffed one of Sonic's legs. A spiral formed above their head. "Bleh!" Nova squeaked, closing their eyes and moving their head away.



I giggled. Oh, Metal would've loved that.



Sonic bent his leg upwards and sniffed his own leg. "... Do... Do I smell? Ames, smell me."



I laughed. "I'm not smelling you anywhere, Sonic."



"C'mon! A chao's never reacted that way before."



I shook my head. "I think they were just expecting a different scent... Don't take it personally." Nova might've thought Sonic looked like someone else, funnily enough...



"Aw, man. I swear I took a bath the other d-" He quickly stopped himself. "Yesterday! Yesterday."



"Go clean yourself!" I snapped. "Before you stink up the whole forest!"



"So mean...! I smell fine," he huffed. "The wind is fresh. I clean myself if I'm dirty. Right? You get me, little guy," Sonic said, playfully bumping his elbow to Nova. Nova stared at him, then waddled over to me, climbing into my lap.



"Not everyone's your fan, Sonic. That's okay!" I said with another giggle.



"Oh, this is a challenge, now. We're going to be best buddies, I can just feel it," Sonic said, wagging his finger at Nova. "Be right back!" He sped away.



...



I sighed. "I would've gotten really excited if I didn't hear him beforehand," I whispered to Nova. "Hedgehogs can be kinda hard to tell apart sometimes..."



I gave Nova some love and attention... I didn't want my sadness to affect them. I gave them a smile as they stared up at me.



Sonic came back with a small red ball. He squeezed it to show it squeaked, then offered it to Nova. "Heh? You like it?"



Nova held the ball in one of their nubby hands and sniffed it, a question mark above their head.



Squeak! Nova chucked it at Sonic's head, then giggled and clapped excitedly.



Sonic stared, surprised, then laughed too. He picked the ball up and offered it back to Nova. There was hardly a delay; Nova chucked the ball again, but this time Sonic dodged.



"Oh no!" Sonic said with a fake gasp. Nova had an exclamation point above their head, fluttering out of my lap. They grabbed the ball and tried to get Sonic with it some more.



I watched as Sonic 'ran' away from Nova and made dramatic noises every time Nova managed to hit him with the ball. Nova was snickering and giggling, clearly having a blast chasing him. It was the cutest thing ever.



Sonic gasped louder and spun in place before elegantly collapsing to the ground. "Blehhhh..." Sonic closed his eyes and let his tongue hang out of his mouth. Nova crawled onto Sonic's chest and stared at him... then a heart appeared above their head. Nova cuddled Sonic, their little tail waggling.



Sonic opened one of his eyes and grinned, gently petting Nova in return. Nova didn't seem to mind him anymore!



Sonic sat up, arms carefully cradling them. "See? I told you we'd become best buddies!" He playfully bumped their heads together, then he put Nova back down and stood up. Nova was satisfied with their play, returning to my lap and rolling themselves against me before settling. I rubbed their little belly and saw an extremely content chao.



...



Sonic crossed his arms. "What's wrong?"



He caught me frowning. I didn't realize I was doing it. "It's just been one of those days," I said with a sigh. "It's too quiet again... After all that happened with Eggman and the robot."



"Mm... Yeah, I get you," Sonic said, tapping one of his feet as he thought. "I'll update you if anything comes out of that, Ames... We got our best aspiring detectives on the case. And Tails, since the aspiring detectives give some mixed results."



Uh oh. I was right, then. Maybe we could try to work together, but that would still put some information at risk... I guess I had to consider how long I could keep this robots-from-the-future plot from spilling out. Eggman got himself involved, a mysterious third party was involved... But...



I wanted to talk to Metal before I did anything, especially something so rash. Even then, he wouldn't be able to work with us. Eggman's involvement meant he couldn't willingly help, even if he was intertwined in this whole mess too. If we learned why they were here, maybe it would all be easier... Something world-ending, maybe... Eggman would want to help in that case.



And I couldn't talk yet, because Metal was...



"I'm... I'm really... I need some time to myself, Sonic. Sorry." I scooped Nova up and began walking away. Sonic was concerned, but he let me go. I took a complicated route back to the base just to make sure he didn't follow me. I put Nova back inside...



I needed to clear my head. There was only one person who could help.





I forgot to bring my fishing supplies, but to be honest, I wasn't sure I was in the right state to fish. I saw Big at his favorite spot by his lake, so I approached him.



"Hey... Big?" I asked.



"Hmmm? Hi, Amy!" he beamed.



"I'm... I'm having a really rough day. Can I just... hang out?"



"Are you feeling sad?" he asked, tilting his head.



I nodded at him and felt tears budding at my eyes. I could resist the urge to cry until Big asked me such a simple question. I quickly wiped my face. "Yeah," I said really quietly, my voice breaking a little.



He stood up from the end of the dock and walked over to me. He picked me up and gave me a huge, comfy hug... And then I just started sobbing. I held it in for most of the month and it was all kinda coming out.



I honestly didn't even know why I was crying. I missed Metal a lot... And I was so, so worried about him... And I was also just really stressed. I tried distracting myself, and I tried staying positive, I tried all sorts of things and I just couldn't relax. Big picked me up and it was like I couldn't hold in anything anymore.



I buried my face in his chest and clutched onto him tightly. I felt him rumbling with a purr. His fluffy cheeks rubbed against the top of my head.



"I don't know what to do with myself..." I sobbed, my voice muffled.



"Take your time," Big softly told me.



I let it all out and eventually exhausted myself. We were quiet for a really long time... Big wasn't fishing, instead holding me and patiently watching the lake.



I stared at the tranquil water. Occasionally, a fish would breach the surface, then swim back into the lake depths...



Snooore...



I craned my head up to see Big totally out for the count. I smiled a little. As I brought my focus back to the lake, I had a hard time keeping my eyes open, too...



...



...



I drowsily wiped my eyes. The sky was orange... I really needed to head back home, but Big helped me feel better. I guess I just needed a good cry... Needed to give my brain a bit of a rest, too.



I woke up Big to say bye, then I drove the quicker route home since I wanted to get some actual sleep. I kept the radio off and listened to my tires against the road instead.



I went home and immediately went for my room. I opened the lock box in the bottom drawer of my desk, unlocked it, and looked at everything in inside... Our good luck charms were still hooked together.



I just sat there for a while. Eventually, I checked my last letter on the top of my desk.



... I wrote the last words, then folded up the paper. I stuck it closed with a heart-shaped sticker. I kissed the letter, then put it in the lock box.



I'd tackle each day at a time. If something really did happen to Metal, I would find out eventually, and I would do what I could to get him back. I had to remember who I was. These dreadful moments couldn't define me.



I took a deep breath and got ready for bed.



Bang!



Something hit my front door, and so late at night. I walked up, then peeked through the peephole in my door. I didn't see anything... I opened the door to see if someone left a package.



A hedgehog stepped from the side and into my view. Sonic? He knew better than to visit me like this. Wait, no. His gaze was much sharper, and his quills pointed out instead of down. He had on some dark clothes, but I couldn't see many details in the moonlight. There was a certain way he looked at me... But...



"Can I... Help you?" I asked, raising my brow.



He revealed a flower from behind his back...! The type of flower was unmistakable...



"Hello, Rosy," he said.



My eyes widened. That... That sounded like him, but... The voice was different enough to throw me off. But...



"M...Metal?" I asked.



He gave a single nod. "Yes, I am the very same... As I promised. I got an upgr--"



I cut him off with a tight hug and cried again. Oh my God. It was him. I'd ask questions about his appearance later. It was him. That's all I needed.



He was so warm. His words comforted me. His arms around me felt the same...



I finally let go of him and wiped my eyes. He gave me a soft smile. Impulse took the best of me and I kissed him; the feeling was totally different, but I still got that little jolt, that connection. I stunned him since he didn't move at all for a while. He let out a relieved breath through his nose. I finally separated from him... I was pleasantly surprised his face was red.



"Metal," I said with a sniffle, wiping my eyes again. I finally took the flower from him and touched one of the petals. I didn't know what else to say.



"Am I allowed back inside?" He asked, averting his eyes.



I grabbed his hand without a second thought and dragged him back into my house.