Learning to Love Again: Part Two

Tails awoke the next morning to the sound of Amy singing in the shower.  It was 10 AM, so he knew she was either being courteous, or didn't get much sleep the night before, either, and probably for the same reasons that Tails did.  If anything, Tails had more of a reason for tossing and turning than Amy.  Not only was he shocked at yesterday's events, he was a still confused at how Amy recovered so quickly, and what she had said about giving up Sonic, and how emotionally close the he and Amy were yesterday.  He sighed as he sat up in bed, trying to give it more thought while Amy was in the shower, but his mind wasn't fully awake yet, he needed some food first.  He decided to go down and see what he could make for breakfast, but only found a couple of eggs and some cereal.  He gave a nervous laugh as he remembered Amy's words about needing to go shopping.  He sighed and made breakfast for the two of them, becoming a good cook from hanging out with Cream and trying things on his own.  He wasn't amazing, but he could make eggs without burning them.  He had just gotten the food onto plates when he heard Amy come down from the shower, wearing the beaten-up dress she had on yesterday.  Tails smiled, but had concern in his eyes as he looked her over.  She looked nervous, but gave a smile that was somewhat forced.  Tails responded with by smiling and handing Amy her breakfast.  "Here you go, Amy.  Sleep well?"  Amy sat down at the table and shook her head.  Tails frowned and got his own food, starting to eat as Amy spoke.

"Not really. . . too much to think about. . ."  The confusion and sadness from yesterday seemed to creep back in, and she ate very slowly.  Tails felt it, too, but didn't think there was much more he could do at this point, so he tried to change the subject instead.

"Hey, Amy. . ."  He leaned towards her and started speaking softly.  "You want to go into Station Square with me today?  At the very least, we need food, and maybe we can get something nice for the guest bedroom. . ."  He wouldn't mind if Amy got something small to spice the place up, despite his comment yesterday.  He knew his place was a bit dull, and a bit of a change might help him relax a little.

"Okay. . . but first. . ."  Amy lowered her head and closed her eyes, putting her hands in her lap.  Tails stared at her intently and started to panic when Amy didn't immediately suggest anywhere to shop or anything to shop for.  "I want to go by my house. . . see if everything's okay, and at least change into a new dress. . ."  She gave a shy smile, and Tails rested his chin on his hand as he thought about it.  He didn't want to tell her, but he hoped she agreed with him that Sonic didn't mean to act the way he did towards her.  He was worried about what would happen if Sonic was there, but he thought of himself protecting her if need be, even against Sonic.  Amy had come to mean so much to him after Cosmo's death that he couldn't bear to see her hurt like this.  Even though he knew this was something that was between her and Sonic, he wanted to help them as much as he could; he couldn't stand two of his best friends fighting each other.  He nodded, but still looked pensive.  

"I think we should go to your house first. . . when did you want to leave?"  Tails sounded distant, but he was just trying to plan out the day.

"How about we clean up, then leave ten minutes after that?"  Amy wanted to leave quickly, but be respectful in case Tails wanted to do something.  Tails simply shrugged and nodded, merely wanting to get the nervous part of potentially meeting Sonic over with.  

The two of them finished eating quickly, and the ten minutes went by in a long silence.  They hopped in the Tornado and flew off, arriving at Amy's house in a few minutes.  Tails slowed his descent more than he would have normally, taking a good look around for anything that was moving quickly and blue.  Finding nothing, he landed on a grassy patch of land beside Amy's house.  Tails got out as quickly as he could, still scanning around, and double-checking when he didn't find anything.  Amy slowly walked up to her door, also nervous at seeing Sonic, but she looked surprised when she saw a piece of paper pinned to her door.  "Tails!"  She shouted and beckoned him over, and Tails ran to the door.

"What is it, Amy?"  He noticed the paper she was pointing to.  "A note, huh?"  Amy took the note and held it between the two, and they began to read:

My Dearest Amy:

I am truly sorry for the way I treated you yesterday.  I don't know why I did it, but that's no excuse.  There is no excuse for doing that to someone who has been so close to me for years.  The endless supply of joy you bring to the group made every victory over Eggman just that much better.  I don't know how I can make it up to you, and I was hoping to find you here, but I guess you never went home afterwards, and I can't blame you.  I won't look for you; just let me know you're okay as soon as you can.

Sonic the Hedgehog

After reading the entire thing, Amy took a deep breath and let out an acknowledging sigh.  "I knew he didn't mean it. . ."  She said, barely loud enough for Tails to hear.  Tails nodded and smiled, but gave her space to continue talking.  "I'm gonna call him, okay, Tails?  You can come inside if you want."  She unlocked the door and gestured for Tails to go in first, which he did, mumbling a word of thanks to her as he did so.  He had been inside Amy's house before, and although nothing had really changed since he last saw it, he was almost stunned by the amount of bright pink and red he saw around the house.  The place was organized and had quite a lot of things to maneuver around.  Between the large, pink loveseat, the two tall houseplants, and the myriad of collectible toys, Tails knew he had to step carefully to get anywhere.  He settled for relaxing on the loveseat while Amy went to the phone and called Sonic.

"Hello?"  Sonic sounded distant as he answered.  His mind wasn't all there, he was busy worrying about Amy and waiting for a response from her.

"S-Sonic?"  Even though it was over the phone, Amy couldn't help but be nervous, and Tails's ears perked up, the conversation now taking all of his attention.

"A-Amy!  Did. . . did you get my note?  Are you all right?"  Sonic spoke so fast he nearly tripped over his words.

"Yes. . . I'm all right, Sonic. . . are you?  You don't sound too good. . ."  Amy's voice had a small hint of worry in it.  Sonic took a deep breath before responding.

"I'll be fine. . . I just. . . I'm really sorry, Ames. . ."  Amy smiled, both at the use of his nickname for her, and that he really did sound okay now.

"It's okay, Sonic. . . I forgive you, but. . ."  Tails turned around now, even more curious his ears and eyes peeking over the loveseat.  He felt slightly ill listening, but he put it down to being in such an awkward situation.  He hoped Amy wouldn't go right back to Sonic after what he did, but he still hoped they would make up at least somewhat.  "I want to be apart from you. . . at least for a bit. . . I won't tell you where I'll stay, so please don't look for me, okay?"

YES!  Tails thought to himself as he did a small fist-pump behind the loveseat.  He was worried for Amy, and wanted her company, and wanted to protect her.  And that's all. . . right?  He ignored the last thought as he waited for her to speak again.

"Okay. . . I understand. . . I'm just glad you're okay. . .  I swear I'll never do anything like that again. . ."  Sonic was relieved that he was forgiven, and was sincere, starting to sound like the hero he was again.

"I know. . . good-bye, Sonic. . ."  Amy hung up the phone, turning to Tails, who hid back under the couch.  Amy didn't see him peeking over at her, but still knew he was there, and knew he heard her side of the conversation.  She gave him a happy smile.  "Tails. . . would you mind if I stayed at your place more often?"  Amy paused to breathe, but Tails cut her off.

"You're always welcome at my place, Amy.  I understand."  His eyes were full of relief as he smiled.

"Kay, I'm going to get some spare clothes, and a few other things.  We'll go grocery shopping when I'm done, okay?"  Amy walked to her bedroom in the back of the house.  She got a large, pink suitcase out and began to pack, various mutterings coming from her as she decided what to take.  

Meanwhile, Tails was sitting on the couch, not speaking up so as not to disturb Amy.  He was still trying to make sense of how this whole thing with Sonic and Amy was starting to play out.  They had never officially been a couple, and Sonic just seemed to have lost his temper one day, and he was truly sorry for what he did, and Amy accepted it.  Somehow, some part of him didn't want them to get too close.  He didn't think Sonic would ever hurt Amy like that again, but something in him still wanted the two of them apart.  He waited for twenty minutes on the couch before getting up and walking through the house to check on Amy.  He heard her moving things around in the bathroom, and then something that sounded like a lot of things falling, which caused him to sprint over and look at her.  "Are you okay, Amy?"

"I'm fine, Tails. . ."  Amy sighed and rubbed her head.  "I don't know what to take, and I'm trying to pack light. . ."

"Light, huh?"  Tails glanced over at her suitcase that was almost as large as Amy was.  It was nearly full, which caused Tails to chuckle and Amy to glare at him.

"This IS light for me. . ."  Amy switched to a playful grin instantly.  Tails looked a bit embarrassed, but he really just hoped he wouldn't have to carry it.

"Want some help?"  Tails gave a smile and extended his hand.

"Sure, Tails. . ."  Amy smiled and beckoned for him to come closer.  "Just pick these up and put them on the counter, I can get to them later. . ."  She gestured to the bottles that were knocked onto the floor.  "I'm almost done, I just need to put a few more bottles into this thing. . . we should still be able to close it. . ."

"Heh. . ."  was all Tails could say as he did what he was asked.  Amy was struggling with closing the suitcase, but Tails jumped and sat on it, allowing Amy to barely zip it closed.

"Yay!  Thanks, Tails!"  She smiled and gave him a hug, which Tails returned.  Tails pulled away slightly but didn't let Amy go, his eyes meeting hers.

"Where. . . where are you going to go?"  There was urgency and worry in his voice.  He knew he couldn't hide that he wanted her to stay close enough so that he could visit her, and he hoped she would visit him often.  He simply had a lot more fun when Amy was around
.
"I'm not sure right now. . ."  She noticed Tails's ears and face drop down slightly.  "Oh, don't worry, silly, of course I'll come and visit you. . ."  This made Tails's ears perk right back up and made him smile, which caused Amy to smile.  "Now, come on, let's throw this in the Tornado and do that shopping I promised we would. . ."  Amy was able to lift the heavy suitcase with ease, which surprised Tails at first, until he remembered how heavy her hammer was.  

The two took off without problems, and had landed in town an hour later, on the roof of one of the malls.  It was usually illegal to park anything on the roof, but being one of the Freedom Fighters, the heroes of Mobius, had its perks.  They took the elevator down, but Tails didn't say anything.  He knew reminding Amy of anything shopping-related might cause him to be there all day.  He wouldn't mind her company, but there was only so much he could carry for so long, and the Tornado didn't exactly have a lot of cargo space.  When the door opened, he muttered softly, "Now where was the grocery store again?"  Amy pointed to the left, and Tails nodded, making his way through the crowds with Amy as quick as he could.  

"What do you want me to make for dinner, Tails?"  Amy asked as the two were just outside the entrance.

"Oh. . . you don't have to make anything, Amy. . . you're a guest. . ."  Tails blushed slightly at this, but remained polite.

"I know!  I'll make the enchiladas that Ella used to make!"  Amy's eyes went wide, and she started to remember the recipe, looking thoughtful, then pointing to the aisles she needed to go to.  Tails merely waited and looked at her, knowing it was best to let her do what she wanted.

The two of them were so focused on shopping that they didn't notice a familiar face in the crowd.  The red bowtie would have been a dead giveaway, but their backs were to Cheese, who was trying to catch up to Cream.  He paused for a second, and waved, calling out to Amy and tails.  "Chao, chao!"  The mall was full of other conversations, so Tails and Amy didn't hear them.  This had saddened Cheese, but he was happy to see Tails around again, as neither he nor Cream had seen him for months.  Tails had grown apart from Cream after Cosmo's death, not wanting to expose Cream's young and innocent mind to the horrible thoughts he had inside his own head.  Cheese flew ahead towards Cream with renewed vigor, catching her just as she left the mall.  He flew in front of Cream and waved his arms frantically when he saw her.  Cream blinked.

"Cheese!  What is it?"  She was a bit worried at how nervous Cheese was acting.  The two had such a close bond that she could understand Cheese when he spoke.  Cream clutched the bag of groceries she had with her closer to her body.

"Chao, chao, chao!"  ("I saw Tails and Amy together heading to the grocery store!")

"Tails?  Was he all right?"  Cream's big, brown eyes were full of concern, but Cheese nodded, which set her mind at ease.  "And. . . with. . . Amy?"  Cheese nodded again.  "That's strange, I've never seen just the two of them together before.  Ohhhhhhhh, I want to see them, but I have to get home for dinner. . ."  She pouted.  "Maybe some other time, but at least he's okay!"  She smiled and ran home with a spring in her step.

Amy and Tails wandered through the aisles, getting what Amy needed for making enchiladas, and a few other things.  Tails questioned why, but Amy replied with a smile.  "This is stuff for you to have.  I DO plan on coming by again, and I want to have more to choose from than pizza.  Maybe you can cook some more for me when I stop by, too!"  She giggled, and Tails looked hesitant.

"Are you sure you're okay with buying all of this?"  Tails was quiet.  He didn't want to be rude, but he also didn't want to feel like a burden, or like him being here made her buy more than she had to.

"Of course, Tails.  It's the least I could do for you after you letting me spend the night like that. . ."  She looked down shyly, and Tails stepped towards her and smiled.

"You know I'd do a lot for a friend, Amy, especially for you.  I owe you a lot after what you did for me. . ."  He looked away and blushed.

"It was nothing, Tails, I'm just glad you're happy again.  Back to your old self, you know?"  Amy smiled, turning away to get some ice cream for their cart.  

"Yeah. . ."  Tails mumbled, still looking down.  The two of them finished their shopping without saying anything else to each other.  Amy paid for everything, despite Tails reaching for his wallet in unspoken protest.  Each of them had two bags that were nearly full.  "You wanna go back to my place?  We need to put some of this stuff away before it goes bad."  Amy nodded, and they loaded the Tornado's cargo hold before flying off.  The two of them discussed cooking, and what to do with what they made on the way back.  Amy impressed Tails with how much she knew about cooking, and Tails impressed Amy by knowing more about cooking than she thought he did.  To be fair, she didn't think he knew very much about it.  However, he had gotten into it after Cosmo's death, finding it a suitable, deep, and delicious distraction.  Tails had promised to bake a chocolate cake for Amy just before they landed, partly to prove his culinary prowess, and partly because they both loved chocolate cake.  

After getting inside with the groceries and putting them away, the pair went to cooking.  They were both very hungry, and they were so busy that neither of them had eaten anything since breakfast.  It was about five o'clock when they got home, and Amy knew dinner would take them a while to make, so she encouraged Tails to get started right away.  Amy told him what to get out, and what to do to get things started.  Amy made the enchiladas so much she had the recipe memorized, and helped Tails when needed.  The cooking banter continued, with Tails getting into some of the less heart-healthy things he had made or wanted to make, which made Amy groan playfully.  Just after the enchiladas were put in the oven, Amy paused, putting her finger over her mouth thoughtfully, then spoke up.  "Tails?"

"Yeah, Amy?"

"I still don't want to be at home just yet. . . but I don't want to trouble you by staying here another night. . ."

"Amy, you know it's no trouble at all.  I like having you over, and I've got enough room. . ."  Tails spoke quickly, cutting Amy off.

"I know, Tails.  I'll still visit, just. . . maybe tomorrow.  I want to go see Cream and Vanilla.  They've been very worried about you, you know.  Taking me over there will give you a chance to catch up with them."  Tails opened his mouth, but Amy put her finger to his lips and continued.  "Please, Tails?"  Tails was silent for a moment.  He was still nervous about seeing Cream again, but he knew he was doing better now; it was almost like the incident with Cosmo never happened.  Plus, he had Amy to calm him down and keep him in check of she had to, but he thought he could handle himself well enough, not to mention he missed Cream.

"O-Okay. . . we'll go over there after dinner, all right?"
 
"Okay.  Thanks, Tails."  Amy smiled and sat down at the table, and tails sat across from her.  "It's just, I know how much they miss you. . ."

"Yeah, but I'll be fine.  And you'll be with me. . ."

"Mm-hmm!"  Amy nodded.  "I don't know why you avoided her so much, Tails. . . she always wanted to help. . ."  

"I. . ."  At this, Tails sat up and backed up in his chair, as if Amy was about to attack him.  "Well. . . you know what I was like. . ."  Images flashed through Tails's brain from when Amy was over.  A panic attack after the first time Amy mentioned Cosmo by name after her death. Tears streaming down his face at seemingly random times, for no reason at all, when the grief came back to him.  The seeming sweet dreams about being with her again that were nightmares once he woke up and realized she was gone.  Amy holding him for comfort when he was shaking and seemingly inconsolable.  "I didn't want her to see me like that, it would scare her. . ."  Amy gently took Tails's hand, which shook him out of his reverie.  

"I don't think she'll be scared, Tails. . . she'll be happy you opened up to her, because then she knows she can help. . ."  Amy's face fell, now looking right at the table.  "It hurts so much to see a friend in pain, but you can't do anything to help, even if you want to. . ."  She took a deep breath, thinking of some of the same things Tails just was.  "I was so glad when you let me talk to you, because then I knew I could help you get better. . . it was sad to see you so miserable. . ."  Amy now leaned forward and looked Tails right in the eye, "and I KNOW you're dying to see Cream again."  She smirked and winked, and Tails blushed.

"I. . . I. . ."  Tails was saved from having to make a response by the oven's timer.  He got up and dashed to the oven, barely remembering oven mitts to avoid burning his hands.  He still said nothing as he served the food, sighing after he sat down.  "Yeah. . . oh, I know!"  His eyes lit up, and Amy gave a sly grin.  "I'll take her some candy as a gift.  I hope it'll make up for avoiding her. . ."  He sounded worried, and looked even more worried when he saw Amy grin.

"There you go, Tails.  I'm sure she'll love it.  I bought some more candy than we need, you can take some over to her."

"Thanks, Amy!  You're the best!"

"Of course!"  Amy blushed slightly, and Tails began to eat.  Amy ate slowly, watching Tails intently, wondering how to bring up her next topic.  ". . . Tails?"

"Yeah, Amy?"

"I really think you need to start thinking. . . well. . . thinking about loving someone again."  Tails nearly jumped forward and started to speak, but Amy put her hand over his mouth.  "Listen, I know you don't want to after Cosmo's death. . ."  Tails leaned back and fell silent again, her name still having a small effect on him.  "But. . . it's been two years.  We both know she wants you to be happy. . . and I know that being in love and believing in love can make you feel happy, even when things seem hopeless. . . you may not want to do it for me, or for you, but do it for her, okay, Tails?"  Tails looked down at the table, not moving, for two whole minutes.  Amy was worried she had made him depressed or that he might be about to panic.  She breathed a sigh of relief after Tails looked up and took a deep breath, then spoke.

"Amy. . . it's not that. . . I can't love. . . it's just that. . . I don't know how. . . or with who. . ."  He was trying to explain himself, but he wasn't sure what words to use, and took deep breaths to keep calm.  "It feels like something's wrong or missing. . . all the time. . . and I know that's what it is. . . I just don't know how to start again. . ."

"It's okay, Tails. . ."  Amy smiled and put her hand on his, which made him blush even more.  "I know all about love, and I'll help you. . . and so will Cream. . ."  She gave another not-so-subtle wink.  Tails nervously looked down and saw Amy's hand on his, gently moving his own towards him, which made Amy release her hand.  "Sorry, Tails, you're just so much fun to tease. . ."  Tails merely sighed and went back to eating.  Amy frowned and ate quickly.  She felt like between the teasing about Cream and asking him to start love, she opened up old wounds.  Tails tried to eat normally, and acted like he was fine, but Amy knew better.  She mentally berated herself for it, promising to make it up to Tails later.

After some cleaning up and making sure Amy had all her things, the two were off to Cream's house.  There was an awkward silence the entire trip, each of them lost in their own thoughts.  Tails was nervous about this trip, but knew it was for the best, while Amy was concerned with how to make this up to Tails.  She was considering taking him out to eat somewhere, and wherever she thought of going, images of the two of them being there would flash in her mind.  Why do I keep thinking it would be a date?  She thought to herself.  I'm ready to move on, but I don't think he is yet, and that's not right to force it on him.  Besides, he's just a good friend, he doesn't think of me like that anyways.  Her mind was forced back to reality upon landing and she and Tails went to Cream's house.  Tails knocked, a bag of candy held close in one hand, and both looked on, almost in a trance.  Vanilla came to the door after a moment.

"Amy!  Tails!"  She bent down and gave each of them a hug.  "So good to see both of you!"

"You, too, Miss Vanilla!"  Amy said as she returned her hug.

"Thank you, Miss Vanilla."  Tails said as he hugged her, but he scanned around the house, looking for Cream.

"Come in, come in. . ."  Vanilla gestured for them to follow and stepped inside, and Tails and Amy followed.  "Cream!  Amy and Tails are here!"  They all heard a squeal of delight, and Cream dashed out of her room to meet them.

"TAILS!"  Cream gave Tails a running glomp/tackle combination, sending him to the ground, and leaving him dizzy, confused, and needing air.  Once he realized what had happened, he gently hugged Cream back.

"It's good to see you, too, Cream."  Tails's voice was soft, happy, and sincere, and brought a tear to both Amy's and Vanilla's eyes.

"Now, Cream, let the poor boy up.  I know you're glad to see him, but he does need to breathe."  Vanilla gently added, and Cream got off of him and helped him up.  Her eyes went to the bag of candy Tails had, but Tails spoke first.

"Thanks, Cream."  Tails smiled and gently patted his fur back down.  "But where's--?"  Right on cue, Cheese flew in behind Cream, confused at the commotion.

"Chaooooooooo!"  ("Hi, Tails!")  Cheese also gave Tails a hug, which caused Tails to chuckle and pat Cheese on the head.

"Awww, hi, Cheese."  Tails said.  Vanilla then remembered Amy's large suitcase.
 
"Are you going on a trip somewhere, Amy?  That's an awful lot of things for one suitcase."

"Well. . . that's kinda why I came here, Miss Vanilla. . ."  She looked at the ground and sighed.

"What's wrong, Amy?"  Cream spoke up, stepping closer, so she was a few inches from Amy.  Amy took a deep breath.

"Well. . ."  She found it difficult to start, but she soon told them everything that happened during and after meeting Sonic near the edge of town.  Cream was shocked not only by Sonic's behavior, but at her spending the night at Tails's house instead of at hers.  Amy was a frequent guest and close friend of Cream's, and Cream looked up to her like a big sister.  Cream had tears in her eyes by the end of the story.

"I can't believe Sonic would do something like that. . . but at least he was sorry and you forgive him. . ."  Cream tried for a smile, but couldn't do it.  She turned to Tails.

"Thank you for taking care of her, Tails, you're really nice. . ."  She shyly looked away, as did Tails.

"Aww, it was nothing , Cream. . . I'm just glad she's okay. . ."  Tails muttered.

"So, Miss  Vanilla, is it all right if I stay here, at least for tonight?"  Amy could barely look up to meet Vanilla's eyes.

"Of course, dear.  Will you be staying, too, Tails?"  Vanilla glanced at Tails, and Cream looked hopeful.

"No, sorry. . . I need to get back to work. . . I didn't get much done while Amy was over. . ."  Tails stepped back slightly, and Cream looked sad as she heard the news, but nodded in acceptance.  She ran up to Tails and hugged him tightly, and whispered into his ear.

"Are. . . you. . . okay. . .?"  There was a lot of urgency in her voice, clearly saying each word, speaking as though Tails was on the brink of death.

"Yeah. . . yeah, Cream.  I'm fine.  I'm sorry. . . I made you worry.  I didn't know how to tell you anything.  But I'm much better now, thanks to Amy."  Tails also spoke quietly, but everyone was paying attention, and they all heard him.  Amy beamed at the compliment, and Vanilla looked concerned, but Tails continued to speak.  "Oh, and. . . this is for you. . . I hope it makes up for me being, well, away for all that time."  He handed her the bag of candy, and she took it, smiling and hugging him again.

"Thank you, Tails. . ."  She muttered, gently nuzzling his fur, causing him to blush.  Tails tried to say something else, but merely stuttered.

"Cream, dear, why don't you let him go now?  It was wonderful seeing you again, Tails, you look so happy now. . ."  Vanilla smiled and Tails smiled back, giving a polite bow to Vanilla, which she returned.

"Th-Thank you, Miss Vanilla."  He gave Cheese a friendly hug, then Amy a friendly hug that was held longer than usual, then he waved goodbye to everyone and left.  They all waved and bid him farewell.

"Amy, why don't you go to our guest bedroom and unpack?  Then you can Cream can catch up on things. . . oh, we just finished dinner before you arrived, are you hungry, dear?"  Vanilla turned towards the kitchen.

"I will.  And, no, thank you, I made Tails those enchiladas that Ella used to make.  We ate just before we left to come here."  Amy took her suitcase into the guest room, accompanied by Cream, who closed the door after the two of them entered.  "Thank you both so much for taking me in.  It's been a rough couple of days, and I'm glad you two can help me with this. . ."  Amy began humming a tune to herself as she unpacked.  Cream, however, was standing at the door, looking serious.  She hadn't moved since the two of them got into the room.  "Cream?  What is it?"

"Amy. . . we need to talk. . ."