A/N: I had to write this chapter practically all over again from scratch because 1/3 of it was saved on the laptop WHICH DOES NOT COME ON! ^_^ But, whatever, here's the next chap. Now you know what took so long ^^ And I decided to split it up into two parts. There was so much going on, I didn't want too much confusion. Enjoy!

Framing the Shadow: Chapter 5 (Part 1)

Later than night, the heat of rage had subsided and dissipated into the cool air of dusk.

The four of them sat around a campfire in silence. The arid crackling from the dancing flame and the ambient sounds of the forest at night were the only sounds between them.

With his mind thinking random thoughts, Sonic's eyes wondered aimlessly into the wavering flames. Dark and clouded amethyst eyes stared back at him.

'Knuckles…' Sonic uttered in his mind. Reading his vacant stare, Sonic could tell that his thoughts were too scattered to realize where his eyes were.

Sympathetically, Sonic lowered his eyes, feeling sorry for Knuckles' heavy heart, then lifted his gaze to the star studded velvet above.

"Sonic…" Tails called softly.

"Yeah Tails…?" the hedgehog replied, turning to the little fox.

"Do you think we'll ever make it off this island?"

The cobalt hedgehog, whose fur took on a fiery orange tint from the flame, slowly looked upto his comrade. Not knowing how to answer, Sonic tried to smile. "We will. We just have to."

Tails knew that Sonic was trying to cheer him up, and smiled faintly. He then led his glistening eyes upto the sky, hoping Sonic's words would come true.

Wishing he could give a better answer, Sonic eyed Tails for a moment before turning back to the flame, and there he met eyes with Knuckles.

They two eyed each other for a moment, without saying a word. Knuckles slightly nodded to Sonic, while the hedgehog replied with a light smirk. That was their own way of letting the other know that their previous dispute had been set aside and they were again on good terms.

"Hey, Sonic..." Amy's soft voice brought Sonic's attention to her.

"Yeah, Amy?"

"Can you really guarantee that we'll make it off here? Even if we do somehow manage to leave with a machine, we could still be stuck in the middle of nowhere with no leads."

"That's true, but Eggman was with us when we landed, and he's not here. That gives us a possibility to leave too." Tails spoke up, glancing to Amy.

"I know, but even though Eggman WAS with us, and probably left us here for dead, that doesn't mean that he made it off either."

Tails frowned a little. "Yeah, but, what about Rouge? She was on the ARK too and left the same time we did, but where is-"

"Hold it, Tails!" Sonic called, trying to shush his buddy and tossed a guilty glance at Knuckles.

Knuckles frowned at the mention of Rouge, and felt upset with himself for letting her escape, but he was becoming more upset with Sonic trying to change the subject. Abruptly, he stood up and turned his back to them. "Forget it, Sonic." He uttered with a hint of a growl, then walked off toward the uncharted depths of the forest. "I need to clear my mind, anyway…"

"Well, how rude!" Amy exclaimed, crossing her arms as she watched him leave.

"Let him go, Amy…" Sonic sighed.

With a mock pout, Amy looked to Sonic. "Even if he is troubled, he shouldn't keep wandering off and moping around like he's the last man on Earth!"

"What's wrong with Knuckles?" Tails asked, slightly above a whisper, feeling as if he did something wrong to make Knuckles leave. "Was it something I said?"

"Nah, you didn't do anything wrong, buddy." Sonic said reassuringly to Tails. Seeing his young friend return to his normal bright-eyed self, Sonic smiled to him, then looked off in the direction where Knuckles left. With a nonchalant shrug, he sighed. "As for Knuckles, don't worry about him. He'll be allright."

"Then…why did he get so upset when I mentioned Rouge's name?"

Amy groaned and threw Tails an irritated look. "Don't you get it?! Knuckles is in love!"

"Wh-what?! Love?!" Tails exclaimed, his ears perking up. Bashfully, he twisted his tails together and tugged at them. "With who…?"

"With Rouge, that's who!" Amy shot back. "It's so obvious! He's got it written all over his face!"

With a chuckle, Sonic nodded to Tails. "Yeah, I agree with Amy one that one. The poor guy's lost in his own thoughts. Hm. I guess the song is true. 'When a man loves a woman, he can't keep his mind on nothin' else' "

"Oh.." Tails uttered, a slight blush rising to his face. Embarrassed, he returned his eyes back to the lucid flame.

"That's right! And if even Knuckles of all people can fall in love, then the same can go for you, Sonic!" Amy chirped, snuggling closer to Sonic and looping her arm around his.

Sonic smiled nervously, and inched away from Amy a little. "Erm…yeah it does! But, I don't plan on settling down anytime soon. I'd like to live a bachelor's life as long as I can!"

"Oh, is that so…?" Amy questioned, her voice lowering in an alluring tone. "Well then, I'll just have to give you something that'll make loving me worth your while…"

With a jolt, Sonic leapt to his feet. "Say WHAT?!"

Amy, not knowing of the double meaning in her words, also jumped up and hit Sonic in the arm. "What's the matter with you, Sonic?! I was just going to make you a lunch!"

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Just a 'lunch', huh?" He then inched away from her. "I wonder about you sometimes…"

"Huh?" Tails innocently questioned, looking between the two of them. "I don't get it."

With a syrupy sweet smile, Amy turned to Tails. "Oh, one day when a beautiful woman confuses you and uses you as a form of entertainment, you'll understand!"

Blinking, Tails gave Amy a look that claimed her words went right over his head. "Wha?"

"Er, allright you two!" Sonic announced, a little nervously "I think it's time we call it a night!"

"Yeah" Tails agreed, yawning. "I am a bit tired…"

Amy giggled and grabbed Sonic's arm again. "Sounds great to me! Besides, I know who I'm sleeping with!"

Sonic cringed at the double meaning in her words again, and tried to pry her off of him. "A-Amy, watch what you say…"

Looking at them with wary eyes, Tails yawned again, then lay on his side and tried to get comfortable. " Tomorrow, I'll make sure that I'll have a machine ready so we can leave this island. Could you wake me up first thing in the morning, so I can get an early start, Sonic?"

Admiring his friend's enthusiasm to help in any way he could, Sonic smiled at Tails and gave him a wink. "Don't worry buddy. Getting your rest is most important right now. You can start working whenever you're ready."

With a beaming smile, Tails gave Sonic a thumbs up, then turned on his other side and prepared for dreamland.

"Sonic…" Amy almost pleaded, tugging on Sonic's arm. "Hurry up and lay down with me!"

Sonic hesitated from the double meaning in Amy's words again, but shrugged it off. "Allright, allright…I'm coming…" he sighed, laying down.

The moment his back touch the ground, Amy practically fell onto his chest and snuggled upto him. Once comfortable, she sighed and draped an arm across his chest, closing her eyes.

"Ah…This is a dream come true! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!"

Wordless for a moment, Sonic looked to Amy, who appeared quite pleased and smiled faintly. "I'm…glad you're happy, Amy.."

"Mmm…" she mumbled, already falling fast asleep.

Feeling a warm smile curve his lips, he slid an arm around her, then lifted his eyes to the vast diamond-dazzled sky above him.

"…I hope he finds it…"

*

Steadily flying through the cool night sky, Rouge continued her trek to her place. With a yawn, she lazily cupped her hand over her mouth, then rubbed her eyes. "Ugh, this trip is taking longer than I thought!"

"…Hm. Someone's getting tired."

With a groan, Rouge scoffed, then gave her wings another flap. "…Yeah well, I don't see you busting your spiky tail to fly across three countries in one day."

There was a pause, then a dry laugh by Shadow.

Even though it sounded odd to hear him laugh, Rouge was beyond tired to let it bother her flying. "What now?" She yawned.

" Sorry if I seem a little arid, Rouge. I can wait."

Rouge sighed, and lowered her altitude to seamlessly dodge a series of trees as she flew. "Speak for yourself. You should be more tired than I am. Although your days don't seem to involve much activity."

Shadow scoffed. "You don't need to insult me…"

Rouge sighed. "I'm not trying to Shadow, it's just…Well, what's wrong with you anyway?"

"…I think my right leg is broken…"

Rouge winced at Shadow's words, while trying to keep her mind focused on dodging darkened trees. "Oh…I'm sorry…"

There was a cough. "…And also my left shoulder is dislocated…The pain is too excruciating to try to put it back in place. I've already tried…"

"That's…not good, Shadow… You should try to rest."

Shadow chuckled dryly. "I would if I could close my eyes just once without feeling the pain rip through my body. Laying in this rough and itchy grass on a dislocated shoulder from trying to pop it back in place for hours…I wish I could close my eyes…" He coughed. "…I'm tired of seeing my own blood…"

"Oh, Shadow…" Rouge mumbled, starting to feel sympathy for him. "I understand your pain, but stop torturing yourself. It doesn't take a genius to realize that despite the pain you say you've been going through, that you managed to pick up some kind of communicator to contact me. So, if you were able to enter my frequency with one of your good hands or feet, or whatever body part, then…" She lowered her voice, so Shadow wouldn't get any hint that she was really sorry for him, and touched that he managed to call her before trying much of anything else. "…You should be able to gather the strength that you have and pull yourself up."

"…Pull myself up, huh…?"

"That's what I said. And besides…" Rouge began, trying to cheer him up, "…it would be a serious dent in your pride if you want to keep calling yourself the Ultimate Life-form."

"The Ultimate Life…" A faint sound came from Shadow that almost sounded like a laugh-A broken one, but a laugh, nonetheless. "…You're encouraging me? This is new."

Rouge chuckled, and flapped her wings a little faster than before to catch the faint air currents that barely remained. "I know you don't mind. …Do you?"

There was a pause before Shadow spoke. "No…not at all. It'll help keep my mind off the pain."

Rouge winced. "Eh? So is that why he called me…?" Rouge whispered to herself, barely missing flying into a tree.

Shadow coughed. "What? You're murmuring, Rouge."

Blushing lightly, that she was heard, she quickly tried to change the subject. "Hey, Shadow?"

"Yes?"

"Not to sound rude or anything, but why do you keep coughing…?"

Just to be amusing, Shadow coughed for Rouge. "…I think I caught a cold…"

"What?!" Rouge had to control herself from laughing. Just the mere fact of the Ultimate Life-form sick with the common cold got her a little amused. "Sorry to hear that, dear..."

Shadow scoffed, but was really holding back a chuckle of his own. "Uh huh…" he said sarcastically.

'Hmm I guess he's not so bad…' Rouge thought to herself. Finding herself yawning again, she hovered in one spot as she covered her mouth.

"…Cover your mouth…"

"I am!" Rouge retaliated, yawning again. Rubbing a drowsy eye, she looked around. "It's really getting too dark to fly through these trees. I'll probably have to rest until morning." She paused for a moment. "Will you be able to hold up?"

There was a pause from Shadow, then he sighed. "I'll live." He stated gravely.

Rouge raised an eyebrow. "Well that's reassuring. Anyway, I'll just take a nap until early morning…or noon. Mind you, I'd rather not have this communicator on while I'm sleeping." She half-smiled, then whispered: "Who knows what kick you'd get out of hearing me snooze."

Pretending like he didn't hear her whispering, Shadow scoffed. "I don't care if you snore, Rouge."

"I do NOT snore!"

"How would you know, if you're asleep?"

"Well I…" Rouge trailed off.

"…Unless…"

"No one ELSE has been there to tell me, I just …don't snore, and we'll leave it at that!"

"Heh. Fine by me."

"Why you…" Rouge said, starting to lower her altitude and landing. "That's it! You're getting turned off."

Shadow scoffed. "Who said I was ever turned on…?"

Blushing wildly, Rouge raised a fist. She could almost see the smug little smirk on Shadow's face! "Why you--!!! You---!"

Shadow laughed. "I was kidding. Call it humor."

"And an odd attempt it was."

"Anyway, just call me whenever you wake up."

A coy smile crept across Rouge's lips. "You're a slick one, Shadow. I'll have to keep my eyes on you…"

"Funny, I should be saying the same thing about you. But that's enough."

"Uh huh…." Rouge hummed, quite amused.

"…Good night, Rouge."

"Night."

And with a touch of a button on her earpiece, their communication was shut off.

Yawning again, with a stretch, Rouge lazily looked around for any comfortable places to rest.

"It's so dark out here, now…" She commented, passing through the trees. Before long, she managed to make it to a clearing. The faint scent of burned wood was in the air. "Hmm what have we here…?" she mused, walking up towards the spot where Sonic and the others had made camp.

Recognizing the hedgehogs and the little fox fast asleep, Rouge found it almost hard to hold back a playful giggle.

"Hmm…the tabloids would have a field day with this one. But I'll leave their privacy alone, for now." She smirked.

Just as she began to take another step, Amy, who was half-asleep, immediately sat up and drowsily looked around.

In a flash, Rouge had hid herself behind a tree with her back pressed against it.

Still scanning the surroundings with sleepy tears on the corners of her eyes, Amy wrinkled her nose. "…There's something old…and creepy around here that needs cleaning…" She shuddered. "Gives me the chills…" Aimlessly, her eyes trailed down to Sonic, who she instantly recognized and snuggled into his arms. "Nothing else matters now…" And after that, she was again fast asleep.

Behind the tree, Rouge crossed her arms and scoffed. "Old and creepy? That little brat is lucky she's with Sonic, or else I wouldn't hesitate to kick her little-"

>blip blip!<

"What?" Rouge wondered, then smiled as she recognized the sound. "Hmm Just my luck! Looks like there's an emerald nearby!" Cheerfully, she pulled out her emerald radar and checked it.

Giving one last glance to Amy and the others, Rouge half-smiled, then took off in the direction of the forest. But instead of going inside the thick tangled mass of trees, Rouge unraveled her wings and took to the skies yet again. "That emerald is as good as mine!"

To Be Continued!

And no, I don't plan on making Amy and Sonic a couple. Maybe in another story ^^

-Mel