A/N:  Ha!  Thought y'all wouldn't see me again, didn't ya!  I was just stalled on ideas, that's all.  Anyways, this'll wrap this up.

Author:  (Inside Gundam X's cockpit) How long is he gonna try?

Shadow:  (Shrugs) Probably until he runs out of ammunition.

Author:  He's wasting his time.  This is a Gundam, after all.  (View screen shows Sonic standing outside with a rocket launcher on his shoulder, firing rocket after rocket, and doing no damage whatsoever) Told ya.  Now, to wrap this up.  Pass the bud, Shadow!

Shadow:  (blinks) But, we're in a phone booth with no ventilation!  We'll suffocate!

Author:  I'll open the cockpit every now and then.  Now, let's go!

            Miami, Florida U.S.A.  Amy's apartment.  February 13, 2003.  6:07 P.M.  Only seven hours, 53 minutes remain…

      Sonic was playing Halo, and Kristen watching TV in Amy's room.  Amy was still at work.  In addition to her test being right after she got off, she would get be getting back late.

      For the blue hedgehog, it was now or never time.  Valentine's Day was less than a day away, and if he wanted to make himself scarce, he'd have to do so soon.  But, as he was blasting away Covenant and Flood forces in Halo, he was stuck at indecision.  If he decided to take off, Amy would probably hate him for a good while, but he'd be able to concentrate on fighting Eggman.  If he didn't, and if he let his true feelings out, well, he might have a distraction that's both wanted and unwanted:  love.

      But, he didn't have time for that.  Ever since the war on terror began, Sonic had to acknowledge that today's world had become more dangerous than he originally thought, especially with Eggman's activities escalating.  He wanted nobody to cry for him if he ever gets killed, Amy included.  When he thought back to her crying when he was trapped in that capsule at the ARK, he almost thought about calling it quits.

      But, that wasn't an option.

      He'd have to keep fighting until Eggman is neutralized, either voluntarily, or by force.  And for that, he'd need to be on top of his game.

      Which meant no distractions… that meant he couldn't fall in love.  Damn!  That meant to benefit everyone else, he'd have to hurt Amy… and himself.

      Wait a second!  Wasn't she always a distraction?  He had to chase her through Twinkle Park, search for her throughout Station Square (A/N:  I wanted to find a real life substitute for SS, but none came to mind), and rescue her from the first Egg Carrier.  All of that sidetracked him during that particular mission.  But still, things turned out okay.  But, to counter that, his feelings for her weren't as strong then, as now.  Now, the distraction was bigger.

      "Dammit!"  Sonic cursed loudly as his thinking distracted him from the game, resulting in him being blown up by a rocket launcher.  Even now, she was distracting him.  He'd have to sort this out, and here wasn't the place.  He got up to turn off the X-Box.  "Kristen, I'm leavin'!"

      The girl immediately came running out of the back.  "Where're you going?!  You're not gonna take off on her, are you?"  When Sonic didn't answer, she pleaded.  "Promise you won't run off!"

      Sonic just looked at her.  "I can't keep that promise.  I may be back, I may not."  With that, he opened the door.

      "What's that supposed to mean?"  Kristen asked.

      "Just take it at face value!"  Sonic answered as he ran down the hall.

      Kristen sighed as she closed the door.  "He's taking off.  Poor Amy…"

            Miami, Florida U.S.A.  Broadway Billiards.  10:17 P.M.  Only one hour, 43 minutes remain…

      Playing pool was the only way Sonic could clearly collect his thoughts.  He wasn't the best pool player, and never claimed to be.  But, he was a respectable player.  And that's why he was now frustrated that he wasn't able to sink a single ball in four tries—make that five tries.

      Sonic looked up from his table and saw someone familiar.  A Latino male in a Navy uniform.  It finally came to him.  "Hey, Vasquez!"  (A/N:  If you read my last story, he was part of SEAL Team 3)

      Vasquez looked toward the voice's origin.  "Hey!  What's up, Sonic?"  The Navy SEAL walked to Sonic, and the two shook hands.  "Hey, barkeep?  Get this guy a beer!

      "Ain't much goin' on."  Sonic chalked up his cue stick, lined up his shot at the four-ball and fired, sinking it into a corner pocket.  "Hey, you wanna play a game?  Two dollars a ball?"

      "Make it three."

      Sonic grinned.  "Bet!  I'm breaking, though."

      "Fine."

      Vasquez racked up the balls in the triangle, rolling it a couple of times on the table.  "I see you've been well since Operation Blackbeard."  He observed, and he removed the triangle.

      Sonic laughed a little.  "Maybe.  Right now, I'm in a little bit of a fix."  He started, lining up his break shot.

      "'Bout what?"

      Sonic broke the triangle, scattering balls all over the table, and sinking the ten-ball.  "This ain't the place for it, but what the hell."  He slid one bead across the string over the pool table.  "Love."

     Vasquez grinned.  "Woman troubles, eh?  Who is it?"

      Sonic lined up another shot, hoping to sink the seven-ball into a side pocket.  "Remember Amy from Blackbeard?"  He fired his shot, but his cue stick just glanced off the cue ball and he cursed, stepping back.

      Vasquez nodded, lining up the same shot.  "Oh, her?  Oh!"  He fired the shot; this time having better luck than Sonic, and the shot sank.  "So?  What's the deal?"  He moved the bead back to the center of the string.

      Sonic sighed.  "Alright, it's like this.  Ever since I saved her life many years ago, she's been head over heels over me.  Before, I shrugged her off because I thought it was just hero worship, or some crap like that.  But, I guess over the years, I saw that it was something deeper.  I especially noticed right before Operation Blackbeard, when the mission was delayed."  He watched Vasquez take his shot, which went just wide of the side pocket, and he scanned for a clear shot.  "We'd been friends for a while, and since the ARK incident in San Francisco about a year and a half ago, she's gotten more mature.  Yet, she's still the Amy I know.  I know without a doubt that she loves me.  I like her, but I don't know how deep my feelings run.  It might be love."  He took aim for the three-ball for the corner pocket, fired, sank it, and moved the bead to his side.

      Vasquez shrugged.  "So… what's keeping you from telling her?"

      The hedgehog shook his head.  "I can't afford to fall in love yet, not until Eggman is dealt with.  It's a distraction.  It can affect your judgment.  And in the risky business we're in, you can't afford distractions in the field.  Also, I don't want her, or anyone crying over me if I buy it some day."  He took a shot for the two-ball to the corner pocket, but missed wide.

      Vasquez moved to line up a shot.  "That's all that's holding you back?!  That ain't a good enough reason.  She likes you.  You like her.  So, go for it!"

      Sonic looked at him incredulously.  "Did you not hear a word I said?"

       "Look, homes.  I have a girlfriend."  Vasquez started, sinking the six-ball in the corner pocket, and moving the bead back to the center.  "She knows the dangers of the life I chose, and accepted it.  Amy hasn't once said to stop fighting Robotnik, right?"

      Sonic nodded.  "Right."

      "Well, that means she also recognizes the dangers of your lifestyle, and will stand with you through thick and thin, better and worse, and all that other shit.  And about you saying that love is a distraction?"  Vasquez aimed for the fourteen-ball in a far corner pocket, but missed wide left.

      "What about it?"

      "Well, think of it this way.  The way I see it, it's all the more reason to stay alive.  You got someone waiting for you to come home.  You don't want someone to cry for you if you get killed?  Then, don't get killed.  Make sure that you stay alive.  Don't get careless with your life."  Vasquez looked at his watch.  "Oh, damn!  It's 2230 hours!  I promised my honey I'd be back by eleven.  We'd have to finish this game later, Sonic."

      The two shook hands again.  "Alright then, Vasquez.  Take it easy.  And thanks for the beer."

      "You, too.  Good luck!"  With that, the SEAL put his cue stick on the table, and left.

      Sonic set his stick on the table, and went to his waiting plate of ribs, buffalo wings, and his beer.  "All the more reason to stay alive, huh?"  He mumbled.  After thinking while eating his dinner, he made up his mind, and took a deep breath.  "It's decided!"

            Amy's apartment.  11:02 P.M.  Only 58 minutes remain…

      Amy unlocked her door and opened it, revealing the front room empty except for Kristen, who was watching TV on the couch.  She frowned.  Sonic wasn't here.  He would've been asleep on the couch by now.  "Hey, where's Sonic?"  Amy asked, fearful that the blue hedgehog had skipped town.

      Kristen didn't answer immediately.  "Well, he said he was heading out, and that was at around six o'clock.  I haven't seen him since."

      Amy sighed.  Did he go into hiding this year, as well?  Her hopes were higher than normal.  She thought for sure, that with the recent turn of events, that this Valentine's Day would be different.  Old habits die hard, she thought, sullenly.

      Seeing that Amy was now sullen, Kristen tried to cheer her up.  "I can't say for sure if he was going to hide somewhere.  It's not like he can hide anywhere, right?  His apartment's burned out for another day, and there's no space to stay at that one place, right?  Besides, nothing's been decided yet."

      Amy smiled at her efforts.  "Thanks for the reassurance, kiddo.  Now, let's get to bed.  It's only Thursday."  With that, the two headed for the back room to go to sleep.  I hope you're right, Kris.  Amy thought to herself.

            Downtown Miami, Florida.  6:27 A.M.  Valentine's Day.

      "I am taking a big gambit," Sonic muttered, returning from a florist with a couple of roses.  As you guessed it, Vasquez's words had persuaded him to face his feelings head on.  He had come back to Amy's place undetected late last night, and had left undetected.  For all she knew, he could have skipped town on her.  "I am taking a very big gambit."  He repeated.  From here on out, it wouldn't be business as usual for him with Amy.  Where would this take them?

      He eased his bike around the corner to where Amy's apartment complex was.  He saw that her car wasn't there.  "Oh, that's right!  She took Kristen to school."  He parked his bike in the garage behind his complex, and ran across the street to Amy's complex.

            Amy's apartment.  Same time.

      During the time it took to get to her apartment, Sonic had mentally written out an entire speech to say to Amy, about his feelings for her, how he was stupid for running from her, etc.  He thought she'd be back momentarily, so he just sat on the couch with the roses in his hand.  However, it only took about ten minutes before he fell asleep, the roses still in his hand.

      Some time later, he felt something light and soft incessantly caressing his cheek, but it wasn't enough to wake him.  At first, he thought it was his shirt collar, but when it began to softly tickle his neck, he knew something was amiss.  He cracked open one eye, and bolted upright in surprise when it focused on Amy grinning, kneeling with one of his roses in her hand, and gently tracing it along his cheek and neck. 

      Sonic couldn't form any words in his mouth to speak.  Worse yet, it seemed his mind turned into an etch-and-sketch, and erased his entire speech from memory when he bolted upright.  So, Amy took initiative.  "Good morning, Sonikku."  She said softly.

      "A-A-Amy!"  Sonic got up and started to pace, trying to clear his jumbled mind.  Damn!  And he had an entire speech planned.  It would've helped if he hadn't fallen asleep.  "Uhh… um, I."  He hit himself in the head, as if that would get his brain to function better and took a deep breath.  To begin with, he presented her with the other rose.  "Y'know, I had an entire speech written in my head."  For the first time, he noticed that the roses were close to the same color as Amy's quills.

      She smiled, accepting the rose, and placing it in a vase.  "Oh, yeah?"

      He took a deep breath, resting both hands on her shoulders.  "Yeah.  Remember Vasquez from Operation Blackbeard?"  When Amy nodded, he continued.  "Well, I met him at the pool hall yesterday, and we talked.  He gave me some sage advice, advice that convinced me to deal with my feelings head on."  He laughed a little before adding.  "To tell you the truth, before the talk I was scared of potentially how deep my feelings could be, and the consequences.  For that, I'm an idiot."

      Amy blinked.  "Consequences?"

      Sonic nodded.  "Yeah.  At first, I feared that falling in love would distract me from fighting Eggman, and I didn't want you agonizing over me if I get killed someday.  That was the reason I tried to avoid getting close."

      Amy nodded understandingly.  After a while, she spoke.  "Being in love can also make you stronger, you know.  Also, I've gotten a lot stronger since ARK.  I know how dangerous your world can be.  I accepted that when I decided to be a part of everyone's life."

      Sonic blinked.  "Heh.  Y'know, Vasquez pretty much said the same thing to me.  Anyways, I think you made your feelings for me clear over the years."  He paused again.  "Only mine aren't that clear."

      Smiling a little, Amy took his hands in hers.  "Y'know, that's pretty much what Kristen told me."

      "She told you, huh?"  Sonic smiled a little.  For a while, the two just gazed at each other, still holding hands.  It was then when his feelings became crystal clear.  He did love her after all.  But, it was no longer in a brotherly way.  But, now, the kind shared between a man and a woman.  "Y'know, I wanna make up for all of the V-14 Days that I skirted on you."  Their faces unconsciously drifted closer.

      "Oh, really?"  She said coyly.  "And how do you plan to do that?"  She had a pretty good idea of what he was planning from the proximity of his face to hers.

      Okay, point of no return, Sonic thought.  Chips are down.  It's all or nothing.  He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and their lips met.

      Amy felt her knees give way at first and she wrapped her arms around him for support.  At first, the kiss started out soft and virginal, but as it continued, it became more and more passionate.  The only thing that kept it from going on was the need for air, and the two reluctantly parted after about a minute.  "I love you, Sonikku.  I always have."

      That single kiss reinforced Sonic's feelings for her.  There was no mistaking it, now.  "I love you, Amy."

      She leapt for joy inwardly.  She finally had his affection, and after attempting after several long years of futility.  She smiled up at him, hugging him tighter.  "Remember when I said that things happen for a reason when your apartment caught fire?"

      He chuckled.  "Oh, yeah.  I also said if that was divine intervention, I wanted another God.  Well, everything worked out.  He's still okay in my book."

      After a while, she spoke softly.  "Happy Valentine's Day, Sonikku."

      "Right back at you, Ames."

Author:  *HACK* *WHEEZE*  *COUGH* It's too smoky in here.  I'm opening the cockpit.  (Opens cockpit, only for Sonic to grab both occupants by the throat and hold in the air.)

Sonic:  YOU!!  I will stay single, even if I have to—"

Author:  (choking) Too late, man.  It's already in the books.  You're spoken for!

Sonic:  (Drops author) Damn!  (Looks at Shadow) Then, I can at least take out your supplier!

Author:  Too late for that!  We're goin' back to rehab, son.

Sonic:  (Drops Shadow) Damn!  Well, I'm still gonna work you over for this!

Author:  Lay one finger on me, and I'll have you and Amy in front of the altar!  (Sonic stops.) And believe me, it'll hurt me more than it'll hurt you.  I wanna get back to writing about big guns and killing just as much as you do.

Sonic:  Fine.  I'll let you go this time.  (Runs off)

Author:  (Gets back in cockpit) Well, now to get back to rehab so that I'll be back in my right mind.  (Gundam X flies off)

BOOYAH!!!  I did it!  My first romance.  I gotta admit it was pretty hard for me to write this since I'm nowhere near a romantic.  Anyways, leave your comments and such in review form, please.  Also, I have another story in the works.  Of course, the Miami gang will return, with Rouge, and I'm almost sure that Nack, or Fang, or whoever you call him will play a key part in my next story.  Tentative title:  Love The Treason… But Hate The Traitor.  Till next time, Peace!