She took a shaky breath, her nerves getting the better of her. She wiped her palms on her dress. Sweaty. Not attractive. She didn't want to have sweaty hands when she shook this guy's hand. She contemplated turning around and walking straight home to put on sweatpants and watch a cheesy romantic comedy, but she wore her prettiest red dress with her favorite boots (they were good luck). She had even curled her quills and adorned some makeup. She couldn't waste looking this hot by ditching this guy that Rouge had gone out of her way to set her up with.

A blind date.

Honestly, she had no idea why she agreed to this date in the first place. Everyone knew blind dates never worked out. She chewed her lip in anticipation as she arrived at the restaurant. The Emerald. Rouge had told her to look out for a hedgehog in a brown scarf. That would be the signal that he was her date. That, and of course he would be sitting by himself.

She didn't have to look for long. She spotted a blue hedgehog seated on the patio outside by himself, a brown scarf wrapped around his neck like a handkerchief. Questionable fashion choice, but it was definitely the guy she was supposed to be on a date with. She worked up her nerve, head held high with confidence, and sauntered over to the table with her sexiest walk.

"Hello," she said as she slid into the empty seat opposite the blue hedgehog. She flashed her best smile and stuck out her hand in front of her. "I'm Amy. It's nice to meet you."

"Oh, um…hey." Green eyes crinkled at the seams, glancing her over like she was a puzzle that needed to be solved. He extended his hand to reach hers. His grip was strong, but gentle enough that he didn't crush her fingers. "Sonic." He let go of her hand, taking the menu back his.

Sonic. She played the name over in her mind as she looked him over. He was cute. Handsome even. He had a strong jaw line, and she could see his muscles flex nonchalantly across the table as he put the menu down. Maybe it was a good thing she hadn't cancelled after all, she thought wistfully. He was quiet, but maybe he was the shy type?

His eyes met hers. Crap. He caught her practically ogling him. Her face flushed with embarrassment in a shade she was sure matched the color of her dress. So much for subtlety.

"Mind if I steal that menu? If you're done, I mean. I don't have one."

Sonic blinked at her, eyebrows furrowed. "Um, sure?"

"Thanks," Amy said as she grabbed the menu, looking it over. "Have you eaten here before?"

"I eat here every week."

"Oh," she said, surprise lacing her voice. "What's good to eat here then?"

"Chili dogs."

She belted out a laugh that bordered on a snort before she could stop herself. "Chili dogs?"

"Yes," he said with a serious expression, leaning forward on the table. "They have the best chili dogs in town."

Amy didn't even have a response for that. What kind of date food was chili dogs? "I see. I'll take your word on that one."

A waitress came around, stopping short when she saw the pink hedgehog now occupying the empty seat. "Oh," she said, "I'm sorry, Sonic. I didn't realize you were expecting company." She turned her attention to Amy, "Can I get you something to drink?"

Amy blinked up at the waitress. Did Sonic not tell her he was on a date tonight? She shook the thought from her head. Sonic just said he ate here every week. She was probably just used to seeing him alone here. It probably never occurred to her that he could break out of routine and go on a date.

"Just a water for now, please."

"I'm ready to order," Sonic suddenly announced. "I'll take my usual, Sally."

Her mouth fell wide open as she gawked at him. He barely gave her time to look over the menu! The nerve of this guy. She felt her anger swell like the tide, ready to break onto the shore. Maybe her first impression of this guy was totally off. What a jerk.

"On second thought," said Amy in a tight voice, "I'll take a margarita on the rocks, salt rim." Chaos knows with the way this date was going, she was going to need the alcohol.

"Sure thing, hon," Sally, the waitress, said with a smile before giving a pointed look at Sonic. "I'll put your order of chili dogs in, Sonic."

"Thanks, Sally," he said with a smile.

Some of her anger melted away just watching that smile. What a smile. She could fall in love with a smile like that. He had a dimple on the right corner on his mouth, too. Cute.

"So, Sonic," she said clearing her throat, "what do you do for a living?"

"Huh?" his attention snapped back to her, like she was an afterthought. Like he forgot she was even there. "I'm a police officer."

"Really? You're like a real-life superhero," she grinned. She always did have a thing for a man in uniform.

He rubbed the back of his head, clearly embarrassed. "I guess."

Silence fell between the two of them. Amy played with her hands in her lap. This was sooo awkward! It was like he wasn't even trying to hold conversation with her. Did he not want to be here? Did he not want her to be here? She smoothed out her dress, glancing down. She noticed his feet were tapping against the cement in an unrhythmic manner. Nerves, perhaps? She also noticed he sported red shoes. She felt her lips spread out. He liked the color red, too, she supposed.

Sally had come back with her drink and took Amy's order. Thank Chaos, she needed a drink, and a break from this conversation, or lack thereof. She sipped through the straw and made a face. It was strong.

Sonic's voice shattered the silence. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, um," she tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "I actually just moved here not too long ago. I'm an archeologist and our team is here to excavate an area that was just discovered. We found what we believe to be a shrine that the echidna tribe used long ago when worshipping Chaos, the God of destruction." She scooted forward, elbows on the table, hands clasped together. "We don't know much about that period in time because echidnas are all but extinct. The ones who are still around don't know much about their culture because so much is speculation about what it was like thousands of years ago. The Echidna's were big on oral storytelling, meaning not a lot is written down about their history. Part of my job is to figure out their culture and what this shrine was used for. I'm thinking it has something to do with the Chaos Emeralds. There are seven pillars around one big one. Of course, we just started unearthing more, so I'll have to continue to do research and…I'm babbling. Gosh, I'm sorry."

Sonic's lips tugged out into a genuine smile that touched his eyes. Amusement danced on his features, like he was in on some sort of joke that she missed the punch line for. "It's nice to see someone so…passionate about what they do for a living."

She found a blush creeping its way back into her cheeks. She played with the straw in her drink. "That's a nice way of putting it," she said with an absent laugh. "I get made fun of all the time when I go spiraling on about work. I could talk for hours about archeology. But I won't," she quickly amended, "because I know most people think it's boring, and I don't want to bore you."

He titled his head to the side, lips forming a frown, like what she said was upsetting. "I don't think that's fair," he said with an earnest expression, "that people make fun of you for your passions. I like the way your eyes light up when you talk about what you love."

Be still my heart, Amy thought as her heart threatened to explode in her chest. What was this feeling? She felt warm all over. Probably the alcohol. She noticed she had already downed half of her drink. Her very strong drink. "Thank you for saying that."

"You know," Sonic said leaning back in his chair casually, "We actually have a chaos emerald at work right now. Just confiscated it as evidence against a Dr. Robotnik. The freak was using it for experiments."

"Shut up! You have a real-life chaos emerald in your office? Are you kidding me? Do you know how rare those things are? There are only seven of them. Rouge would kill to see that in person, she has a thing for jewels, but you know that," Amy waved her hand dismissively and ignored his raised eyebrow. "They say the emeralds have crazy amounts of power. It's no wonder that the Doctor was trying to use them for experiments. Not that what he did was right, especially if the police got involved. What are you guys going to do with it?"

"Right now, it's evidence against the case," Sonic said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'm not sure where it's going to go afterwards. I'm only in charge of capturing the bad guys."

Hand placed on her cheek, she sighed longingly. "What I wouldn't give to just look at that emerald just once! The historical significance…."

"Starting to sound like Egghead, there," he said with a chuckle.

"Who?"

"Ah, sorry. Dr. Robotnik. When I interrogated him all he could go on about was the scientific significance that emerald could bring. How lives could change," he snorted, but his eyes were solemn. Whoever this guy was, he was dangerous, Amy could tell just by watching him.

"Being compared to a criminal. Not exactly a shining moment in my book."

At this, Sonic barked a laugh. His head leaned back all the way and gripped his stomach. It was light and free, like the summer breeze. The sound made her whole body warm, and she thought how she could listen to that laugh all night. Forever, maybe. But that was ridiculous, it was just a first date.

This is your problem, Amy, she thought with a sigh, you fall too fast and too hard.

He startled her out of her thoughts. "You wanna know why I call him Egghead?"

"Why?"

"He's shaped like an egg! I call him Eggman to his face. Pisses him off to no end. His face gets beet red, and his beady little black eyes look like they're gonna pop out of his head. Even his head is egg-shaped. He's bald, and his head is really shiny. He even has this ridiculous mustache! It makes him look like a walrus."

Amy could just picture this outlandish person in her mind. She giggled into the palm of her hand, "He sounds…."

"Ridiculous?" Sonic supplied.

"Like some crazy evil villain from a comic book series."

"Oh yeah! I can totally see that."

"That would make you the protagonist," chimed Amy cheerfully. "The blue hedgehog who fights crime against evil villains trying to steal powerful emeralds."

Sonic rubbed under his nose thoughtfully. "Huh. That does sound good. I'm going to need some sort of superpower though if I am fighting crime against the dreadful Eggman."

"If you could have any superpower, what would it be?" Amy asked, curious.

"That's easy," Sonic claimed, leaning back in his chair. "There's no argument. Speed."

"Speed."

"Yes, super speed! The power to run faster than the speed of sound. Super sonic speed!" he grinned like a little kid. It was endearing, she mused.

Amy rolled her eyes, but couldn't keep the smile off her face. "Clever."

"What about you?"

"Me?" She prodded the ice in her margarita in thought. What would her superpower be? Invisibility? No, she already felt invisible sometimes, she didn't want to actually be invisible. Flight? Nah, she was scared of heights. Finally, she said, "This is going to sound probably really weird…."

"I like weird," he said, leaning forward to give her his full attention. "Try me."

"Everyone at work always jokes around about how I wield a hammer when we dig or break down rock," she explained shyly. "They always claim I have an alter-ego when I use my hammer. So…I think my power would be being able to pull a giant hammer out of thin air to beat up the bad guys with. I don't consider myself super strong, but with a hammer, I think I would be able to do some serious damage."

His emerald eyes blinked at the pink hedgehog, squinting like he was deciding if she was bat-shit crazy or just plain crazy. "You're right, that is weird."

"Hey!" she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest with a huff, "no weirder than using your name to come up with your superpower."

"Super speed trumps some hammer popping out of thin air anytime."

"My hammer could totally pummel your ass."

He snickered. He lifted his chin, cocky attitude just screaming that he was better. "I would love to see you try."

Amy was surprised at how well the conversation had turned around. Sonic had visibly relaxed, his red shoes now planted firmly on the ground. She could no longer feel the vibration through the table from his nervous foot tapping. She was glad. This date was going much better than expected. Maybe they would even have a second. She beamed at that. She could see herself going out with him again.

A light breeze tickled her skin, causing her hairs to stand on end. She rubbed her arms to create some friction to help her keep warm. She honestly thought they would be sitting inside where it would be warmer, other wise she would have worn a jacket. Maybe the hot food would help starve the cold whenever it arrived.

"Cold?"

"A little," she admitted into the space between them. "I wasn't expecting it to be this chilly."

"That's why I wore the scarf," he said, fingering the woven material around his neck. "I, for one, always check the weather report before going out. You should do the same next time, Ms. Hammer Wielder. Oh, maybe I should call you Lady Thor!"

Amy blinked, head tilting to the side, ignoring the nickname. "You wore the scarf…because you knew it was going to be cold outside?"

"Well, yeah. It's my favorite scarf." He studied her face. "Why, is that a problem?"

Amy glanced around wildly just as Sally came back with their food.

"Excuse me."

Sally looked down at her. "Is something the matter with the food?"

Amy waved her hand dismissively, panic steadily growing inside of her body. Her palms felt sweaty again, but for a different reason. Her stomach did flip flops, and she suddenly felt like she was going to be sick. "No, it's not the food. Is there…was there…a hedgehog inside with a brown scarf sitting by himself looking dejected?"

The chipmunk placed her finger on her chin thoughtfully. "You know what, I think there was someone whose date didn't show. I think the other waiters were making bets on if the girl would actually show up or not. The poor fellow went home a few minutes ago. Probably got stood up. Anyway, you guys enjoy your dinner."

"Oh, no. Chaos," she cursed under her breath, and then groaned, "You're not here for a blind date." It was a statement. No need to form the question. She could tell from the way his eyes widened with realization that he was not, in fact, her date that Rouge had painstakingly set her up with.

This could not be happening. She went on a date with the wrong hedgehog.

Amy was positively embarrassed. No, mortified. Her face was on fire, a starting contrast to the cold wind slapping against her cheeks. She suddenly wished her superpower was invisibility after all. If only she could disappear from this horribly awkward situation. Instead, she settled for putting her head in her hands as if hiding from Sonic would help save her from the situation at hand.

All she could hear was Sonic's booming laughter and something that sound like slapping against the table. She dared a peek between her fingers. His head was down on the table, and he was pounding his fist against the cherry stained wood. His body shook in waves as his laughter increased steadily. He suddenly whipped his head back, his laughter mercilessly taunting her.

"You," he wheezed between snickers, "you thought you were on a date with me?"

The words stung much worse than the cold. Of course, she thought, who am I to think that I am good enough to be on a date with this guy? Mr. Tall, Blue, and Handsome. What a joke. No wonder he was laughing his head off. Tears pricked her eyes. She gnawed on her bottom lip. She needed to get out of here. Fast. Go home and eat a full tub of chocolate ice cream. Put on that romantic comedy she wanted to watch earlier. Mourn the loss of her dignity.

"I'm glad you think this is so funny. You're right, I'm sorry, who am I to think I deserved to be on a date with the hero cop," she all but spat as she stood from her chair, gathering her things. The food. Crap. She shakily thumbed through her clutch, coming up empty handed. She only had her cards, no cash. Tears threatened to cascade over her lashes as she desperately tried to blink them away. "I'm sorry, I don't have cash on me. I'll gladly bring it to the precinct tomorrow to help cover my meal costs. Sorry for ruining your night." She hated the way her voice shook with desperation and insecurity. She hated him for putting her in this situation. She hated herself for not checking to see if he was her date. She just hated this night.

Her words must have had a sobering effect on him. His laughter ceased almost immediately. "Amy," he said, reaching out and grabbing her hand as she attempted to walk past him. "I'm sorry, I just thought it was hilarious. I guess I should explain. I haven't gone a date since college," a smaller, more remorseful laugh escaped his lips. "That was years ago. I just don't do dates. So, the thought of me accepting a blind date just hit my funny bone. I mean, what are the odds of me wearing a brown scarf tonight?"

"I'm glad my mortification could be used for your amusement."

"Yesh, no need to bite my head off. Come on and sit down. Enjoy the food before it gets cold. Their food here is delicious, and I don't think I could enjoy my chili dogs knowing I made a pretty girl cry."

"Fine," Amy said, almost missing the warmth his hand brought hers when he took it back. She slowly sat back down in her seat. "I'll stay, if only to make sure the food doesn't go to waste."

"Was the company that bad?"

"I mean, you kind of ordered without letting me look over the menu first."

"Not my fault. I didn't know you were staying."

This did little to curb her embarrassment. "I can't believe you let me stay and talk to you. What did you think when I just sat down and introduced myself?"

Amusement danced in those dazzling green eyes of his. "Well, I did ask what you were doing here, but you just responded with a big speech about your job."

"I didn't." Could this get any more humiliating? This was exactly why she was still single and had to resort to blind dates, and she couldn't even do that right.

He nodded his head with sympathy. "You did."

She sucked in air through her mouth, almost whistling. "I am the most awkward hedgehog ever. I am so sorry. You must think I am complete weirdo."

"I mean, you did pick wielding a hammer as your superpower so…not much of a stretch." Teasing. He was full on teasing her. His lips were wide in a wicked grin.

"Why didn't you tell me to go away?"

He shrugged, choosing this moment to stuff his face with a chili dog. He hummed with delight, eyes closing to savor the flavor. He smacked his lips. "I mean, a pretty girl comes and sits down with you, and starts babbling on and on. It's kinda hard to turn her away, no?"

"I am really sorry."

"Don't be," he said. "I enjoyed the company. I don't normally eat with someone else. The life of a cop is a busy one. The only people I hang out with are my little bro and criminals. Not much of a social life. It was nice siting with you and talking tonight. I actually did have fun."

"You did?"

"Yeah, you're pretty funny for a weirdo."

She attempted to make a face to show she was annoyed, but a giggle toppled out of her mouth instead. "Glad I could be of service."

"So, now it's my turn to apologize…I'm sorry about being a crappy date, even if I had no idea I was even on one," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "I feel bad. You clearly got all dressed up and didn't even get a proper date out of it. That poor hedgehog has no idea what he missed out on."

She waved her hand to dismiss him. "It's quite alright. I kind of enjoyed myself, too. It's not common that I have a guy that lets me talk about my work, or passions as you put it, without telling me to stop because I'm blabbering on. You also made me laugh a lot, so bonus points. I didn't have the worst time of my life."

"Oh, so I'm not the worst date you've been on?" curiosity played on his lips as he spoke. "That's comforting to know."

"I've been on some pretty bad dates," she admitted with the hint of a smile. "Luckily for you, you don't make the top five."

"Wow. I feel sorry for you. Maybe though…I can make the top five good ones? Tomorrow?"

She dropped the fork she was holding, letting out a sling of curses. She couldn't go five seconds without making a fool of herself. Sonic smirked in response. "I'm sorry, you're asking me out for real? After all of this?"

"It's the least I could do. You didn't get a real date and you deserve one. I hear there's a really good Italian place that's just opened up downtown. I can maybe even sneak a picture of the emerald from evidence."

Amy grinned, her heart jumping lightly in her chest. "I would love that. It's a date."

"It's a date," Sonic agreed, "For real this time."

It's been years, and instead of updating one of my unfinished stories, I write a oneshot instead. I'm not going to lie, it was painstakingly hard to write this. I haven't written since I updated Falling in Love (In a Coffee Shop), and I was definitely feeling rusty. The first few pages made my fingers bleed, but then it just came so freely and I just realized how much I miss writing, even if I am out of practice. Anyway, I hope this wasn't as hard to read as it was to write, and you guys enjoyed it. As always, please leave a review. Until next time!