Disclaimer – I don't own the Sonic the Hedgehog characters.

-

Picking Up The Pieces

-

Someone once said, "Third time's a charm." Yet Sonic knew that for this particular situation it would be the hundredth time. He didn't know how he knew, just that he did.

He waited for the time it would happen; patiently counting up the times he said the same four words to the same pink hedgehog. When the hundredth time finally came, he felt strangely numb. He was not at all ecstatic like he thought he would be.

"Amy..."

Perhaps it was because he'd said it so often.

"I…"

Perhaps it was because the moment, having finally arrived, seemed but a dream.

"don't…"

Perhaps it was because the medicine he'd taken for his cold made him feel light headed.

"love…"

Or maybe, just maybe, it was because he didn't want to see her cry.

"you."

For some inexplicable reason, Amy finally understood what she had failed to comprehend the previous ninety nine times. "Oh," she squeaked, bringing a clenched fist to cover her mouth. She shut her eyes, seemingly trying to hold back tears, but the tears overflowed. Then, standing there, her heart broke into a million pieces.

She gasped and then shouted, "I'm such a fool!" Stumbling back a few steps, she turned around and ran away.

Sighing, Sonic knelt on the ground and gathered the broken pieces of Amy's heart. Her heart was precious, too precious to leave on some dirty sidewalk. After putting the pieces in a random plastic bag that tumbled up to him, Sonic stood. He'd need to give the pieces to Amy. And over time, bit by bit, she would put the pieces back together. Walking in the direction of her apartment, he silently prayed that the next person she gave her heart to would not allow it to break.

A/N - So this is my parody of those Amy fanfics when Amy finally realizes that Sonic doesn't love her...after having already been told so about a-bazillion times. In the original ending, Sonic doesn't pick up Amy's broken heart, Shadow does. And then Shadow sells the pieces on the black market--a hedgehog's gotta make a living. But I ended up writing this ending cuz I'm a sucker for the bittersweet.