Pretend

by Good_Bird

Summary:

Amy loves Sonic, she always had. And as far as she could tell she always will. Even after all these years she still loves him. When she’d make a move on him but he would brush it off or ignore it. She still loves him. When he flat out rejected her. She still loves him. When Sonic started dating Shadow. She still loves him. Even when they got married. She still loves him. Over the many years she still held onto that love. Of course Amy tried to get over him, many times in fact. But she could never shake her feelings for him. Now she is sitting in a home that wasn't hers watching a baby that she was not the mother to. But what if...what if she could be. Just for a little while, no one had to know.

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Basically Sonic and Shadow have a kid and Amy creates a world where she and sonic are together and this baby is hers. I'm going for weekly updates we'll see if that actually happens. Sorry I'm really bad at this. Please be nice I have no idea what I'm doing.

Notes:

Hello welcome to my first ever fanfic!!! I have no idea what I'm doing so please be nice to me or I will cry!

Chapter 1: Amy's Perspective

The elevator groaned as it descended into the earth, each shuddering clank echoing through the steel shaft like the heartbeat of something long dead. I clutched my hammer tighter against my chest, the faint hum of the energy anomaly prickling at the back of my neck. The silence was oppressive only broken by Rouge’s idle hum and Sonic’s tapping impatiently against the wall.

“Creepy place,” Kuckles muttered.

“That’s what happens when you build labs under mountains,” Rouge replied casually, though I caught the sharp edge in her eyes. She was just as uneasy as the rest of us.

I glanced across the elevator, eyes locking on Sonic. His arms were folded, expression calm, but I knew him better than that, there was a tension in his stance, a readiness for danger. Shadow stood just behind him, their shoulders nearly touching, and for some reason, that closeness burned in my chest.

They were married. Married.

Even now, years after their wedding, I couldn’t quite bring myself to accept it. I told myself I was happy for him, that he’d found someone who could keep up with him, who could stand at his side as an equal. But deep down, that familiar ache hadn’t gone away. I still dreamed about his smile sometimes. Still wondered what could’ve been.

The elevator shuddered to a halt, and the heavy doors creaked open to reveal the facility’s chamber’s. Dust hung in the air, catching in the beam of Tails’s handheld scanner.

“Energy readings are spiking down here,” Tails murmured, adjusting his goggles. “Definitely the source of the anomaly.”

“Then let’s move,” Shadow ordered, stepping forward with his usual cold authority.

We fanned out as we entered the main corridor. The air was stale, metallic, tinged with something chemical that made me wrinkle my nose. Rusted doors lined the hallway, some broken, some locked. The flickering lights overhead that barely held power.

It felt like a tomb.

We pressed deeper, combing through ruined laboratories and collapsed storage rooms. Papers littered the floors, their words faded and stained. Rouge knelt, flipping through some of the less-damaged ones.

“Research logs,” she said, wings twitching. “Genetics, energy manipulation, chaos theory…” She trailed off, frowning at the last page. “And something about…a subject?”

My ears perked. “Subject?”

Rouge didn’t answer. Instead, she passed the page to Shadow. His crimson eyes scanned it quickly, narrowing. Sonic moved closer to read over his shoulder, his hand grabbing onto Shadows.

“They weren’t just studying chaos energy,” Shadow finally said, his voice low. “They were… trying to channel it into a living vessel.”

Tails’s twin tails stilled mid-sway. “That’s…That’s dangerous. If they tried to infuse chaos power directly into a person, the results would be catastrophic.”

“Or effective,” Rouge said grimly.

The chill in the air deepened, and I hugged myself, suddenly aware of how silent the halls had become.

It was Knuckles who found the alcove. A heavy blast door, half-buried under debris, still hummed faintly with power. It took all of his strength, and a quick chaos spear from Shadow, to force it open.

The stench hit us first. Stale, chemical, and something older… something rotten.

We stepped into the darkness, our lights sweeping across shattered consoles and broken glass. In the center of the room stood a row of containment pods, most shattered, some scorched. But one remained intact.

My heart skipped.

It was an old tube, cloudy with condensation. Inside, curled in a fetal position, was a baby. A hedgehog. Their fur was pale, their breathing shallow but steady. They couldn’t have been older than a week or so.

“Oh my god…” I whispered.

Tails scrambled forward, scanning the pod. His voice shook. “They’re alive. In stasis, but alive.”

For a long moment, none of us moved. The weight of it was suffocating, the baby, the failed experiments, the knowledge of what horrors must’ve happened here.

Then Sonic stepped forward. His gloved hand pressed against the glass, his face uncharacteristically solemn.

“We can’t leave them here,” he said softly.

Shadow moved beside him, his expression unreadable. But his silence said enough. He agreed.

Freeing the baby was delicate work. Tails directed the process, with Rouge and Knuckles keeping watch. I stayed back, clutching my hammer so tightly my knuckles ached. My chest felt like it was splitting in two, part at the horror of what had been done here, part longing as I watched Sonic and Shadow kneel beside the pod, waiting for the baby to stir.

When the capsule hissed open, mist spilled out onto the floor. The baby gasped, coughing weakly as air filled their lungs.

Sonic caught them instantly, cradling the small form in his arms. His voice softened in a way I’d never heard before. “Hey there, little one. You’re safe now.”

The newborn blinked briefly up at him, then at Shadow, who knelt close. Their tiny fingers reached out, brushing Shadow’s arm as though drawn instinctively.

Something unspoken passed between Sonic and Shadow, in that moment a decision was made.

Shadow rested a hand gently on the infant's check. “We’ll take care of them.”

And just like that, it was decided.

We left the facility in silence. The air outside felt fresher, freer, but I couldn’t shake the heaviness in my chest.

Sonic carried the child carefully, as though they were the most precious thing in the world. Shadow walked beside him, ever the guardian. Knuckles, Rouge, and Tails followed close, speaking in hushed tones about what to do next.

I trailed at the back, my heart aching with every step.

I should’ve been happy. Sonic had found something beautiful in the darkness, a family, a purpose beyond fighting. Shadow had softened in a way I never thought possible. The baby would be loved, cherished, and protected.

But deep down, that old wound throbbed. Sonic had chosen Shadow. And now, together, they’d chosen this little one. There was no space left for me.

That night, when we stopped to rest, I sat apart from the others. The stars glittered above, cold and distant. My hands trembled in my lap.

I could still hear Sonic’s voice, tender and warm, as he soothed the babe now named Stellar. I could still see the way his smile lit up when she clung to his chest. That smile used to be mine, the one that sent my heart racing, that made me believe in happily-ever-afters.

Tears pricked my eyes. I wiped them just as quickly, not wanting anyone to see.

“You’re quiet tonight.” Rouge’s voice broke the silence as she settled beside me, her wing brushing my shoulder.

I forced a smile. “Just…thinking.”

“About him?” she asked, no judgment in her tone.

I swallowed hard, then nodded.

Rouge sighed softly. “Amy…you have to let him go. He’s happy. And maybe, just maybe, this is the best thing that’s ever happened to him.”

I knew she was right. I hated that she was right.

My gaze drifted back to the fire, where Sonic and Shadow sat side by side, Stellar nestled safely between them. Sonic laughed at something Tails said, and the sound was warm, alive, full of love.

My heart broke all over again. Maybe Rouge was right. Maybe this was the best thing that could’ve happened to him. To them.

And maybe, one day, it would be my turn to find that kind of love.

Chapter 2: Amy's Perspective

The door swung open before I even knocked. Sonic’s face greeted me first, bright, easygoing, that same smile that still had the power to unravel me even after everything.

“Hey, Ames!” His voice was warm, casual. “Thanks again for this. Me and Shads wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

Behind him, Shadow appeared, his usual cool composure intact. But the way his eyes softened when they turned toward the small bundle in his arms was something I never thought I’d live to see. Stellar’s little ears twitched as she stirred, blinking sleepily against his chest.

“Don’t let Sonic make this sound bigger than it is,” Shadow said, his tone clipped but not unkind. “We’ll only be gone for the evening.”

Sonic grinned at him. “Yeah, yeah. Still, means a lot.”

My heart did a dangerous little flip as I stepped inside. “It’s no trouble at all,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t shake. “Really. I’d love to spend some time with Stellar.”

And I meant it. 

Their home was cozy, modest, lived-in, full of touches that reflected both of them. A shelf of books stacked neatly (Shadow’s, surely), a table cluttered with spare rings and maps (Sonic’s undoubtedly), and above the mantle, a photo that made my chest ache. Sonic, Shadow, and Stellar, together, all smiling. A family.

Shadow gently transferred Stellar into my arms, and the warmth of her tiny body sank through me like sunlight after rain. She blinked up at me with wide, curious eyes, chaos-tinged just faintly, like galaxies hidden in her gaze.

“Thank you, Amy,” Shadow said simply.

Before I could answer, Sonic leaned in and brushed Stellar’s forehead with a kiss, his voice dropping to that impossibly tender register I only ever heard him use for her. “Be good for Amy, kiddo.”

The sight made something twist sharp in my chest.

Then they were gone, Sonic waving one last time, Shadow giving a small nod, and the door clicked shut behind them.

Silence filled the house. Just me and Stellar.

My heart thudded.

At first, I focused on her needs. Changing her clothes, making sure her bottle was ready, gently rocking her when she fussed. I hummed soft lullabies I remembered from my own childhood, and to my relief, she settled easily, her tiny hand curling around my finger.

But as I sat with her in my lap, the thought crept in.

Dangerous. Treacherous. But so tempting.

She could’ve been ours.

The idea bloomed in my chest, wild and reckless. If I just… pretended for a little while, if I imagined Stellar was mine and Sonic’s child instead of his and Shadow’s, maybe it would ease the hollow ache I’ve been carrying for so long.

Maybe it would let me feel, even for a moment, what it might’ve been like.

I swallowed hard, guilt gnawing at me, but the longing was stronger. I traced Stellar’s tiny quills with trembling fingers.

“You know,” I whispered softly, “if things had been different… you could’ve been mine.”

She gurgled in response, her small smile flashing, and my heart broke open.

The evening drifted by in a blur of moments that felt stolen from a dream. I carried Stellar through the house, showing her trinkets as though she could understand. “That’s your daddy’s medal from the games,” I said softly, pointing to Sonic’s old trophy on the shelf. “And that… that’s Shadow’s book collection. He’d never let you touch those.”

She giggled at my tone, and I laughed too, even as tears pricked my eyes.

Later, I sat on the couch with her curled against me, her breathing slow and steady as she drifted toward sleep. The glow from the lamp bathed us in warm light, and for one fragile heartbeat, I let myself believe it.

That this was my home. That she was my daughter. That Sonic was mine.

I pictured him walking back through the door, not with Shadow at his side, but alone. Coming to me. Smiling at me . Sitting here, next to me, as we held our child together.

The fantasy was so vivid it hurt.

“I could’ve loved you so much,” I whispered to Stellar, my voice breaking. “Both of you.”

She stirred, her small hand clutching at my dress as though she didn’t want me to let go. And I didn’t. I couldn’t. Not yet.

The hours passed too quickly. By the time the knock came at the door, my heart was tangled in knots I couldn’t undo.

Sonic and Shadow stepped back inside, a faint chill of night air following them.

“Everything go okay?” Sonic asked, his voice light.

I nodded quickly, forcing a smile as I handed Stellar back. “She was perfect. An angel.”

Shadow’s lips quirked up in the faintest of approving smiles as he gathered her back in his arms. Sonic ruffled my quills affectionately. “Knew we could count on you, Ames. Thanks again.”

My chest burned at the touch, but I held steady, hiding the war inside me.

“It was my pleasure,” I said softly. And it was true. Even if it hurt.

Because for a few fleeting hours, I’d filled the hole in my heart with a pretend reality.

And no one would ever know.

That night, lying alone in my bed, I pressed my hands to my chest and tried to hold onto the warmth of Stellar’s weight against me. I told myself it wasn’t wrong, it was just a harmless daydream, a way to soothe the ache.

But deep down, I knew the truth.

I had stepped into a life that wasn’t mine. And the more I clung to it, the harder it would be to let go.

Still… for those hours, I had tasted what it might’ve been like. A life that would never belong to me.

And sometimes, maybe that was enough.

Chapter 3: Amy's Perspective

It started to become routine.

Every few weeks, Sonic or Shadow would call, asking if I could watch Stellar while they handled some mission or meeting. And every time, I said yes before they even finished the question.

I told myself it was because I wanted to help. Because I loved Stellar, her laugh, her chaos-bright eyes, the way she clung to me like I was someone safe. And that was true. But it wasn’t the whole truth.

The rest… I kept buried deep.

Each time I held her, each time I whispered lullabies or rocked her to sleep, I slipped back into that quiet fantasy I’d spun that first night. That Stellar was mine. Mine and Sonic’s. That somehow fate had twisted differently, and I had ended up where Shadow stood.

And no one knew.

No one saw the way my heart swelled when Stellar curled against me, or how my smile trembled when Sonic kissed her goodnight. No one heard the words I whispered only when we were alone, secrets I couldn’t tell another soul.

It was selfish. It was wrong. But it was the only cure I had for the ache inside me.

That afternoon, it was just me and Stellar again.

She’d grown since the first night, more energy in her tiny legs, more questions hidden in her wide eyes. I’d brought some picture books and a few toys, and she sat on the carpet, shaking a rattle, like it was the greatest treasure in the world.

I laughed softly, sitting cross-legged beside her. “You’re going to be a handful when you get older, aren’t you?”

She babbled nonsense in response, her tiny quills bobbing as she waved the rattle in the air. My heart melted.

Leaning down, I whispered, “You know… if things had gone differently, you’d be mine. Mine and Sonic’s little girl.”

She didn’t understand, of course. But when she reached up, tugging at my gloves with her tiny fingers, I let myself pretend she did. Pretend she was reaching for her mother.

I kissed her forehead, breathing in her warmth. For that moment, the ache in my chest vanished.

The sound of the door opening jolted me. My first thought was Shadow, back already, come to take her from my arms before I was ready. But when I turned, it wasn’t Shadow.

It was Sonic.

He stood in the doorway, a bag slung over his shoulder, surprise flashing across his face when he saw us on the floor. “Hey, Ames,” he said with that easy grin. “Didn’t think I’d be back so soon. Shadow’s still tied up, figured I’d head home first.”

My heart fluttered painfully. “Oh! I just didn’t expect you to be home so soon is all!”

Sonic walks over, dropping his bag onto the couch. His eyes softened as he looked at Stellar, who was now reaching out to him with little squeaks of joy.

“Hey, squirt,” he chuckles, effortlessly scooping her up. She giggled as he tossed her lightly into the air, catching her with a playful spin. The sound of her laughter filled the room, bright and pure.

I couldn’t look away.

“Want to play with us?” Sonic suddenly asked, his grin turning on me. “C’mon, she loves peekaboo.”

For a heartbeat, I couldn’t breathe. Then I nodded quickly, voice catching in my throat. “Y-Yes. Of course.”

We settled onto the carpet, Stellar between us. Sonic clapped his hands over his eyes, then spread them wide with a goofy “Peekaboo!” that sent her into fits of giggles. I joined in, hiding behind my hands, letting her squeals fill me with a joy so sharp it blocked out everything else in the world.

Together, the three of us laughed, playing simple games, making faces, chasing her tiny hands as she crawled clumsily across the carpet. Sonic’s laughter mingled with mine, warm and easy, and in that moment, just for that moment, it felt real.

It felt like we were a family.

My chest swelled with dangerous hope. This was what it could’ve been. What it should’ve been. Sonic, Stellar, and I. In a perfect little world, fragile but dazzling, a dream that I didn’t want to wake from.

I caught Sonic’s gaze once, and for a fleeting second, I imagined he looked at me not just as Amy, his life long friend, but as something more. The fantasy wrapped tighter around me, sweet and suffocating.

I wanted to stay in it forever.

The sound of the front door unlocking shattered everything.

Shadow stepped inside, his presence filling the room like a sudden storm. His eyes swept the scene, the toys scattered, Stellar giggling between me and Sonic, and something unreadable flickered across his face.

“Plaefgh!” Stellar squeaked, reaching her little hands toward Shadow.

The word cut me like a razor.

Sonic stood immediately, handing her over with a kiss on the side of Shadows' check. “Hey, Shads. You’re back earlier than I thought.”

Shadow’s expression softened at Sonic's affection, Stellar nestled securely into his chest. “The meeting ended quickly.” His gaze flicked to me, sharp and steady. “Thank you for watching her, Amy.”

My throat was dry. I forced a smile, clutching my hands in my lap to keep them from trembling. “Of course. She was wonderful, as always.”

But inside, everything was collapsing. The fantasy crumbled, shattered by the sight of them together. Sonic, Shadow, and Stellar, the real family. Not mine. Never mine.

I felt like an intruder in a dream I had no right to be in.

Sonic and Shadow spoke casually as they tidied the room, their rhythm easy, practiced. Partners. Parents. And I sat there, trying to keep my smile steady, burying the pain that clawed at my chest.

When I finally stood to leave, Sonic grabbed on to my shoulder warmly. “You’re the best, Ames. We owe you big time.”

I nodded quickly, my voice tight. “Anytime.”

Shadow’s eyes lingered on me a second longer, as though he saw through the cracks in the mask. But he said nothing.

I stepped outside, the cool night air washing over me. Only when I was far from their house did I let the tears fall.

Because for a little while, I had lived the dream. And then reality came home.