I'm soooo sorry it's out so late, I was a little distracted by my BF XD I get nothing done when I'm around him ^^' Enjoy!

The city was buzzling with people; Mobians were walking into shopping centres and leaving, cars were congesting the roads, there was laughing, yelling, talking and sometimes only a slight murmur. Everything was peaceful, nothing being disturbed.

Until a bright flash appeared on the walkway, and a black hedgehog and (f/c) (a/t) appeared in everyone's way.

People stopped and stared, before going about their business. Some recognised the dark hedgehog and pulled out their phones, taking photos, others started to talk about him.

Shadow glanced around him, his ears twitching to the noises around him and he let out a small growl. He had gotten them out of G.U.N with only a few small problems. One of them was that he was injured. There were burning sensations all over his body from the bullet wounds he had received.

(Y/N) was no better, she was leaning against him, unable to keep herself on her feet. Her bruises were more visible in the sunlight, a lot bigger than Shadow had realised, and her eye had swollen shut. She felt limp against his body, but her ears twitched to the sounds of the people around them.

Who were still taking pictures and even recording them.

Shadow turned a glare to all of them, before standing and wrapping his arm around the (a/t)'s waist. He started to limp through the crowd, thankful that people parted for them, even if their phones were still in their faces.

"Sh...A..." (Y/N) let out a weak whine.

"It's okay, we're safe now." Shadow stated, he wanted to carry her, make sure she was okay, but he was also using her to keep himself up, "Once we get to Rouge's, we'll be even safer."

"N...No... Desert... Ruins..."

"We need to look after ourselves, first, we can continue with the mission once we're able to stand on our own." He said, the pain in his back seemed to grow worse, a reminder that he too would need to heal.

"Village...?"

"This is a city." The hedgehog said, assuming the girl was asking about it, "It's called Station Square, this is where most people live now-days."

"Pretty..." Was all she mumbled, her head moving slightly as she looked around. Her gaze was a mix of fear and awe, the city was definitely a big place and must seem very intimidating for someone who has never seen it before.

"It is. Now stay close, the city may be pretty but it's people sometimes aren't."

The (a/t) nodded and leant more into the hedgehog as the two limped down the street. (Y/N) hadn't realised that Shadow was limping, however, until she turned her (e/c) gaze on him. Seeing the blood trickling down his back, and the slight flinch in his leg every time he took a step was suddenly alarmingly obvious.

"You're hurt..." She mumbled, closing her one good eye as they walked, "I'm... Sorry..."

"It's alright." The hedgehog stated, glaring at onlookers as they mumbled and stared, "This is normal when you're an agent... It's just not normally your team that is shooting you."

"I..."

"I do have an important question though." The dark Mobian continued, "Did you tell the Commander anything about the artefact?"

The object seemed to suddenly feel heavy in the (a/t)'s hands. She had forgotten she even had it. The Golden Moon had been docile this whole time, not radiating even the slightest bit of energy or even a soft glow.

"I told him nothing..." She mumbled again, turning the artefact in her hands, "I knew I shouldn't... I had to keep quiet... Whether you saved me or not..."

"What?" Shadow glanced at her, before it clicked, "I was always going to save you. What the Commander told you was a lie."

"You... Got this first..."

"(Y/N)... It's a powerful weapon, the sooner it was out of his hands, the better. I was always going to save you too."

"... Why...?"

"Well, why not?"

He stopped walking, still watching the (a/t) as she stared at the golden object. Her eyes were lost in thought, and her ears drooped. The hedgehog let out a sigh, curse the Commander for getting inside her head.

He raised his eyes to the building next to them, and let out a sigh of relief.

"We're here." He said, before pulling the (a/t) to the doors.

(Y/N) looked up at the building, deep red stone lined it, with bright pink lights on the front reading 'Club Rouge'. It had a bat sitting on top of the word 'Rouge', kicking her leg, how could lights move like that?

The (a/t) was perplexed by the simple light show, and Shadow had to tug her into the building. She stumbled against him, stuttering a sorry as they worked their way to the bar.

Thankfully for Shadow, the club wasn't too busy, only some people were drinking and dancing. The early risers as Rouge called them, getting drunk before the party can even begin. The music was quiet though, not head-splitting loud, another thing the hedgehog was grateful for.

Once at the bar, he sat (Y/N) on a stool and took his place next to her. A mouse bounced over, her shirt a little too low to wear in public and her shorts a little too high. The standard uniform for a club. She offered a dazzling smile and held a pen and paper.

"What can I get you?" She asked, "We're still serving lunch, for another hour. We have-"

"I'm here to see Rouge." Shadow cut her off.

"I'm sorry, but she's really busy right now." The mouse stated, lowering her pen and paper.

"Trust me, she won't be." The hedgehog said, before pulling out a purple/pink card and handing it to her. The mouse's eyes lit up and she took it, before disappearing behind the bar. Shadow sighed and turned away from the bar, leaning on it instead. His back protested, but he didn't care.

"What is this...?" (Y/N) asked, she was looking around the room, taking in the coloured lights and imagery on the wall. Her cheeks looked almost red in the lighting.

"A club, people come here to have fun, forget their busy lives and just let loose." Shadow shrugged, "But it's also a place for creeps, so be careful. There shouldn't be any yet, but you never know."

"What are in the bottles?" She asked next, turning her gaze to the wall lined with coloured liquid.

"That's something called alcohol. Just... Stay away from it." Was all he said.

She nodded slowly, before a red bear walked over to the bar. The (a/t) watched as he talked to the lady behind the bar, passing something to her and taking a golden-coloured drink, and downing it instantly. His bright blue gaze rose and landed on her, before a smirk appeared on his muzzle and he walked over.

"I don't think I've seen you here before, come here often?"

(Y/N) stared at him, before offering a smile, "I've never been here before."

"Then I should... Show you around." The bear leered close to her, his breath smelt disgusting and the (a/t) leant back.

"No thanks, I'm busy right now." She said, edging closer to Shadow.

"Aw come on, lemme show you around..." The bear grabbed onto her arm, pulling her off the seat.

(Y/N) yelped, stumbling into the other Mobian, her ears pressed back as she looked up at him. His arms wrapped around her, as if catching her and holding her in place.

"No, I don't want to. I'm doing something else." She said again, trying to pull away.

"Come ooon..."

"Hey." The two turned their heads to see Shadow standing next to them. The bear separates from the (a/t), a frown now on his face.

"What?" He asked.

"She said no. Now leave her alone." The dark hedgehog stated, at first stoic. His ears twitched to a chuckle from the clearly drunken Mobian,

"Oh please, she would have been fine if she just came with me. I wouldn't hurt her, just make her feel... Welcome." The red bear wrapped an arm around (Y/N) again, and she let out a growl, shoving him away.

Shadow's eyes flashed and he grabbed the bear by the neck, pushing him into the bar, "If you touch her again, I'll make you feel like death, understand? She said no. Now leave."

He forced the drunk Mobian away from the bar, watching him stumble into a group of women, who also shoved him away. Shadow let out a huff, before facing the (a/t). He sighed and gently ran his fingers over her arm,

"Those are the people you need to stay away from, okay?" He said.

"Okay..." She nodded, her (e/c) eyes on his hand, the contact made her feel... Warm, "What was that about anyway?"

"I'll explain later..." He said, before pulling away and raising his head, "Rouge."

"You're one pain in the ass, hun." A bat walked over, a hand on her hip and a drink in hand. She had an earpiece on one ear and her face strange markings (Y/N) had never seen before. Red lips and blue around her eyes? Was she someone important?

"I got both (Y/N) and the artefact out of there, our mission was successful." He shrugged.

"I know that, I never doubted you." She offered a smile, "But harassing my customers? That's bad for business, so is talking about other business in customer ear-shot."

The she-bat turned, nodding for the two to follow. She lead them up a set of stairs, which lead into what looked like a fancy room. Shadow never liked that she lived above the club, but the re-enforcements she took to keep herself safe -like the large door that needs a pin-code- was enough to keep him sane.

"So," She stopped and sat on a plush purple couch, "This is (Y/N) huh?"

(Y/N) was busy looking around the room in awe, the brick walls mixed with wood and some cement seemed to through her in a trance, along with the strange lights that were words and pictures. Her ears twitched and she jumped to her name, nodding quickly.

"Nice to meet you hun. I'm Rouge, Shadow's partner." She held out a hand, and the (a/t) shook it gently.

-Partner?-

She had never really thought of it before, but imagining Shadow paired with another seemed... Strange to her. Even though it had only been about a week since they met, she could never imagine him with anyone.

And for some reason, that seemed to make her feel... Sad...

"Please Rouge, every time you say that you confuse people." The hedgehog huffed, taking a seat on the other purple couch, "We're teammates, friends. That is all."

"Oh please, you're more like my brother anyway." She smiled, "It's that red knuckle-head I have my eyes on and you know it."

(Y/N) tilted her head. Red knuckle-head? Teammates? Brother?

"Rouge and I have known each other since... I woke up." Shadow said, seeing the complete confusion on the (a/t)'s face, "She's a part of my team at G.U.N, and outside of work she is my friend. We're close, but more in a... Family sort of way."

"Shadow claims to be a lone wolf," Rouge chuckled, "Says he'll never date, but I keep telling him he's a hedgehog and he'll change his mind one day."

So (Y/N) was right, he wasn't one to... Date, as Rouge called it.

"That's enough of that." Shadow stated, leaning forward and crossing his arms, "We're in serious trouble, how are things back at H.Q., did you check in?"

The she-bat nodded, her sweet smile disappearing, "The Commander is still out cold, but you two had better be over the hills and gone by the time he wakes. It won't take him long to find you, and attacking my customers is sure to get their attention faster."

"He was a creep." Shadow huffed, "He wouldn't leave (Y/N) alone..."

The bat's smile returned, "Is that so?"

"It's not what you think." He spat, before closing his eyes and shaking his head, "Anyway, I need to patch myself up, I got injured, and so did (Y/N), can we stay here for the night? We'll be gone by tomorrow."

"Stay as long as you need." Rouge nodded, "You can share my bed."

She added the last part with a smile, before jumping up and flying back to the stairs before Shadow could grab her, "I need to get back to work, I'll check in later."

Shadow watched her go, before letting out a growl and rubbing his head, "She needs to lighten up on that dating stuff..."

"Why will you never date?" (Y/N) asked quietly, curiosity getting to her.

The hedgehog froze, before leaning back with a sigh, "The people I love always get hurt, or worse... I don't want to go through that pain again."

"But... You're close with Rouge." The Mobian said, finally sitting next to him.

"I know Rouge, she can handle herself."

"And what if you find someone that can also look after herself?"

"Then maybe I... Might... Consider." He said slowly, before shaking his head and standing, "No, I won't."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"(Y/N), now isn't the time to talk about this."

"But I want to know..."

Shadow had made his way to the kitchen, he was mid-way grabbing some gauze and other treatments for wounds when he raised his red eyes.

"Why?" Was all he asked.

"Because..." The she-(a/t) stopped, her cheeks warming slightly, "I don't know... I think I'll go to bed..."

"I'll sleep on the couch." The hedgehog nodded, "But first, if you don't mind, I'd like to check your wounds."

"Alright..." She sighed, and he walked over. Crouching in front of her, the hedgehog checked over her bruises and scratches, he felt her sides for any broken ribs, and cleaned up any dried blood she had in her fur or on her muzzle.

Mid-way through wiping her swollen eye clean, he stopped. (Y/N) was sitting there, her other eye closed in response to him being so close. She looked relaxed, peaceful. Had she fallen asleep?

He watched her breathing slowly, only now hearing the slight wheeze in her breath. Why did she want to know so much about him? Why did she care if he dated or not? And why did she drop the subject when he asked?

He huffed to himself, inwardly scolding himself, -Stay focused Shadow, you have more pressing matters on hand-

But still, as he watched her, he couldn't help but feel something strange. She had been able to hold out on telling the Commander how to use the Crescent Life Source, even though he had inflicted pain on her. She had been able to stay with Shadow and help him, he found her easy to talk to.

Just thinking about how he could have lost her to G.U.N, it set something cold in his stomach, and he let out a sigh.

"Shadow...?" (Y/N) opened her eye slowly, at first dazed, but then focused on him, "Are you okay...?"

He moved back slightly, "Your eye will be swollen for a while... And I'll have to check your nose, you're wheezing when you breathe."

"Okay..." She nodded slowly, before lowering her head. Her ears once again pressed against her head and her cheeks turned pink, "Um..."

"What is it?" He asked softly, tilting his head.

"I don't... Will G.U.N come for us tonight...?"

"I don't believe so." The hedgehog stated, "The Commander will want to plan his attack and strike tomorrow at the earliest, assuming I didn't put him in a coma."

"Oh, if you're sure..." She said, before turning her gaze to the large window across the room; it overlooked the city, which was full of lights, the sky was a bright orange-turning dark blue.

"Why do you ask?" He asked, raising a brow slightly.

"I just..." She clutched her shirt in her hands, "They won't attack us here?"

"Are you afraid they will?"

She was quiet, but the slight nod of her head was all Shadow needed. He let out a sigh, before cupping her head gently,

"Listen, they won't attack, okay? This place is going to be too busy for them to issue an attack. I'll be here anyway, and we'll be able to escape with the Chaos Emerald."

She was still silent, her eyes fixated on the window.

"It's okay if you're afraid." He said, turning her to face him, "I've been there before. It's normal actually, it means you're alive."

"To feel fear?"

"It's complex but... Yes."

The (a/t) gave another nod, before curling up on the couch, "If you're going to sleep on the couch, I'll sleep on the other one..."

"It's not good for your back." He said, "Have you ever slept in a bed before?"

She shook her head, "We used animal hides and soft leaves. Back when..."

Her eyes grew dark and she closed them, "Sorry, I'll just go to bed."

The hedgehog nodded, before standing and helping her, "I checked your nose while I spoke to you as well. Try not to sleep on your face, it will hurt. I don't have the right material to stabilise a broken nose right now so just be careful."

The she-(a/t) nodded again, growing fidgety as she stood. It looked like she wanted to ask something, and the pink on her cheeks turned to a soft red,

"I- Um... Shadow..."

"Yes?" He asked.

"I... I'm scared..." She said, raising her gaze to his. Her good eye shone brightly in the slowly darkening room, "I... Could you... I..."

"I'll stay with you if you want." He offered a smile, "If that's okay with you."

She nodded quickly this time, before letting out a yawn and rubbing her eye, "So... What's a bed...?"

"It's over there." He pointed across the room, the black-sheeted mattress was draped with an extremely fluffy (like that long ass fur shit) leopard print blanket that sat just unevenly on it.

(Y/N) followed his finger, before walking over to the bed and taking in it's features. Once she had, she crawled onto it and curled up in the middle. The hedgehog let out a slight chuckle, before walking over and sitting next to her.

Looking down at her, Shadow was reminded of her past. She was from a time where lights and music and even alcohol didn't exist, where cities were but small villages and people were most likely respectful.

She also had the biggest army in Mobius hunting her.

Of course she was scared.

He frowned slightly, before reaching over and patting her head slowly. She jumped at first, before relaxing again. Her wheezing breath grew more relaxed and soon enough she was asleep.

And damn, Shadow couldn't deny it anymore as he watched her, he had somehow managed to fall for this innocent girl.

Not that he would ever admit it, especially to Rouge.