*Shadow's POV *
"I will be back." I told Rouge.

"What happened?" Rouge asked me confused. "Where are you going? The kids were looking for you."

"I will be back. I just..." I looked at her, I could feel myself about to cry. Rouge looked at me concerned then dragged me to a random room in the castle and closed the door.

"What happened?" She asked concerned but I glanced around. We were in the library. I walked toward a desk and sat down then put my head down. "Hun?"

"I told him I can't love him again." I said to her trying to keep myself from crying.

"What? But I thought-" I stopped her.

"I do love him, Rouge. I can't change that no matter how long I don't see him, no matter how much I try to change my mind into hating him or treating him bad again. I see him and everything changes. I love him but... I will never make him happy." I kept my head down as Rouge rubbed my back.

"Why do you say that?" Rouge asked. I remained silent for a while but gave in anyways.

"He wasn't able to move on for over a decade because he was mourning my loss, Rouge. It's only been half a year since I came back and I can tell he's doing way better without me. If I come back to his life, who's to say things won't go back to being the same? He just thinks he's okay but If we get back together, I'm going to trigger him." I raised my head and looked at her. "I don't want to keep hurting him."

"So you're going to hurt the both of you instead?" Rouge raised a brow.

"I know it sounds stupid but it's for the best. That way the kids won't be confused, they already think Sonic and I don't love each other and are okay with that. Why confuse them?" I rubbed my face.

"Because things aren't that simple, Hun. You two gave each other time, and Sonic seems to want back in. Wasn't that what you were waiting for?"

"It was. For a while. But the more I think about it. The more I realize maybe it is best for our story to just end here." I sighed and stood up.

"Will that make you happy?" Rouge watched me as I paced around. I shook my head.

"Someday." I answered and she nodded.

"Then go tell him that. Best be honest now, than to lead him on." She stood up. "Go."

"But I already told him that-" She stopped me as she flew towards the door and opened it for me.

"Go." She said again, I knew she was right. Now that Sonic and I had finally talked, it was best to be honest to each other.

I walked out of the library and made my way back to the garden. I was unsure of what I was even going to say. How would I even tell him this? I didn't want to hurt him.

I could help but look around the castle as I looked for him once I saw he wasn't in the garden. The more I looked around, the more memories came to mind.

Why was I so mean to him back then? Why was I even trying to be mean to him now?

Yes I was hurt that we didn't work out but that didn't mean I didn't care about him, that didn't mean that at some point in my life he was all I could think of, all I wanted. I remember having him in my arms, feeling his soft fur against mine as we cuddled in his room. When the winter came and he was always cold, he was very needy and loving towards me.

He was never afraid of showing the way he was, never afraid to say what he wanted. Now he was afraid to even talk to me, or look at me, something I wanted before I confessed my feelings towards him but not anymore.

Will we ever be friends? Will we ever be comfortable around each other again? Maybe someday. Maybe one day Sonic won't be afraid of being around me anymore. But for now he was, he couldn't look me in the eyes.

*Sonic's POV *
I had walked to my room and laid down in my bed as I looked up at the ceiling, and looked back at time and try to find where it all went wrong. It was my fault. I was the one who asked for space. I was the one who couldn't move on from mourning him for over a decade.

I was so stupid, why didn't I? Why was I stuck in that spot for years? Why had it taken me this long to realize I still wanted to be with Shadow?

I was hurt, I felt broken, unsafe, like a horrible person from the way I treated the kids while I was depressed, like a horrible friend and a horrible partner for not helping Shadow. And when I finally was able to take some time to heal and realize I did not want this to end, Shadow realized he didn't want to love me anymore.

I get what I deserve. Maybe Tails was right and our story just needed to end now. Maybe all we will ever have is the memories and the kids?

I wasn't saying goodbye to Shadow, he will always be in my life because of the kids but we will never have what we both wanted at some point. Maybe I should just accept it and move on with our lives. I loved Shadow and I want him to be happy, at some point he was going to lose me anyways, so why not spare him from that pain now?

I want him to be happy and I can't be the one to do so.

"Sonic?" I sat up when I heard Shadow at my door. He opened it and looked at me. "Can we talk?"