``Ow, ow, careful, Sonic!'' Sally whimpered, wincing, ``My ankle is still hurting!''
``I tried to warn ya that Badnik was about to blow...'' Sonic replied, sighing as he supported her weight. Her arm was slung over his shoulder as he carefully helped her into her quarters in the Sky Patrol. The Princess walked with a pronounced hitch in her step, pain making her large blue eyes water.
``Nng... If I hadn't run forward, we would have lost the datachip... It's the whole reason we were in Robotropolis,'' Sally grunted as she flopped onto her bed, a lock of crimson hair falling into her face. She glanced down at her burnt clothing and singed fur, gingerly prodding a bruise on her shoulder.
``Sal, we can always get more secret plans for new Badniks. We can't get another Princess,'' Sonic replied, reaching into a cabinet nearby. He pulled out bandages, ointment, and other assorted medical supplies, placing them on the bed beside the chipmunk. His gloved hand gently brushed the stray strands of red hair from her face.
``First Nicole lectures me, now you. I thought you loved risking your life,'' she remarked, resting her head on her pillow.
``That I do. But I don't enjoy watchin' others risk theirs. An' the big difference between you and me is that I have superhuman speed and reflexes, and if THAT fails, I'm exceedingly hard to injure... and I heal even faster. I break a bone, it means I've taken a hit that'd kill a normal Mobian, but I'll be back in action in a couple of days... YOU break a bone, we lose our field leader for weeks or months,'' the hedgehog said, softly. His green eyes were narrowed in a mixture of care, concentration, and concern as he gently rolled a bandage around Sally's ankle.
``I'd better see Doctor Quack when we get back to New Mobotropolis, then,'' Sally sighed.
``Especially since I'm only good at basic first aid. I can patch ya up, but that's about all I can do,'' Sonic replied with a self-depreciating grin. Sally rubbed her face with both hands, sighing long and loud.
``Sonic, why do you even bother with me? You could have any girl in the world if you wanted... Why me?'' Sally asked wearily.
``Besides the fact that you're a beautiful, smokin' hot, rich Princess, you mean?'' the hedgehog asked with a playful grin. One of Sally's eyes peered out from beneath her hand, narrowing into an annoyed glare.
``No, I'm serious, Sonic...'' Sally said, frowning.
``Okay, okay. Ya wanna know why you?'' Sonic replied. He went silent for a moment, his mouth tugged into an uncharacteristically thoughtful frown.
``Well, I mean, just look at the other girls... Take Amy, for example. Girl is CRAZY about me... but not with the real me. She never bothers to actually listen to me, find out my likes and dislikes, spend time with me when we're NOT running around on dates or stuff...'' Sonic began, speaking slowly as he carefully considered his words, ``She's got a crush. The biggest honkin' mother of all crushes, but a crush nonetheless. She isn't so much interested in me, as the IDEA of me.''
``What about Bunnie? Well, she is my closest female friend other than you. She's absolutely freakin' hot... I mean, have you seen her legs, even if they're made o' metal? And her bre- '' he trailed off and winced as Sally glared at him.
Coughing, Sonic continued, ``Aheh, anyway, yeah, I had a thing for her a few years ago. An' while we've fooled around and joked about it, the simple fact is we never really clicked. Not the way she did with Antoine, I mean. Maybe in another life, another time; but she and I were never really right for each other. Anyway, she found Antoine before she and I could ever even think of bein' serious, and he made her happier than I ever could.''
``How's about Rouge then? Heh, she's more interested in whether I have a Chaos Emerald, information, or a raging erection she can `borrow.' Besides, she's always been more into Knux than me... And frankly, I'm not interested in... uh, shall we say, women with extremely loose sexual morals.''
``What about Mina Mongoose?'' Sally asked. There was a moment of silence as Sonic and Sally stared into each other's eyes...
...then both of them burst out in raucous, hysterical laughter that only ended when Sally accidentally tweaked her injured ankle while shifting positions.
``Ow, ow, ow... Okay, who else?'' Sally said, wiping tears of laughter and pain from her eyes.
``Well, then there?s Cream, who... uh... is a little young for my tastes to say the least, and her mom, who's smokin' hawt, but again, more material for a one night stand than a relationship. Then there?s Knuckles, who I think would kill me if he heard me talkin' about him like this... and Tails, who has an adorable butt, but...'' Sonic trailed off as Sally laughed again.
``So what? I?m all that?s left by process of elimination?'' Sally asked, sobering a little. Sonic shook his head so fast that it blurred for a moment.
``Hey, don?t put words in my mouth, Sal. The problem with the other girls is that they want me to be theirs, or they want some IDEA of me to be theirs. They want me to stop running and settle down with them and all o' that,'' Sonic replied, ``...and that ain't me. I won't stop running for anyone.''
Sonic's expression turned serious as he sat down on the bed beside Sally, gently taking her hands into his. He stared into her eyes, his green meeting her blue.
``But you're different. You don't want me to stop. You want to run beside me. You understand me. You're my oldest friend and you honestly get me,'' Sonic said softly, ``and while I won't stop for anyone... For you, Sally Acorn, I'm willing to slow down enough for you to keep up.''
