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"The Gift"
A KnuxAmy Christmas one-shot
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl

For MinkPink on Neopets, as well Demona909, Knuckles-Echidna72, and all my fellow KnuxAmy fans here on deviantART.

   December had come again, and with it came cooler temperatures, shorter days, longer starlit nights, and everyone’s favorite holiday, Christmas.  From Cliffdale Heights to Radical City, Mobians everywhere were getting ready for this special time of year.  Some groups raided the local malls for the perfect gift, others spent their time buying supplies for their Christmas Day feast, and there were some who did their best trying to make Christmas a special time for everyone, including those that were less fortunate and without this kindness of others, would have to go without for even this very special day.

   With only a few days left, five to be exact, until Christmas Day, everyone was in a scramble to make everything perfect.  This included Station Square resident Amy Rose, who was out shopping with her friend Cream the Bunny.  Cream brought along her Chao pal Cheese, and together the three walked up and down the rows of shops of their local mall.  She just loved shopping, and today she was hoping to finish up her list of who to buy for.  As she walked, she glanced down this list, and came down to one final, but very special name to buy for.

   “Okay Cream, let’s see.  I took care of your gift already,” Amy said.

   “Chao Chao!” Cheese cried.

   Amy giggled and said, “Don’t worry Cheese, I got you checked off too.”  Cheese smiled and continued to fly beside Cream.

   Cream let out a laugh and said, “I can’t wait to see my present Amy, but who else have you gotten a gift for?”

   Before Amy would reply, she slowed her steps, looking for a place to sit before she continued going down the list of names.  She spotted a bench on the outskirts of the food court, and looked to Cream and said, “Let’s sit down for a minute while I go down the list.  Carrying these bags around can get tiring.”

   “Okay Amy!” Cream exclaimed.  The two girls carried their shopping bags over to the bench, sat them down on the floor beside it, and then hopped onto the bench to take a rest.  “Phew,” Cream said, “That’s much better.”

   Amy had already returned her attention to the list.  She went down the list of names, and continued, “We took care of Tails today…Sonic too, hee hee, we know they’ll like their gifts.  I bought a gift for Rouge not long ago; Vector and Espio are getting gift cards because I’m not entirely sure of what they want.  They did help me with a gift for Charmy, so he’s got his gift.  I wasn’t sure what to do about Omega…but Rouge helped me out there.  Shadow…I know he’ll see Rouge around Christmas so she has his gift from me for him to give.”

   “Don’t forget the fruitcake we sent Eggman Amy,” Cream remarked with a giggle.

   Letting out a laugh, Amy said, “That’s right…hee hee, I wish I could see his reaction to that.”  After she settled back down, she frowned slightly, and then added, “That just leaves one person left to buy for.  …Knuckles.”

   Cream’s eyes widened a bit as she looked to Amy in surprise.  “Gee Amy, I thought Mr. Knuckles would have been the first person you took care of.  What are you going to get for him?”

   Amy glanced at her friend with a look of uncertainty.  She said, “That’s just it Cream.  I—I don’t know what to get him.  It has to be something very special.  Last year well, it didn’t matter as much then as it does now.  It has to be perfect.”

   The two girls sat in silence for a few moments.  Cream and Cheese were paying more attention to the people walking by while they waited for Amy to speak further, while Amy was consumed with thoughts of the echidna guardian.  Over the past year, the two of them had grown closer to each other.  They had a casual relationship, one where they both felt affection for each other, and showed it enough to the point where the other could feel it without having to treat it with too much seriousness.  But Amy knew this had to change eventually, which is why she was so determined to find him the perfect gift.  It didn’t have to be something extravagant or lovey-dovey…just as long as it let him know that she cared, because she certainly did not say it enough.

   She glanced at her friend Cream, and realized that finding a gift for Knuckles was something she needed to do on her own.  She took her shopping bags in her hand after stuffing her list into her purse and said, “Hey Cream…have you gotten a gift for your mom yet?”

   Cream looked to Amy and with a nod she said, “Yep…although…I did see something I think she might like in one of those stores back there.”

   Reaching into her purse, Amy handed Cream a twenty dollar bill and said, “Will this cover it Cream?”

   After standing up, Cream took the money, nodded and said, “It sure will Amy.  I’ll bring you all the change.  Thank you!”

   “No problem Cream.  Why don’t you and Cheese go buy it together and then get yourself something to snack on okay?  I want to go look for a gift for Knuckles.  I’ll meet you back here in umm…forty-five minutes okay?” Amy explained.

   Cream picked up her shopping bags and Cheese took to the air.  They turned to leave and Cream said, “Gotcha Amy!  I’ll see you later!”  Then, the little bunny and her Chao ran off to buy her mom Vanilla a Christmas gift.

   Amy smiled as she watched them leave, but then let out a sigh as she was left to herself.  She again thought of Knuckles and said, “What on earth am I going to get for you Knuxie?  Oh me; what a predicament I have on my hands.”

   She walked up and down the mall at least once in both directions for each of the two floors.  Nothing she saw would appeal to him, either that or it just wasn’t good enough for her.  It wasn’t up to par with her standards.

   What would a guy like him need?  It seemed like an easy mission to fulfill; after all, he spent his time alone on that floating island, guarding that silent stone, the Master Emerald, every moment of his life.  He had nothing that she lived with every day.  He could be grateful for just about anything she got him right?  Still, what should she get him?  Something silly like a book or a CD player was stupid; Amy just couldn’t figure out what he would actually enjoy receiving.  It seemed like an impossible quest.

   After close to an hour had passed, Amy let out another sigh.  She simply couldn’t find anything that she thought would be a great gift for Knuckles.  She whimpered in annoyance, “He’s so hard to buy for.  He’s such a great guy and yet buying the perfect gift for him is impossible.  Oh, what am I gonna do.  Christmas is in a few days and I promised I’d be there to spend it with him.  I bet he’s already got a present for me too.  Oh.”

   It was then that Amy realized that she had missed meeting up with Cream in the food court.  She glanced at her watch and cried, “Gosh, I told Cream I’d meet her and Cheese fifteen minutes ago!  Oh darn it!”

   She raced down to the food court, only to find Cream and Cheese waiting anxiously for Amy as they finished up the last of the French fries she had bought.  When Cheese saw Amy heading for them the chao cried, “Chao, Chao!”

   This caught Cream’s attention, and she too looked in the same direction, smiling when she saw Amy at last.  She stood up, gathering up the change from Amy’s twenty, handed it to her and said, “There you are Amy!  Cheese and I were wondering where you were!  Here’s your change!”

   The pink hedgehog paused for a minute, then took the money from Cream and put it back in her purse.  She shook her head and said, “Sorry for being late Cream.  I just…couldn’t find anything that is perfect for Knuckles.  I don’t know what I’m gonna do.  With Omega and Charmy I had people I could ask for help on what to get them.  I spend more time with Knuckles than anybody.  If I can’t figure out something to get him, who else can?”

   Cream lowered her eyes in distress.  She glanced at Cheese, who looked to be at just as much of a loss, before looking back to Amy and saying, “Gee Amy, I wish I could help you out…but you’re right.  I’m not sure of what Mr. Knuckles would want for Christmas either.  Maybe…um, you could ask him.”

    “What?  Ask him what he wants for Christmas?  That’s just…,” Amy started.  She paused, and thought over what Cream had suggested.  Perhaps there was no harm in asking him such a thing.  Besides, even if it meant he would be expecting it from her, she could still make it a surprise somehow right?  She’d also be sure that he would enjoy the gift, instead of just pretending to.

   A smile spread across Amy’s face; she quickly picked up her shopping bags, and started off for the exit of the mall.  She called out, “Thanks for the idea Cream!  I gotta go talk to Knuckles quickly!  Merry Christmas!”  Then, she was out of site.

   Cream blinked a couple times as she watched Amy disappear into the distance, but quickly smiled and let out a laugh as she looked to Cheese and said, “Gee Cheese, I hope everything works out for her!  Come on, we should be getting back home.”

   “Chao, Chao!” Cheese cried.  The two then left the mall, in a different direction from Amy.  While Cream and Cheese headed home to her mother Vanilla, Amy ran to her little red convertible, took her packages home, and then quickly drove down the coast to get as close to Angel Island as she could.  Because Knuckles was expecting to see her within the next few days, he brought his floating home close to the coastline to make things easier for them.

   Little did Amy know, but Knuckles was having the same dilemma as she was.  He had absolutely no idea what to get for Amy that would be both something she loved, and also something that showed his affection for her, especially since it was something they never spoke of to each other, opting instead to show it to one another through actions; a warm hug, a gentle smile, and even the occasional kiss on the cheek.  The only problem was, he didn’t have someone to talk it over with like Amy had in Cream.  Instead, the echidna found him walking through the woods of Angel Island, albeit in circles close to the edge of the island, asking himself the same questions Amy asked herself.

   “Aww man, I can’t believe this.  How am I supposed to know what Amy wants for Christmas?  I can’t ask her…if I do, then she’ll know that that’s what I plan to get her.   Not much surprise in that is there?”  Knuckles muttered, letting out a groan in annoyance after he did so.  He rubbed his temples roughly and added, “I just can’t believe this.  What am I supposed to do?  How can I know what to get her if I don’t know what she wants or needs?  Ugh, maybe I should ask Cream if she knows.  Only thing is how can I get away long enough and get back quickly enough to do so?”

   Before he could ponder a reply to his own question, the echidna paused.  His sensitive hearing could pick up on the soft rumble of a car engine not far down the coast.  He lowered his hands, trying to piece together what this meant in his mind before his jaw dropped slightly, a shiver running down his spine once he figured it out.  “Amy…, she’s on her way here already.  Aww man, what timing.”

   As Knuckles ran for the edge of the island to meet her, the light bulb went off in his head just as it did for Amy in the mall.  Maybe there was no harm in asking her what she might want for Christmas, and because there were a few days left before Christmas Day, this would give him plenty of time to get away to Station Square to get it for her.

   “I guess there’s no harm in asking her such a thing.  I can still make it a surprise somehow.  Besides, it’ll be nice to know she’ll actually enjoy her gift instead of just pretending to when she receives it,” Knuckles thought to himself, going on the exact same reasoning that Amy did, showing just how like-minded and connected the two had become.

   Down on the mainland, Amy pulled up her convertible near the edge of a tree-lined field.  Angel Island hung in the sky almost directly above her, and as she closed her car door, she gazed up at it, feeling one last twinge of bother since she had not gotten Knuckles his gift yet.  She took a few breaths and whispered, “Come on Amy, get a grip.  Just…hint at it.  Maybe you can get him to say something without having to ask him directly.  This will be easy,” softly to herself.

   “Hey Amy!” a voice called over the distance.

   Amy looked up, only to Knuckles waving to her from the edge of the island.  She smiled, and the returned the wave, calling back, “Hey Knuckles!”

   After he got her attention, Knuckles took his own deep breath before taking a leap to the air and starting his glide down to the mainland.  He thought to himself, “Get a hold of yourself Knuckles.  There’s nothing to this.  Just fish for hints as to what she wants.  There’s no need to ruin it by asking directly.”

   So the two had the same mission; find out what to buy the other for Christmas.  They not only had the same question to ask, but continued to be of like mind.  It was a wonder that they couldn’t already perceive that they were both tied up in the same quandary.  Now all that remained for them, was to see if they could complete their objectives, without ruining the surprise at the same time.

   Once Knuckles landed, he switched to “fishing-for-hints” mode, and Amy did the same as she ran up to greet him, hugging him tightly once she got to him.

   “Merry Christmas Knuxie!” she exclaimed.

   Knuckles hugged her back, but raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her.  “Merry Christmas to you too Amy, but, there’s still a few days left until then you know.”

   Amy looked up at Knuckles, quiet for a moment, but quickly let out a laugh and said, “I know silly!  The weeks leading up to Christmas Day are just one part of the holiday, so you wish it to everyone you know until Christmas is over!”

   The echidna let out a soft chuckle.  “Of course, you just said it with so much enthusiasm I had to consider the possibility that you had let the Christmas spirit take you over,” he teased, with a grin.

   “Oh Knuckles stop that!” Amy cried with a laugh.  She slowly pulled back from him and added, “Heh, that was pretty funny though.”  She then grinned slyly and continued, “I was hoping you were more well-learned than that.  I simply had to take it as a joke.”

   Knuckles rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance, but laughed softly once more.  “I wasn’t expecting you until Monday.  Is this my Christmas gift this year?  An extra-long visit with you?” he asked, immediately beginning his end of the quest.

   This caught Amy by surprise, who now recognized she had to do the same as him.  As if they were playing a game to see who would make it to the end first, she called his play with a laugh and said, “If I’m all you want for Christmas Knuxie…then yes, I am, but, that doesn’t mean I don’t have something else extra special waiting for you for Christmas.  Of course, I bet it’s no less spectacular than what you’re getting for me right?”

   The echidna was struck with a momentary loss for a reply.  He immediately cupped his hand to his mouth, feigning thoughtfulness to hide his worried race for something to say…something to use as his next play.  She made it sound like she already had a pretty awesome gift for him, and this added more stress to his game plan.  He had  to make sure he nailed her perfect gift on the head.

   After a few minutes, he looked back to her, a grin a mile wide was on his face.  He took a few steps away from her and said, “Aww come now Amy; don’t think I’m dumb enough to fall for that.  You’re not gonna get any hints from me as to what I’m getting for you.  You’ll just have to be patient.”

   Now it was Amy’s turn to be struck down with shock.  Now she was the one who had to assume that Knuckles was hiding the most perfect gift for her while she had nothing for him.  She was desperate to come up with a way to answer him, a way to match his move and get the information she needed.

   As for Knuckles, Amy’s immediately silence caused him to perceive that she believed that he had something special waiting for her.  This meant that he could use this to his advantage.  This meant he could tease her with it, possibly causing her to drop hints as to what it was.  Before Amy could reply, he continued with his move.

   He walked back up to her, taking her hand, and started to lead her towards Angel Island, saying, “But, I know you’re gonna love it.  I can’t wait to see your face when you see it.”  He was hoping he could entice her into dropping names of what she hoped it would be as he took her to Angel Island.

   Amy was stunned; she never thought for a moment that Knuckles would be so enthusiastic about her gift.  This must mean he had something truly wonderful and heartfelt planned for her.  He had drawn her into his trap, but what remained to be seen on his part was whether she’d drop these hints he wanted or not, for you see, she had to keep going after him for the same thing, and this would put a damper on their plans.  Each of them was going to be too busy trying to get hints from the other to have time to offer any.  It was a vicious cycle that wasn’t going to stop until either one or both of them realized the depth of this game they were playing.

   As they landed on Angel Island, Amy spoiled Knuckles’ expectations by saying, “That’s fine with me Knuckles.  Whatever it is, I know I’ll love it…and you know it too.  I also know you’re gonna love what I’m getting you.  I can’t wait until you finally see what it is.”

   Knuckles looked away from her for a moment, his neck muscles tightening on him as a nervous and warm shiver ran from it down his spine.  That wasn’t what she was supposed to say.  She was supposed to get excited and in anticipation start calling out ideas of what she thought her gift might be.

   He looked back to her after making a sweep of his forehead with his hand.  He tried to grin again, but it turned into more of a smile put up to hide uncertainty and nerves.  Looking back into the woods, he decided maybe if he inquired about his gift, maybe he could persuade Amy to do the same.  It looked like maybe by offering the other what each of them wanted, they could receive the information they wanted in return.

   Taking Amy’s hand, and leading her on a walk through the woods, Knuckles replied, “Aww, you know I know that you’ve found something perfect for me.  Maybe I’ll finally get something to keep me occupied when you’re not here with me.”

   Amy smiled at him, but inside she did a leap for joy; she finally got Knuckles to drop her a hint.  Of course; something to entertain him while he was on Angel Island all alone would be perfect.  But, what could she get him?  Anything electronic was out of the question…unless it ran on batteries, and then she would need to be able to provide him with a steady supply of them.   Maybe an MP3 player would work for him…no wait, it ran on a charger.  She’d have to settle for a CD player…hold on, who’s to say he’d want to listen to music?  She knew he liked listening to the nature around him…all he wanted was something to break the boredom every now and again…maybe a book would be better for him.

   But what Amy didn’t realize, was Knuckles was referring more to the loneliness he experienced when she was gone, rather than not having anything to do.  In his mind the only perfect gift would be for Amy to never leave him.  Of course, the echidna knew realistically that that was impossible.  He couldn’t even say he loved her for Heaven’s sake.  He lowered his eyes as they walked together, and finally Amy noticed this, breaking free from her thoughts for a moment long enough to see him.

   Since she had enough information from him, she was easily able to push those gift concerns to the back of her mind when she saw this saddened look, or at least what she perceived to be as sad.  She’d be right; while he wasn’t exactly sad, he was feeling pretty miserable about only showing affection in the simplest of ways, and being unable to verbalize it.  Maybe if they spent more time together this wouldn’t be so impossible for him.

   Amy’s heart went out to him; while she didn’t know what distressed him, she felt bad for him all the same.  Inside she felt bad too.  She couldn’t even tell him she loved him but claimed to feel such affection for him in her heart.  Again, the two were of both like-mind and heart when it came to this.  What they didn’t realize, is their most desired wish…the perfect gift for both of them, was each other.

   She didn’t know it, but in an attempt to cheer Knuckles up, she was going to give him the information he needed.  She took his arm with her other hand and held onto him tightly as they walked.  This awoke him from his thoughts.  She had rested her head on his shoulder for a moment, and when she noticed him looking at her, she smiled and said, “I enjoy walking with you Knuckles.  If only it would snow.  That would be perfect.  The best thing about this Christmas is we’ll get to spend it together.”

   Knuckles paused for a moment; she made it sound like she was only interested in spending time with him.  He asked, “I always love walking with you.  I wish we would more often.  Still, don’t you wish you didn’t have to be stuck here on Angel Island for Christmas?”

   By this point the two had made it back to the Master Emerald’s Altar; they stopped walking; their eyes met, and Amy’s hand moved from Knuckles’ arm to his remaining hand.  After taking it in her own, she looked down and said, “How can you say that Knuckles?  We’re not ‘stuck’ here.  I mean, sure, we have to stay here and everything, but you make it sound like a miserable thing.  From up here we have a view of all the world…besides, the best thing about Christmas, is spending time with the ones you care about…no matter where you are.”

   Her voice had grown quiet by the time she finished speaking.  Knuckles was concerned for her, but at the same time felt his heart choke on what she just said.  She mentioned spending time with the ones you care about over Christmas, and while he scolded himself for not saying he loved her, he was recognizing more and more that she was going through the same ordeal.

   “Maybe…the best gift I can give her for Christmas…isn’t something you can wrap in a box and seal with a bow.  Maybe…just maybe…,” Knuckles thought.

   Suddenly, Amy pulled away from him, disrupting his thoughts.  She turned away from him, trying to hide an advancing onslaught of tears.  Amy didn’t know why she wanted to cry, only that her inability to tell Knuckles she loved him was part of it.  He also mentioned wanting something to be there for him when she wasn’t there, and she also couldn’t think of anything to take the place of the happiness they both shared when they were together.  In addition, the fact that she spent such little time with him, and imagining him trying to pass those lonely hours on his own, was just overwhelming her emotions, triggering a flood of sadness and love in a torrent in her heart.

   “Amy?  Are you…alright?” Knuckles asked, reaching out to her.

   Amy stiffened up; she didn’t want Knuckles to see her crying.  Glancing over her shoulder, she did her utmost best to hide her tears, then turned around, her smile shaky, and said, “I’m just fine Knuxie…I just…I need to go now.  I want to make sure everything is ready before I come here for Christmas Eve.  You understand right?”

   She turned to leave without another word to say.  Knuckles lowered his hand slowly, lowering his eyes and staring at the cold ground beside him, murmuring, “Of course I do.  The one thing I’ve had to come to accept is that you can’t always be with me.  Not even Christmas can change that.”

   As she walked away, Amy heard this, and this finally caused her eyes to overflow with tears.  She started to run into the woods, and didn’t stop for a breath until she had made it back to her car.  She got into it, turning it on, and then sped off to Station Square.  Her thoughts centered on her tears and just why she was crying the entire way home.  She couldn’t even begin to calm herself down until she was back in her apartment, clutching a pillow after she taken off her coat and boots as she sat on the couch.  Finally, she took a moment to dry her tears and try to find an answer to her problems.

   “Oh…poor Knuxie.  I’m a fool to think that there’s anything in this world that I can give him that will be “the perfect gift.”  In his mind there’s nothing better than spending time with me,” Amy whimpered.  She closed her eyes and could still see his sad eyes while they were walking.  She let out a sigh, pulling her legs up on to the couch as she lay down and continued, “I can’t even tell him how I feel only to find out he just wants to spend time with me.  He doesn’t care about gifts or anything…the best gift I can give him…maybe, just maybe….the best thing I can give him…is my heart.”

   Again, the two were of like mind and heart, both realizing the same thing.  Yet, come Christmas Eve, would they really be able to give each other, the perfect gift?

   Christmas Eve came a few days later.  In that time, Amy had given her friends their gifts.  Sonic loved the MP3 player she got him and raved about it all day long.  Tails was thrilled with his gift…a gift card to their local hardware store.  Now he could get some of the parts he needed for his latest project.  Cream fell in love with the set of Chao dolls Amy gave her, and Cheese was quite happy with the new bow-tie he received from her.  She had given everybody the perfect gift it seemed, even Vector, Espio and Charmy called her and thanked her for their gifts.  Before she left for Angel Island that night, Rouge made sure to tell her thank you for gift, as well as send along thank-yous from Shadow and Omega.  Once again Amy’s gifts were a big hit…but this year was threatening to undo that, for you see, she still had to give Knuckles his gift, and Amy was nervous about how he’d receive it to say the least.

   She arrived at Angel Island just as before, and waited for Knuckles to come get her.  However, she was taken by surprise when he stepped out from behind on of the trees near where she parked.

   Walking up to her, he lowered his eyes for a moment, only to look back at her with a strong smile on his face.  He took her hand and said, “I thought I’d switch things up a bit.”  Extending his other arm out towards Angel Island, he pointed at the mountaintops and added, “You said something about walking in the snow right?  The forest won’t ever get snow, but the mountain trails near Sky Sanctuary have plenty.  You wanna see?”

   Amy blushed when he asked her this, and she could only manage a nod and a quiet “Mhmm” in reply.  Knuckles only continued to smile and as was custom, he brought her up to Angel Island with him and guided her up to the Sky Sanctuary, where, just as he mentioned, the surrounding mountains and their trails were covered with snow.  By now, neither Knuckles or Amy seemed concerned with Christmas gifts as they were only days before.  On this night, Christmas Eve night, they were concerned only by each other.

   As they walked together, a soft snow flurry began to fall.  Amy was only wearing a light windbreaker on that night, and Knuckles instinctively put his arm around her as they walked.  After a little while, he looked to her and said, “Well, you said the only way a walk could get better was if it would snow.  What do you think Amy?”

   Amy had rested her head on his arm as they walked, but looked up to him when he said this.  She slowed her steps, and he slowed his own with hers.  He pulled her into a hug after a few moments to keep her warm, and as he did so, she whispered, “I don’t think the snow is what makes it perfect Knuckles.  What makes it perfect, is the fact that we’re walking together, and standing here alone together now.  The snow and the silent night only serve to make the moment stand out from the rest.”

   Knuckles closed his eyes, resting his head on hers, and then let out a happy sigh before replying, “I think you’re right Amy.  If it weren’t for the snow and this night, then I couldn’t tell this perfect moment out from the others we’ve shared.”

   Just then, Amy’s thoughts finally came back to her gift for him.  As much as she was enjoying being cradled in his arms, kept warm by his embrace, she couldn’t go without giving him his gift…it was Christmas after all.

   However, being of like mind and heart, Knuckles realized the same thing.

   He lifted up his head, looked down at her and said, “The only problem is, there just aren’t enough of those perfect moments for me, even with the addition of this one tonight.”  He paused, for he could see Amy look up at him.  He glanced over at a snow covered cliff, nodded at it, and then led her over to it so they could sit down together before he continued.  “Amy, I have to be honest.  I had absolutely no idea what to give you for Christmas.  Infact, when you were here a few days ago I was doing my best just to get an idea from you what you wanted.  Now, I think it’s more of what you want and need that will serve as the best gift I can offer…and well, it’ll be more like a gift to us both.”

   Amy was shocked; first at the fact that they had both faced the same ordeal, but more importantly…at what it appeared Knuckles was about to tell her, especially when she knew in her heart that she felt the same, and was prepared to return the gift with all her heart.

   Once their eyes met again, Knuckles let one final breath go, before he said, “Amy, I don’t know if I’ve shown you that I care well enough or not.  I also don’t know why it’s been so hard to say it to you either.  But, I do know that it’s something you’ve wanted to hear, and maybe even…say yourself.  …I—I love you Amy.  I know it’s not much, but that’s my gift to you.”

   Poor Amy felt ready to cry again, only this time it was out of happiness.  Despite the fact that her eyes were glassing over with them, she shook her head, closing her eyes to suppress them, before she said, “Oh Knuxie…you’ve given me your heart.  How can you say that’s not much?  That’s the greatest gift anyone has to give, and the fact that you chose me…there couldn’t be one better.”

   Knuckles was able to smile again, pulling her into his arms when he saw her weeping.  However, before the moment could continue, Amy looked up at him, laughed softly and said, “What’s funny Knuckles is I—I had no idea what to give to you either.  We were both fishing for hints.”

   The echidna’s eyes widened, and he let out a laugh, before whispering, “Why do I get the feeling we also both came to the same conclusion?”

   Amy sat up, hugging him tightly and said, “Because we’re of like mind and heart Knuxie.  I also hope that it’s because you were able to see my affection for you in the same way I saw yours for me.  Hee, hee, I love you too Knuckles, and I’m not just giving you my heart.”  She looked at him and added, “I’m going to make sure we spend more time together, so you can have plenty of moments to compare this one to.”

   The two were silent for a moment, their smiles speaking for them.  Knuckles gave her a kiss on the cheek, and Amy returned the gesture, before they relaxed, gazing out at the world around them, surrounded by snow and the silent night as they sat together.  Feeling tired, the two both closed their eyes, keeping each other warm and cozy as sleep overtook them.  However, before they succumb to it, Knuckles let out a yawn, and whispered, “Amy, no matter how many more moments we share, none will ever compare to this Christmas Eve night.  It will stand out in my heart forever.”  He let out one final yawn, and as his voice trailed off to sleep, he added, “This is the best Christmas ever.  Turns out we gave each other the perfect gift after all.”

   Indeed, this Christmas, the perfect gift they could give each other, wasn’t something you could find under your Christmas tree.  The perfect gift, this year, was the gift of the love in their hearts, and in the end, that’s what it was all about…showing the ones you love, just exactly how much you care.

Description
"The Gift"
A KnuxAmy Christmas one-shot
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl

For MinkPink on Neopets, as well Demona909, Knuckles-Echidna72, and all my fellow KnuxAmy fans here on deviantART.

   December had come again, and with it came cooler temperatures, shorter days, longer starlit nights, and everyone’s favorite holiday, Christmas.  From Cliffdale Heights to Radical City, Mobians everywhere were getting ready for this special time of year.  Some groups raided the local malls for the perfect gift, others spent their time buying supplies for their Christmas Day feast, and there were some who did their best trying to make Christmas a special time for everyone, including those that were less fortunate and without this kindness of others, would have to go without for even this very special day.

   With only a few days left, five to be exact, until Christmas Day, everyone was in a scramble to make everything perfect.  This included Station Square resident Amy Rose, who was out shopping with her friend Cream the Bunny.  Cream brought along her Chao pal Cheese, and together the three walked up and down the rows of shops of their local mall.  She just loved shopping, and today she was hoping to finish up her list of who to buy for.  As she walked, she glanced down this list, and came down to one final, but very special name to buy for.

   “Okay Cream, let’s see.  I took care of your gift already,” Amy said.

   “Chao Chao!” Cheese cried.

   Amy giggled and said, “Don’t worry Cheese, I got you checked off too.”  Cheese smiled and continued to fly beside Cream.

   Cream let out a laugh and said, “I can’t wait to see my present Amy, but who else have you gotten a gift for?”

   Before Amy would reply, she slowed her steps, looking for a place to sit before she continued going down the list of names.  She spotted a bench on the outskirts of the food court, and looked to Cream and said, “Let’s sit down for a minute while I go down the list.  Carrying these bags around can get tiring.”

   “Okay Amy!” Cream exclaimed.  The two girls carried their shopping bags over to the bench, sat them down on the floor beside it, and then hopped onto the bench to take a rest.  “Phew,” Cream said, “That’s much better.”

   Amy had already returned her attention to the list.  She went down the list of names, and continued, “We took care of Tails today…Sonic too, hee hee, we know they’ll like their gifts.  I bought a gift for Rouge not long ago; Vector and Espio are getting gift cards because I’m not entirely sure of what they want.  They did help me with a gift for Charmy, so he’s got his gift.  I wasn’t sure what to do about Omega…but Rouge helped me out there.  Shadow…I know he’ll see Rouge around Christmas so she has his gift from me for him to give.”

   “Don’t forget the fruitcake we sent Eggman Amy,” Cream remarked with a giggle.

   Letting out a laugh, Amy said, “That’s right…hee hee, I wish I could see his reaction to that.”  After she settled back down, she frowned slightly, and then added, “That just leaves one person left to buy for.  …Knuckles.”

   Cream’s eyes widened a bit as she looked to Amy in surprise.  “Gee Amy, I thought Mr. Knuckles would have been the first person you took care of.  What are you going to get for him?”

   Amy glanced at her friend with a look of uncertainty.  She said, “That’s just it Cream.  I—I don’t know what to get him.  It has to be something very special.  Last year well, it didn’t matter as much then as it does now.  It has to be perfect.”

   The two girls sat in silence for a few moments.  Cream and Cheese were paying more attention to the people walking by while they waited for Amy to speak further, while Amy was consumed with thoughts of the echidna guardian.  Over the past year, the two of them had grown closer to each other.  They had a casual relationship, one where they both felt affection for each other, and showed it enough to the point where the other could feel it without having to treat it with too much seriousness.  But Amy knew this had to change eventually, which is why she was so determined to find him the perfect gift.  It didn’t have to be something extravagant or lovey-dovey…just as long as it let him know that she cared, because she certainly did not say it enough.

   She glanced at her friend Cream, and realized that finding a gift for Knuckles was something she needed to do on her own.  She took her shopping bags in her hand after stuffing her list into her purse and said, “Hey Cream…have you gotten a gift for your mom yet?”

   Cream looked to Amy and with a nod she said, “Yep…although…I did see something I think she might like in one of those stores back there.”

   Reaching into her purse, Amy handed Cream a twenty dollar bill and said, “Will this cover it Cream?”

   After standing up, Cream took the money, nodded and said, “It sure will Amy.  I’ll bring you all the change.  Thank you!”

   “No problem Cream.  Why don’t you and Cheese go buy it together and then get yourself something to snack on okay?  I want to go look for a gift for Knuckles.  I’ll meet you back here in umm…forty-five minutes okay?” Amy explained.

   Cream picked up her shopping bags and Cheese took to the air.  They turned to leave and Cream said, “Gotcha Amy!  I’ll see you later!”  Then, the little bunny and her Chao ran off to buy her mom Vanilla a Christmas gift.

   Amy smiled as she watched them leave, but then let out a sigh as she was left to herself.  She again thought of Knuckles and said, “What on earth am I going to get for you Knuxie?  Oh me; what a predicament I have on my hands.”

   She walked up and down the mall at least once in both directions for each of the two floors.  Nothing she saw would appeal to him, either that or it just wasn’t good enough for her.  It wasn’t up to par with her standards.

   What would a guy like him need?  It seemed like an easy mission to fulfill; after all, he spent his time alone on that floating island, guarding that silent stone, the Master Emerald, every moment of his life.  He had nothing that she lived with every day.  He could be grateful for just about anything she got him right?  Still, what should she get him?  Something silly like a book or a CD player was stupid; Amy just couldn’t figure out what he would actually enjoy receiving.  It seemed like an impossible quest.

   After close to an hour had passed, Amy let out another sigh.  She simply couldn’t find anything that she thought would be a great gift for Knuckles.  She whimpered in annoyance, “He’s so hard to buy for.  He’s such a great guy and yet buying the perfect gift for him is impossible.  Oh, what am I gonna do.  Christmas is in a few days and I promised I’d be there to spend it with him.  I bet he’s already got a present for me too.  Oh.”

   It was then that Amy realized that she had missed meeting up with Cream in the food court.  She glanced at her watch and cried, “Gosh, I told Cream I’d meet her and Cheese fifteen minutes ago!  Oh darn it!”

   She raced down to the food court, only to find Cream and Cheese waiting anxiously for Amy as they finished up the last of the French fries she had bought.  When Cheese saw Amy heading for them the chao cried, “Chao, Chao!”

   This caught Cream’s attention, and she too looked in the same direction, smiling when she saw Amy at last.  She stood up, gathering up the change from Amy’s twenty, handed it to her and said, “There you are Amy!  Cheese and I were wondering where you were!  Here’s your change!”

   The pink hedgehog paused for a minute, then took the money from Cream and put it back in her purse.  She shook her head and said, “Sorry for being late Cream.  I just…couldn’t find anything that is perfect for Knuckles.  I don’t know what I’m gonna do.  With Omega and Charmy I had people I could ask for help on what to get them.  I spend more time with Knuckles than anybody.  If I can’t figure out something to get him, who else can?”

   Cream lowered her eyes in distress.  She glanced at Cheese, who looked to be at just as much of a loss, before looking back to Amy and saying, “Gee Amy, I wish I could help you out…but you’re right.  I’m not sure of what Mr. Knuckles would want for Christmas either.  Maybe…um, you could ask him.”

    “What?  Ask him what he wants for Christmas?  That’s just…,” Amy started.  She paused, and thought over what Cream had suggested.  Perhaps there was no harm in asking him such a thing.  Besides, even if it meant he would be expecting it from her, she could still make it a surprise somehow right?  She’d also be sure that he would enjoy the gift, instead of just pretending to.

   A smile spread across Amy’s face; she quickly picked up her shopping bags, and started off for the exit of the mall.  She called out, “Thanks for the idea Cream!  I gotta go talk to Knuckles quickly!  Merry Christmas!”  Then, she was out of site.

   Cream blinked a couple times as she watched Amy disappear into the distance, but quickly smiled and let out a laugh as she looked to Cheese and said, “Gee Cheese, I hope everything works out for her!  Come on, we should be getting back home.”

   “Chao, Chao!” Cheese cried.  The two then left the mall, in a different direction from Amy.  While Cream and Cheese headed home to her mother Vanilla, Amy ran to her little red convertible, took her packages home, and then quickly drove down the coast to get as close to Angel Island as she could.  Because Knuckles was expecting to see her within the next few days, he brought his floating home close to the coastline to make things easier for them.

   Little did Amy know, but Knuckles was having the same dilemma as she was.  He had absolutely no idea what to get for Amy that would be both something she loved, and also something that showed his affection for her, especially since it was something they never spoke of to each other, opting instead to show it to one another through actions; a warm hug, a gentle smile, and even the occasional kiss on the cheek.  The only problem was, he didn’t have someone to talk it over with like Amy had in Cream.  Instead, the echidna found him walking through the woods of Angel Island, albeit in circles close to the edge of the island, asking himself the same questions Amy asked herself.

   “Aww man, I can’t believe this.  How am I supposed to know what Amy wants for Christmas?  I can’t ask her…if I do, then she’ll know that that’s what I plan to get her.   Not much surprise in that is there?”  Knuckles muttered, letting out a groan in annoyance after he did so.  He rubbed his temples roughly and added, “I just can’t believe this.  What am I supposed to do?  How can I know what to get her if I don’t know what she wants or needs?  Ugh, maybe I should ask Cream if she knows.  Only thing is how can I get away long enough and get back quickly enough to do so?”

   Before he could ponder a reply to his own question, the echidna paused.  His sensitive hearing could pick up on the soft rumble of a car engine not far down the coast.  He lowered his hands, trying to piece together what this meant in his mind before his jaw dropped slightly, a shiver running down his spine once he figured it out.  “Amy…, she’s on her way here already.  Aww man, what timing.”

   As Knuckles ran for the edge of the island to meet her, the light bulb went off in his head just as it did for Amy in the mall.  Maybe there was no harm in asking her what she might want for Christmas, and because there were a few days left before Christmas Day, this would give him plenty of time to get away to Station Square to get it for her.

   “I guess there’s no harm in asking her such a thing.  I can still make it a surprise somehow.  Besides, it’ll be nice to know she’ll actually enjoy her gift instead of just pretending to when she receives it,” Knuckles thought to himself, going on the exact same reasoning that Amy did, showing just how like-minded and connected the two had become.

   Down on the mainland, Amy pulled up her convertible near the edge of a tree-lined field.  Angel Island hung in the sky almost directly above her, and as she closed her car door, she gazed up at it, feeling one last twinge of bother since she had not gotten Knuckles his gift yet.  She took a few breaths and whispered, “Come on Amy, get a grip.  Just…hint at it.  Maybe you can get him to say something without having to ask him directly.  This will be easy,” softly to herself.

   “Hey Amy!” a voice called over the distance.

   Amy looked up, only to Knuckles waving to her from the edge of the island.  She smiled, and the returned the wave, calling back, “Hey Knuckles!”

   After he got her attention, Knuckles took his own deep breath before taking a leap to the air and starting his glide down to the mainland.  He thought to himself, “Get a hold of yourself Knuckles.  There’s nothing to this.  Just fish for hints as to what she wants.  There’s no need to ruin it by asking directly.”

   So the two had the same mission; find out what to buy the other for Christmas.  They not only had the same question to ask, but continued to be of like mind.  It was a wonder that they couldn’t already perceive that they were both tied up in the same quandary.  Now all that remained for them, was to see if they could complete their objectives, without ruining the surprise at the same time.

   Once Knuckles landed, he switched to “fishing-for-hints” mode, and Amy did the same as she ran up to greet him, hugging him tightly once she got to him.

   “Merry Christmas Knuxie!” she exclaimed.

   Knuckles hugged her back, but raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her.  “Merry Christmas to you too Amy, but, there’s still a few days left until then you know.”

   Amy looked up at Knuckles, quiet for a moment, but quickly let out a laugh and said, “I know silly!  The weeks leading up to Christmas Day are just one part of the holiday, so you wish it to everyone you know until Christmas is over!”

   The echidna let out a soft chuckle.  “Of course, you just said it with so much enthusiasm I had to consider the possibility that you had let the Christmas spirit take you over,” he teased, with a grin.

   “Oh Knuckles stop that!” Amy cried with a laugh.  She slowly pulled back from him and added, “Heh, that was pretty funny though.”  She then grinned slyly and continued, “I was hoping you were more well-learned than that.  I simply had to take it as a joke.”

   Knuckles rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance, but laughed softly once more.  “I wasn’t expecting you until Monday.  Is this my Christmas gift this year?  An extra-long visit with you?” he asked, immediately beginning his end of the quest.

   This caught Amy by surprise, who now recognized she had to do the same as him.  As if they were playing a game to see who would make it to the end first, she called his play with a laugh and said, “If I’m all you want for Christmas Knuxie…then yes, I am, but, that doesn’t mean I don’t have something else extra special waiting for you for Christmas.  Of course, I bet it’s no less spectacular than what you’re getting for me right?”

   The echidna was struck with a momentary loss for a reply.  He immediately cupped his hand to his mouth, feigning thoughtfulness to hide his worried race for something to say…something to use as his next play.  She made it sound like she already had a pretty awesome gift for him, and this added more stress to his game plan.  He had  to make sure he nailed her perfect gift on the head.

   After a few minutes, he looked back to her, a grin a mile wide was on his face.  He took a few steps away from her and said, “Aww come now Amy; don’t think I’m dumb enough to fall for that.  You’re not gonna get any hints from me as to what I’m getting for you.  You’ll just have to be patient.”

   Now it was Amy’s turn to be struck down with shock.  Now she was the one who had to assume that Knuckles was hiding the most perfect gift for her while she had nothing for him.  She was desperate to come up with a way to answer him, a way to match his move and get the information she needed.

   As for Knuckles, Amy’s immediately silence caused him to perceive that she believed that he had something special waiting for her.  This meant that he could use this to his advantage.  This meant he could tease her with it, possibly causing her to drop hints as to what it was.  Before Amy could reply, he continued with his move.

   He walked back up to her, taking her hand, and started to lead her towards Angel Island, saying, “But, I know you’re gonna love it.  I can’t wait to see your face when you see it.”  He was hoping he could entice her into dropping names of what she hoped it would be as he took her to Angel Island.

   Amy was stunned; she never thought for a moment that Knuckles would be so enthusiastic about her gift.  This must mean he had something truly wonderful and heartfelt planned for her.  He had drawn her into his trap, but what remained to be seen on his part was whether she’d drop these hints he wanted or not, for you see, she had to keep going after him for the same thing, and this would put a damper on their plans.  Each of them was going to be too busy trying to get hints from the other to have time to offer any.  It was a vicious cycle that wasn’t going to stop until either one or both of them realized the depth of this game they were playing.

   As they landed on Angel Island, Amy spoiled Knuckles’ expectations by saying, “That’s fine with me Knuckles.  Whatever it is, I know I’ll love it…and you know it too.  I also know you’re gonna love what I’m getting you.  I can’t wait until you finally see what it is.”

   Knuckles looked away from her for a moment, his neck muscles tightening on him as a nervous and warm shiver ran from it down his spine.  That wasn’t what she was supposed to say.  She was supposed to get excited and in anticipation start calling out ideas of what she thought her gift might be.

   He looked back to her after making a sweep of his forehead with his hand.  He tried to grin again, but it turned into more of a smile put up to hide uncertainty and nerves.  Looking back into the woods, he decided maybe if he inquired about his gift, maybe he could persuade Amy to do the same.  It looked like maybe by offering the other what each of them wanted, they could receive the information they wanted in return.

   Taking Amy’s hand, and leading her on a walk through the woods, Knuckles replied, “Aww, you know I know that you’ve found something perfect for me.  Maybe I’ll finally get something to keep me occupied when you’re not here with me.”

   Amy smiled at him, but inside she did a leap for joy; she finally got Knuckles to drop her a hint.  Of course; something to entertain him while he was on Angel Island all alone would be perfect.  But, what could she get him?  Anything electronic was out of the question…unless it ran on batteries, and then she would need to be able to provide him with a steady supply of them.   Maybe an MP3 player would work for him…no wait, it ran on a charger.  She’d have to settle for a CD player…hold on, who’s to say he’d want to listen to music?  She knew he liked listening to the nature around him…all he wanted was something to break the boredom every now and again…maybe a book would be better for him.

   But what Amy didn’t realize, was Knuckles was referring more to the loneliness he experienced when she was gone, rather than not having anything to do.  In his mind the only perfect gift would be for Amy to never leave him.  Of course, the echidna knew realistically that that was impossible.  He couldn’t even say he loved her for Heaven’s sake.  He lowered his eyes as they walked together, and finally Amy noticed this, breaking free from her thoughts for a moment long enough to see him.

   Since she had enough information from him, she was easily able to push those gift concerns to the back of her mind when she saw this saddened look, or at least what she perceived to be as sad.  She’d be right; while he wasn’t exactly sad, he was feeling pretty miserable about only showing affection in the simplest of ways, and being unable to verbalize it.  Maybe if they spent more time together this wouldn’t be so impossible for him.

   Amy’s heart went out to him; while she didn’t know what distressed him, she felt bad for him all the same.  Inside she felt bad too.  She couldn’t even tell him she loved him but claimed to feel such affection for him in her heart.  Again, the two were of both like-mind and heart when it came to this.  What they didn’t realize, is their most desired wish…the perfect gift for both of them, was each other.

   She didn’t know it, but in an attempt to cheer Knuckles up, she was going to give him the information he needed.  She took his arm with her other hand and held onto him tightly as they walked.  This awoke him from his thoughts.  She had rested her head on his shoulder for a moment, and when she noticed him looking at her, she smiled and said, “I enjoy walking with you Knuckles.  If only it would snow.  That would be perfect.  The best thing about this Christmas is we’ll get to spend it together.”

   Knuckles paused for a moment; she made it sound like she was only interested in spending time with him.  He asked, “I always love walking with you.  I wish we would more often.  Still, don’t you wish you didn’t have to be stuck here on Angel Island for Christmas?”

   By this point the two had made it back to the Master Emerald’s Altar; they stopped walking; their eyes met, and Amy’s hand moved from Knuckles’ arm to his remaining hand.  After taking it in her own, she looked down and said, “How can you say that Knuckles?  We’re not ‘stuck’ here.  I mean, sure, we have to stay here and everything, but you make it sound like a miserable thing.  From up here we have a view of all the world…besides, the best thing about Christmas, is spending time with the ones you care about…no matter where you are.”

   Her voice had grown quiet by the time she finished speaking.  Knuckles was concerned for her, but at the same time felt his heart choke on what she just said.  She mentioned spending time with the ones you care about over Christmas, and while he scolded himself for not saying he loved her, he was recognizing more and more that she was going through the same ordeal.

   “Maybe…the best gift I can give her for Christmas…isn’t something you can wrap in a box and seal with a bow.  Maybe…just maybe…,” Knuckles thought.

   Suddenly, Amy pulled away from him, disrupting his thoughts.  She turned away from him, trying to hide an advancing onslaught of tears.  Amy didn’t know why she wanted to cry, only that her inability to tell Knuckles she loved him was part of it.  He also mentioned wanting something to be there for him when she wasn’t there, and she also couldn’t think of anything to take the place of the happiness they both shared when they were together.  In addition, the fact that she spent such little time with him, and imagining him trying to pass those lonely hours on his own, was just overwhelming her emotions, triggering a flood of sadness and love in a torrent in her heart.

   “Amy?  Are you…alright?” Knuckles asked, reaching out to her.

   Amy stiffened up; she didn’t want Knuckles to see her crying.  Glancing over her shoulder, she did her utmost best to hide her tears, then turned around, her smile shaky, and said, “I’m just fine Knuxie…I just…I need to go now.  I want to make sure everything is ready before I come here for Christmas Eve.  You understand right?”

   She turned to leave without another word to say.  Knuckles lowered his hand slowly, lowering his eyes and staring at the cold ground beside him, murmuring, “Of course I do.  The one thing I’ve had to come to accept is that you can’t always be with me.  Not even Christmas can change that.”

   As she walked away, Amy heard this, and this finally caused her eyes to overflow with tears.  She started to run into the woods, and didn’t stop for a breath until she had made it back to her car.  She got into it, turning it on, and then sped off to Station Square.  Her thoughts centered on her tears and just why she was crying the entire way home.  She couldn’t even begin to calm herself down until she was back in her apartment, clutching a pillow after she taken off her coat and boots as she sat on the couch.  Finally, she took a moment to dry her tears and try to find an answer to her problems.

   “Oh…poor Knuxie.  I’m a fool to think that there’s anything in this world that I can give him that will be “the perfect gift.”  In his mind there’s nothing better than spending time with me,” Amy whimpered.  She closed her eyes and could still see his sad eyes while they were walking.  She let out a sigh, pulling her legs up on to the couch as she lay down and continued, “I can’t even tell him how I feel only to find out he just wants to spend time with me.  He doesn’t care about gifts or anything…the best gift I can give him…maybe, just maybe….the best thing I can give him…is my heart.”

   Again, the two were of like mind and heart, both realizing the same thing.  Yet, come Christmas Eve, would they really be able to give each other, the perfect gift?

   Christmas Eve came a few days later.  In that time, Amy had given her friends their gifts.  Sonic loved the MP3 player she got him and raved about it all day long.  Tails was thrilled with his gift…a gift card to their local hardware store.  Now he could get some of the parts he needed for his latest project.  Cream fell in love with the set of Chao dolls Amy gave her, and Cheese was quite happy with the new bow-tie he received from her.  She had given everybody the perfect gift it seemed, even Vector, Espio and Charmy called her and thanked her for their gifts.  Before she left for Angel Island that night, Rouge made sure to tell her thank you for gift, as well as send along thank-yous from Shadow and Omega.  Once again Amy’s gifts were a big hit…but this year was threatening to undo that, for you see, she still had to give Knuckles his gift, and Amy was nervous about how he’d receive it to say the least.

   She arrived at Angel Island just as before, and waited for Knuckles to come get her.  However, she was taken by surprise when he stepped out from behind on of the trees near where she parked.

   Walking up to her, he lowered his eyes for a moment, only to look back at her with a strong smile on his face.  He took her hand and said, “I thought I’d switch things up a bit.”  Extending his other arm out towards Angel Island, he pointed at the mountaintops and added, “You said something about walking in the snow right?  The forest won’t ever get snow, but the mountain trails near Sky Sanctuary have plenty.  You wanna see?”

   Amy blushed when he asked her this, and she could only manage a nod and a quiet “Mhmm” in reply.  Knuckles only continued to smile and as was custom, he brought her up to Angel Island with him and guided her up to the Sky Sanctuary, where, just as he mentioned, the surrounding mountains and their trails were covered with snow.  By now, neither Knuckles or Amy seemed concerned with Christmas gifts as they were only days before.  On this night, Christmas Eve night, they were concerned only by each other.

   As they walked together, a soft snow flurry began to fall.  Amy was only wearing a light windbreaker on that night, and Knuckles instinctively put his arm around her as they walked.  After a little while, he looked to her and said, “Well, you said the only way a walk could get better was if it would snow.  What do you think Amy?”

   Amy had rested her head on his arm as they walked, but looked up to him when he said this.  She slowed her steps, and he slowed his own with hers.  He pulled her into a hug after a few moments to keep her warm, and as he did so, she whispered, “I don’t think the snow is what makes it perfect Knuckles.  What makes it perfect, is the fact that we’re walking together, and standing here alone together now.  The snow and the silent night only serve to make the moment stand out from the rest.”

   Knuckles closed his eyes, resting his head on hers, and then let out a happy sigh before replying, “I think you’re right Amy.  If it weren’t for the snow and this night, then I couldn’t tell this perfect moment out from the others we’ve shared.”

   Just then, Amy’s thoughts finally came back to her gift for him.  As much as she was enjoying being cradled in his arms, kept warm by his embrace, she couldn’t go without giving him his gift…it was Christmas after all.

   However, being of like mind and heart, Knuckles realized the same thing.

   He lifted up his head, looked down at her and said, “The only problem is, there just aren’t enough of those perfect moments for me, even with the addition of this one tonight.”  He paused, for he could see Amy look up at him.  He glanced over at a snow covered cliff, nodded at it, and then led her over to it so they could sit down together before he continued.  “Amy, I have to be honest.  I had absolutely no idea what to give you for Christmas.  Infact, when you were here a few days ago I was doing my best just to get an idea from you what you wanted.  Now, I think it’s more of what you want and need that will serve as the best gift I can offer…and well, it’ll be more like a gift to us both.”

   Amy was shocked; first at the fact that they had both faced the same ordeal, but more importantly…at what it appeared Knuckles was about to tell her, especially when she knew in her heart that she felt the same, and was prepared to return the gift with all her heart.

   Once their eyes met again, Knuckles let one final breath go, before he said, “Amy, I don’t know if I’ve shown you that I care well enough or not.  I also don’t know why it’s been so hard to say it to you either.  But, I do know that it’s something you’ve wanted to hear, and maybe even…say yourself.  …I—I love you Amy.  I know it’s not much, but that’s my gift to you.”

   Poor Amy felt ready to cry again, only this time it was out of happiness.  Despite the fact that her eyes were glassing over with them, she shook her head, closing her eyes to suppress them, before she said, “Oh Knuxie…you’ve given me your heart.  How can you say that’s not much?  That’s the greatest gift anyone has to give, and the fact that you chose me…there couldn’t be one better.”

   Knuckles was able to smile again, pulling her into his arms when he saw her weeping.  However, before the moment could continue, Amy looked up at him, laughed softly and said, “What’s funny Knuckles is I—I had no idea what to give to you either.  We were both fishing for hints.”

   The echidna’s eyes widened, and he let out a laugh, before whispering, “Why do I get the feeling we also both came to the same conclusion?”

   Amy sat up, hugging him tightly and said, “Because we’re of like mind and heart Knuxie.  I also hope that it’s because you were able to see my affection for you in the same way I saw yours for me.  Hee, hee, I love you too Knuckles, and I’m not just giving you my heart.”  She looked at him and added, “I’m going to make sure we spend more time together, so you can have plenty of moments to compare this one to.”

   The two were silent for a moment, their smiles speaking for them.  Knuckles gave her a kiss on the cheek, and Amy returned the gesture, before they relaxed, gazing out at the world around them, surrounded by snow and the silent night as they sat together.  Feeling tired, the two both closed their eyes, keeping each other warm and cozy as sleep overtook them.  However, before they succumb to it, Knuckles let out a yawn, and whispered, “Amy, no matter how many more moments we share, none will ever compare to this Christmas Eve night.  It will stand out in my heart forever.”  He let out one final yawn, and as his voice trailed off to sleep, he added, “This is the best Christmas ever.  Turns out we gave each other the perfect gift after all.”

   Indeed, this Christmas, the perfect gift they could give each other, wasn’t something you could find under your Christmas tree.  The perfect gift, this year, was the gift of the love in their hearts, and in the end, that’s what it was all about…showing the ones you love, just exactly how much you care.