I Am...All of Me

My Way

A/N: This particular story is very old, so sorry in advance. 😅

      It had been another exhausting day for Team Dark. They had just finished a mission and were now going their separate ways. Omega stayed behind at the base to recharge. Shadow, like the gentleman he secretly was due to his slightly old-fashioned life-stlye, walked Rouge to her sleek black corvette. Maria had taught him to always be kind to ladies, that was about as far as his manners extended.

    "Thanks, hun," she said flirtatiously, "What are you going to do tonight?"

    He shrugged, "Get something to eat and go home."

  "Sounds like an eventful evening," she said with as much sarcasm as possible. He sighed.

    "I'm not exactly the partying type. You know that. I won't be bored though, so don't worry," he reassured her. She seemed bent on getting him to have more of a social life, even if he didn't want it. She waved good bye and drove back to her club. He shook his head and released a rare, if small, smile. He would never understand his partner, or maybe he just didn't understand women in general. With one last glance around the city, he chaos controlled to his home. Space Colony Ark.

     He arrived milliseconds later on the viewing deck and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The past week had been difficult to say the least, and he was looking forward to a chance to relax.

Skating in a lazy stride, he entered the Ark's spacious kitchen. Meant to be used by as many as twenty humans at once, it was now nothing but too big for the 3'3" mobian. He cooked a light Italian supper and walked back to the viewing room. He didn't really need to eat, but he enjoyed trying new tastes.

In the far corner was an old record player next to a bookshelf that was overflowing with books of all genres. A red sofa seat sat facing the large floor-to-ceiling window that took up a whole wall. He flipped through a stack of old records and settled on one of his favorites. It was an old jazz soundtrack by Frank Sinatra. For once in a long time, he sat back and really began to unwind.

     Rouge passed another drink to one of her patrons, her mind wandering. What does Shadow even do up there all by himself? He said he wouldn't be bored, but she couldn't help but worry about her partner a bit.

     "Tim! I'm going out! I'll be back in a bit; cover for me," she ordered her employee. He waved, as she flew out of Club Rouge. In a few minutes, she was back at GUN headquarters. She strutted inside and went straight to the teleporter room. With a swipe of her ID card, she entered the large hangar and typed her destination into the mainframe. Her heels clicked loudly as she stepped on to the round platform.

    5...4...3...2...1...Engage Teleportation Sequence.

        She arrived in the Escape Pod Room a few seconds later and shook her head to dispel the slight wave of dizziness. She had no idea how Shadow did that all the time without barfing.

As she walked out of the room, a strange delicious scent wafted through the air. Either he was a really good cook, or he brought someone else up here, and she briefly wondered if her partner had a lady friend. As soon as the thought came, she dismissed it. He was too much of a loner to be in any kind of relationship.

     "I didn't know Shadow liked Italian," she said aloud and followed her nose. A few moments later, old jazz music reached her ears, and she furrowed her perfectly manicured eyebrows. She walked into the viewing gallery to a very unexpected sight.

     Shadow had been too into the music to hear the clicking of Rouge's heels. He had set his tray of half-eaten spaghetti down when his favorite song "My Way" came up, and he soon found himself singing along. Since he had thought he was completely alone, he went all out, letting his deep baritone voice rise in volume, but never losing tune. He even used a thick New England accent for added effect.