.


LEGAL STUFF: Sonic the Hedgehog and Sally Acorn and all related characters belong to Sega, DIC and Archie Comics. Music and lyrics for "I'm Not Giving You Up" are ©1996 Gloria Estefan, all rights reserved.









FOREWORD:

Well, a few days ago I took a look at the last few Sonic fics that I've written… and I decided that I needed some serious "mental-floss". So I wrote this. It was refreshing to get my mind out of the gutter for at least a little while.

"I'm Not Giving You Up" is another songfic of mine, but this time the characters sing the song ala Broadway. The song was composed and performed by the ever-fabulous Gloria Estefan on her 1996 album Destiny. You owe it to yourself to give it a listen. The entire album is pure, poetic excellence.

Um… well, that's about all. No disclaimers or anything, 'cause it's pretty clean. I hope you like it. Enjoy!

SJZ





___________________________

Stephen Zacharus
I'M NOT GIVING YOU UP

___________________________



Sally wasn't breathing.

It had all happened so fast -- the explosion, the collapse of the Robotropolis robotics factory. Sally had been pinned underneath a mountain of heavy rubble. It took Sonic nearly an hour to dig her out while the other Freedom Fighters held-off the incessant swarms of deadly SWATbots. By the time he got to her, she was hurt badly: bruised, bleeding, broken…

Breathless.

Her lungs were static. Her pulse was weak.

Sonic dropped to his knees and pressed his palm into her abdomen. One, two, three thrusts. His mouth met hers and breathed into her lungs. He vaguely remembered how reluctant he'd been to ever kiss her in public.

More thrusts.

He vaguely recalled how unseriously he had taken their relationship.

Breath.

He vaguely realized how he'd been taking their love for granted for years.

Thrusts.

Breath.

Thrusts.

Breath.

Suddenly, Sally exploded into a violent cough -- convulsing, gasping. The tears upon Sonic's face were cold and afraid. He wondered if she even noticed that he'd been crying.

He blinked a few times, wiped his eyes. "Let's get outta here, guys!" he yelled to the others. Sally needed medical attention. Fast.

Wasting to time, he scooped Sally into his arms and ran to Knothole as fast as he could.

__________________________


Bookshire Draftwood's makeshift clinic was sterile and simplistic… but it was functional, at least, and it was more than adequate to keep Sally comfortable while he worked on her. Bunnie and Tails and Rotor and Antoine and everybody else came to visit her at some point that afternoon. They all brought flowers. "Get well soon," they'd cheered as they were leaving. Sonic gritted his teeth. They didn't know what he knew. They hadn't heard what Bookshire had to say about Sally's condition.

They were probably better off not knowing anyway, Sonic decided. It would probably be counterproductive to tell them that their princess would be dead within 24 hours.

Night had just fallen. Bookshire left the two of them alone.

Sonic brought up a chair to Sally's bedside and took her hand. She smiled faintly. "You're too good to me," she said.

"No I'm not. You deserve it."

Sally chuckled. "This is a first. You're actually humoring me."

Sonic blinked back his tears. "Sally, I was so scared for you back there…"

He felt her squeeze his hand. She was trembling a little.

"I'm not going to make it, am I…?"

He hadn't expected that. Sonic looked up with wide, pained eyes. He couldn't say anything.

"You don't need to tell me, Sonic. I already know. I can feel it."

His eyes moved away from her. "You're bleeding internally. Bookshire says there's no way to stop it."

Silence.

Sally gave a small sigh, her breath shuddering. "It's almost ironic. If I were going die during this war, I'd always prayed that it would be during battle… fighting for what I believed in until the end. It shouldn't have to end like this…"

The room was quiet except for Sally's soft sobbing.

"I don't want to die."

Sonic was crying now, too.

"Sonic, hold me…"

They embraced tightly -- warm and emotional in a way that they'd never known before. They didn't want to let go.

Sonic stroked Sally's hair and whispered in her ear.

"I love you, Sal."

And he sobbed, because it was the first time that he'd ever said those words out loud to anybody.

After a moment, Sonic finally steadied his breathing and parted from her. He took her hand again; she was so cold. He wanted to pour out his feelings right there.

Something from deep within him compelled Sonic to sing to her quietly.


SONIC
[To be completely honest]
[It scares me to imagine]
[What life would be without you.]

[And for this very reason]
[I ask you to forgive me]
[For what I've just put us through.]

[Although there are so many things]
[Against us, I've decided]
[That I'm not giving you up.]

[No.]

[I'm not giving you up.]


Sally gazed into her friend's teary eyes.

"You'll have to move on, Sonic. It won't be easy. You'll have to be their leader now."

Sonic was terrified. "No, Sal, I can't…"

"Don't talk like that. You know as well as I do that you're the only one who can handle it right now. They need someone to be strong. They need somebody to look up to. Don't mourn me any longer than you need to."

Sonic's feelings were beyond words. The pain was over whelming.

"Sonic, no matter what happens to me, we'll always be together. Always."


SALLY
[Thinking back, I see what we have]
[Is something different.]
[I think we've known all along.]

[So how fair would it be]
[To divide this love's existence]
[Between what's right and what's wrong?]

[And you… always wondering if we'll make it.]
[Time will tell you]
[That I'm not giving you up.]

[No.]


SONIC and SALLY
[We'll find a way to be together,]
[However long it takes -- wherever.]
[If it means having you for only a moment…]

[A moment just might be enough.]

[I'm not giving you up.]

[No.]

[I'm not giving you up.]


Sonic could see that Sally was getting weaker. Her face grew paler. Her pupils dilated.

He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her to his heaving chest.

"Sally, I won't let you die. Not here. Not like this."

His voice was an uncertain whisper.


SONIC
[Screaming in the silence, the]
[Promises we've spoken]
[Come back to haunt me -- false and broken.]


Sally's voice was faint and uneven and barely audible.


SALLY
[Quiet desperation to]
[See we're lost forever,]
[Searching for water in this desert.]

[No…]


She drew upon every last ounce of energy to return his embrace and sing with him.


SONIC and SALLY
[I refuse to have to do]
[Without your kisses.]
[I'm not giving you up.]

[No.]

[No.]

[No.]

[We'll find a way to be together,]
[However long it takes -- wherever.]
[If it means having you for only a moment…]

[A moment just might be enough.]


The small, battered form in Sonic's arms had wilted. He was too hurt to cry. His song ended with his voice alone.


[I'm not giving you up…]


And he sealed that promise with a final kiss.