Broken, but Still Standing

Waking next to my beautiful mare friend, I blinked blurry eyed, trying to figure out what woke me. There were hoof clops coming from the kitchen. Feeling Derpy at my side, I knew it wasn't any pony I knew, or wanted, going through my fridge at, a quick glance at the clock told me, three in the morning.

I shook Derpy away gently.

“Mmmnn, Viny~?” She moaned, not opening her eyes. “Don't tell me you want round four already ~”

I paused for a moment. Okay, that was a dream, right? Round four? Buck! I want in!

Another shuffle from the kitchen, and the opening of the fridge reminded me why I was waking her.

“Derp.” I whispered. “Some pony's in the house. I have a bat under the bed. I'm going to go check it out.”

Her eyes snapped open as she opened her mouth to say something, but bit it back as she knew silence was needed. Mutely, she nodded, pleading with her eyes for me to stay safe. I gave her a quick peck on the cheek and slid out of the bed, tensing myself for a fight.

Leaning slowly out of my bedroom, I saw the intruder, silhouetted by the light from the fridge. There was few brown bags on the table. Wait, was he putting food into the fridge?! Okay, I've heard of burglers raiding the fridge, but not stocking the fridge. What were the police going to charge him with? Buying the wrong bland of flax seed or putting the cabbage in the wrong drawer?

Come to think of it, I know enough ponies to know one of them might try a stupid stunt like this. So, now thinking that I knew this pony, I walked into the kitchen and turned the light on.

For a long moment, we both froze. The brown stallion with a shield for a cutie mark glanced over his shoulder, munching on some celery.

“Thought I'd bring some stuff. I know all you eat is crap around here.” His deep voice voiced.

I turned off the light. “Okay, when I turned this back on, you'd better be gone.” A flip of the switch proved that he was still there.

He raised an eye brow as I proceeded to flip the light switch on and off over and over and over again.

“So, how you been?”

“'So how you been?'” I repeated, completely forgetting that I had a mare scared for our lives in my bed. “'So how you been?!?' Really? You track my ass all across Equestria, try to ruin my life and all you have to say is how you been?! You DIPSHIT!”

I'm sure you all have guessed who it is I'm talking to by now.

Aegis just shrugged. “What, can't a father check up on his girl once in a while?”

Not going to lie. I completely lost my cool. I charge, forgetting about magic, and swung a hoof for his head, which he caught in his own. He felt up my foreleg.

“Not bad, but you could put some meat on them bones. It'll help you have more power.”

“Buck you!” I pulled away, turning over so I could aim a kick at his head, which he just shouldered me, so I fell before I had the chance to launch it.

“I've told you before.” He stated in a bored tone “You telegraph that move too much. It's simple for a pea brain to deflect it.”

I didn't think. I grabbed a knife with my mouth and charged in, slashing at his stomach.

The kick that caught me in the jaw nearly broke every tooth in my head. “Viola-”

“STOP!” I sat down, holding my hooves over my ears, like a filly hiding from bullies. “Stop it! I'm not Viola! I'm Vinyl!”

He must have sighed, sitting down. “Viola. Look. I'm sorry.”

“SORRY?!” Tears of anger and shame ran down my face. “You died! You Bucking died! You left mother with a wife beater! He'd even started beating on me, when I was four! After that, she died, and the bastard left me for a younger set of legs! I bucking lived in the gutter off of my wits and begging! Then you bucking come back from Celestia knows where and expect everything to be okay?!” He let my hoof connect with his chest, as I hit him, weak now that I was breaking down. “I've been through shit and dragged through acid trying to make my own life without you! Why the Tartarus do you want in now?”

It was then that I heard a squeak behind me. I turned around, trying to hide my tears, to see my loveable Derpy, pat in mouth, shaking with fright, ready to pounce on Aegis for making me cry. That made me chuckle weakly.

“You have a lot to be upset about.” Aegis answered. “And sure, I'm a bastard. I know I am. Tararus, I was a specialist at killing sick bucks in the army. But, I never meant to harm you or your mother. I still haven't forgiven myself for her death and leaving you homeless for so long.”

“Yeah what ever.” I sniffed. Drying my eyes, I got to my hooves. “It's okay Derp. Sit down, I'll get us something to drink. Coffee, Aegis?”

“Do you have something stronger?”

I shrugged. “Sure, but I agreed a few weeks ago to lay off drinking, at least until the baby's  due.”

Aegis's scared face broke into a smile. “Baby?”

I nodded, getting the cups together, after leading the confused gray mare to the table, making her comfortable before getting three cups and starting up the coffee maker.

“Yup. Not mine though. Long story.”

“Huh.” He sat down across from her. Derpy was far along enough that she was showing, and in my opinion, looked the most beautiful I'd ever seen her. “There seems to be a lot of long stories going around.”

“I'd say.” We all paused as Ms. Philharmonica walked into the kitchen. She wore a look of a pony who had been waiting for a good time to enter the conversation, but never got one. “Have enough for four?”

Well shit.

“Buck, why not.” I motioned for her to sit down. “Might as well get the whole story out all at once. Then you two can leave me and my love the buck alone.”