Denouement, Part 1

The morning after their skatepark tryst, Belle could barely keep herself together. She had spent nearly an hour at the mirror making sure her hair was just-so, and that her makeup was perfect. She was supposed to be hanging up a banner, but she was so distracted by her wandering mind that she kept dropping it. After three failed attempts she folded the banner up and tossed it in the back room. She began to pace around the shop, waiting for Spike to come in.

A bell rung, signifying that somebody had entered the boutique. Belle jogged over from the back room to the front door. Spike was standing there, beaming at her. He wore a well-pressed button-up shirt, and khakis. His hair was carefully combed, and had started to lose some of its artificially green color. Belle felt the breath leave her chest.

“Hi Belle,” said Spike. Belle had no reply. She bit her bottom lip, and approached him. A strange look came onto his face. “Umm, are you okay?” She stood in front of him, still refusing to speak. Spike began to look around the room. “So, what should I do? Should I start working on unpacking the new shipment, or reorganizing the sewing needles, or-” he was abruptly cut off as Belle pounced on him.

Belle embraced him as tightly as she could. Spike felt her breasts press up against him, and a heat surged through his body. He could feel her heart pounding, and it seemed his heart was trying to catch up to hers. She leaned her face in close to his.

“You have no idea how much I’ve been looking forward to you walking through that door,” Belle said. Spike’s mind went foggy. He leaned down, and their lips met. It wasn’t tentative, exploratory, like it had been last night. Now their kisses were passionate, desperate. It seemed as if they had been waiting for this their whole life. Belle felt one of her feet leave the floor as Spike’s tongue touched her own. They broke apart after nearly two minutes, both beet red and panting.

“Jesus Christ,” Spike muttered. “You’re really good at that.”

“You’re not so bad yourself,” said Belle. “You know, we have an hour before the store opens.” Spike’s heart quickened even more. It was pounding so fast he thought it might fly out of his chest. “I think we should use that time constructively, don’t you?” As an answer, Spike leaned down and kissed her again. One hand was on her hip, and the other in the small of her back. As they continue to kiss, the hand on her hip wandered up to her hair. He ran his hand through it. It was such a beautiful color. He wondered whether she dyed it, or whether the pattern in it was naturally occurring. Meanwhile, Belle’s hands wandered down to Spike’s belt. She reached below it, and grabbed two handfuls of his ass.

“Woah!” said Spike, breaking apart from Belle. She giggled, and gave his ass a squeeze.

“Look what I’ve found,” she said playfully. She kneaded his butt in her hands. “You’re pretty well built down here.” Spike smiled deviously, and Belle squealed.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” said Spike. Belle was blushing so hard she was almost purple.

“B-back room,” she squeaked. Spike acquiesced immediately, clasping her hand and racing to the storage closet in the back of the shop. They threw the door open, flicked on the light, and Spike kicked it back closed. The closet was covered with shelves on all four walls. The shelves held all sorts of materials, from sewing equipment, to fabrics, to the banner Belle had tossed in earlier. In the center of the room was a table. It was currently covered in paperwork, mostly banking stuff that Belle was supposed to send to Rarity. Belle swept it aside and sat down on the table. The couple began to kiss again, their hands moving across each other’s backs.

“Wait,” said Spike. Belle frowned, but sat back.

“What’s the matter?” said Belle.

“Isn’t this a little, I don’t know, fast?” said Spike. Belle raised her eyebrows.

“I don’t think so,” said Belle. “What, aren’t you having a good time?”

“Oh hell yes!” said Spike. “It’s just, well, I wasn’t expecting you to be so…” Belle narrowed her eyes.

“Watch it,” she warned.

“I just mean, I thought you would be one of those girls who liked to take it slow,” said Spike. Belle chuckled.

“Look, the only reason I didn’t jump your bones at the skate park was because it was so cold out,” said Belle. “I’ve been wanting you since the first time you kissed me. I just hesitated because you seemed unsure of yourself.” Spike frowned.

“Should… should we talk?” asked Spike. “I just, I don’t know, I don’t want to go down this road and disappoint-” again, Belle cut him off with a kiss.

“Maybe some other time,” said Belle. “But Spike, I’ve been waiting for you to come through that door since last night. Now we’re here, we’re ready, and you’re doing your best to ruin the moment. So I hope you won't think I’m rude for saying this, but please,” she pulled him up against her, “shut up and fuck me.” Spike lost all conscious thought. His entire being was pulled into one single purpose. He leaned his weight against Belle, and she fell back against the table. He carefully climbed on top her, his hips pivoting into hers. Belle let out a gasp, and began undoing the buttons on Spike shirt. He helped her, and after a second his shirt was lying on the floor. He took off hers next, pulling it over her head and tossing it onto the floor. Her bra was a lacy blue number, with flowers patterned into the material. Spike guessed that Belle was a B-cup, although she was definitely pushing C. Spike’s hands shook as he reached behind her, and fooled with the clasps that held her bra in place.

“It’s been a little while,” Spike muttered. He struggled with it for a few seconds, until Belle reached behind her and helped him out. Together they unclasped it. Spike held the clasps in his hands for a few seconds, preparing himself to see such an intimate part of her. He let them go, and Belle pulled her bra off. Spike’s heart wasn’t just beating fast now, it was beating hard. He could feel it thumping against his chest; he was sure it was going so hard that Belle would hear. “They’re perfect,” said Spike. Her nipples, perfectly sized, were diamond-hard.

“You won’t know that for sure until you touch them,” Belle said. Spike didn’t need the encouragement. He ran his hands down her shoulders, and paused at her collarbone. Belle fidgeted in anticipation, but he went slow. He continued down her chest, until his hands were filled. Belle made a noise somewhere between a gasp and a moan. He let his thumbs drift to her nipples. He moved his thumbs in circles, and Belle arched her back. He pinched them, and rolled them between his fingers. As he did, he felt Belle fidget with his belt. She pulled it off, and tossed it away. She found the button above his fly, and undid it. Spike took his hands off of Belle, kicked his shoes off, and pushed his pants off of him. As he did, Belle began to laugh. Spike felt his blood run cold. He looked down, and realized he was wearing his Simpson's boxers. They were bright yellow, with donuts running across them.

“Oh man, I forgot that I’d put those on,” groaned Spike.

“It’s fine,” said Belle. “They won’t be on you much longer anyway.” Spike smiled gratefully, and turned towards Belle’s jeans. He got them off quickly. Her panties must have come from the same set as her bra. They were the same color, and the material had the same lacy-flowery pattern. Spike saw that there was a sizable wet spot in between her legs. He felt his mouth go dry, and his libido went into overdrive. He realized he was fully erect now. His dick pushed against his underwear, desperately trying to escape confinement. He pressed his hips against hers, and their sexes, separated only by two thin pieces of fabric, brushed against each other. They both gasped.

“Condom,” muttered Belle.

“What?” asked Spike.

“Do you have a condom?” asked Belle. Spike found his jeans with his foot, and pulled them up to his outstretched hand. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out his wallet. It had been a while, but like most guys Spike felt it was good to be prepared just in case. He pulled the condom out of one of the wallet, and tossed the leather accessory to the ground.

“God I want you,” said Spike. Belle reached for the waistband of his underpants. As she was about to pull them down, the two heard the tinkle of a bell.

“Oh fuck,” said Belle. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Did you accidentally turn the open sign around?” asked Spike.

“No!” said Belle.

“Sweetie!” called a loud voice. “Where are you?”

“Rarity!” gasped Belle. “Spike, get off me!” Belle pushed Spike away, almost knocking him off the table. She began to stuff her legs into her jeans. “Get dressed!” hissed Belle.

“Sweetie Belle, are you in the back?” called Rarity.

“One second!” shouted Belle in reply. Belle had managed to clothe herself, but Spike was struggling to button his shirt. Belle began to help him, and they finished just as the door creaked open.

“Belle!” squealed Rarity. She ran over to her sister, and embraced her.

“Hello Rarity,” said Belle. She returned the hug. Rarity noticed Spike and gave him a wave.

“Oh Belle, it’s been too long,” said Rarity. She let Belle go, and looked her over. “My goodness, you’re all sweaty.” She looked from Belle, to Spike, and back to Belle. Spike sheepishly tucked his hands into his pockets.

“I, um, have to go take care of some stuff,” he said quickly. He double timed it out of the room, moving back towards the front of the shop. He found a chair and sat down. He realized he was shaking. They had been so close. All he could think about was Belle. Her beautiful face, her perfect breasts… and what might have happened if he had slept with her. They would have been locked into a relationship then. There was just no question in his mind. Spike had never been one of those people who could hit it and quit it. Sex had an emotional connotation. He wouldn’t be able to just let Belle go after something like that, and he still wasn’t sure if he wanted to be in a relationship with Belle. He cared about her, but there was just so much going on…

Spike’s mental ministrations were interrupted by the two girls entering the front of the shop. Rarity kept looking between him and Belle, while Belle did her best to avoid her big sister's gaze.

“Spike, me and Rarity are going out for a bite to eat,” said Belle. “We’re going to go ahead and close up the shop. You can have the day off.”

“Oh, okay,” said Spike. “I guess I’ll see you soon Belle. And, um, nice seeing you again Rarity.”

“Tell Twilight I said hi,” said Rarity. The tone of her voice was pleasant enough, but Spike could tell it was forced. Spike stood from his chair, and exited the shop. He began to walk back towards the apartment. He turned behind him, expecting the girls to follow him out, but they stayed inside. Spike knew they’d be talking about him. That Rarity would be telling Belle how bad of an influence he was. How Belle should avoid him if she wanted her life to stay on track. Spike had to fight a sudden urge to run back into the shop and tell Rarity off. So what if he had made mistakes in the past? Did that mean he was always going to be a bad person? Didn’t she realize that people could change?

As Spike continued to walk, he felt something vibrate in his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone, and saw that he was receiving a call from Belle. He pressed the answer button.

“Hi Spike,” whispered Belle.

“Hey,” said Spike. “I can barely hear you.”

“I have to whisper,” said Belle. “I’m in the bathroom right now, and I don’t want Rarity to hear me.”

“Right,” said Belle. “I bet she gave you a hell of a talking to.”

“She did,” said Belle. “She doesn’t like that I was fooling around during work hours.”

“Yeah, that’s it,” said Spike. “It has nothing to do with the fact that you were fooling around with me.” There was silence on the other end of the line.

“I don’t care what she thinks,” said Belle finally. “I like you Spike. And I want to finish what we started.” Spike’s felt heat race through his body. “Why don’t we meet back at my place later tonight, maybe around eight? I’ll text you the address.”

“I’ll be there,” said Spike.

“Good,” said Belle. “I’ll see you then.” She hung up the phone. Spike pocketed his and tried to stop the smile that kept creeping on his face. He wanted to be sad, to be sullen, but it was just impossible.

~

Applebloom and Scootaloo were snuggled together on Scoot’s couch. Applebloom was the little spoon, and Scoot was covering her. Since they had admitted their feelings for each other they had been physically inseparable.

“I can’t believe we waited so long to do this,” said Scootaloo.

“I know whatcha mean,” said Applebloom. “I feel like I’m in a dream.”

“A really, really good dream,” sighed Scootaloo. “I don’t want this to end.”

“It doesn’t have to,” said Applebloom. Scootaloo shifted uncomfortably. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing,” said Scootaloo.

“Oh come on, don’t be like that,” said Applebloom. “The whole reason we got in such a mess was because we didn’t talk to each other.” Applebloom rolled over so she was facing Scootaloo. “What’s goin’ on?”

“It’s just, well, I don’t know how we’re gonna do this,” said Scoot. “We’re gonna have to be really careful, you know?”

“Why?” asked Applebloom.

“Because we can’t let people know that we’re together!” said Scootaloo.

“What!? Why the hell not?” demanded Applebloom.

“Do you think that people will be able to keep it to themselves?” asked Scootaloo. “Of course not! They’ll go and tell everyone else, and then it’ll just keep going like that, and, and, what if my parents find out!?” Scootaloo began to shiver.

“Oh Scoot,” said Applebloom. “I didn’t even think about that.”

“I know,” said Scootaloo. “I hate that I have to keep you a secret. But I don’t think my parents will be able to handle it.”

“And I don’t like being your secret,” said Applebloom. “But I know your parents. I’ve known for a long time that if they found out I was gay, they wouldn’t have let you hang out with me. If they find out you’re gay, well…” Applebloom didn’t need to say the rest. “I don’t like having to make this relationship all weird and cagey right off the bat, but I will if you need me to.”

“I hate it as much as you do,” said Scoot. “I want everyone to know how much I love you.” She grabbed Bloom’s hands, and squeezed them. “Maybe I should just say to hell with it, and tell my parents anyway. I don’t even live with them, it’s not like they can kick me out.”

“But you love them,” said Applebloom quietly. “I know how bad you’d be hurt if they decided not to love you back.”

“But they should love me unconditionally!” said Scootaloo. “I’m their daughter! Just because I happen to like another girl doesn’t mean I’m suddenly a different person.”

“I know that, and I’d like to think that most other people do as well,” said Applebloom, “but that’s just not how your parents feel. It would change things. And, as much as we don’t want to think about it, it might end things. I don’t know if you know this, but Pinkie’s parents don’t talk to her anymore.”

“Really?” asked Scootaloo. “I never would have guessed. She’s such a positive person.”

“The people that seem the happiest can sometimes be the ones that hurt the most,” said Applebloom. “That’s what my sister always says. Look, I think we just hold off on telling people for a while. We can make this work. So what if we have to hide it? It doesn’t mean that our feelings for each other are at all diminished.”

“True,” said Scootaloo. “But I think we should at least tell Octavia and Scratch. We’re going to be spending most of our time here, and having to hide from them would make things really difficult.”

“Fair enough,” said Applebloom. “And we should tell Belle.”

“Definitely,” said Scootaloo. “What about Spike?”

“If he’s going to be spending as much time with Belle as we think he is, I’m sure he’ll figure it out on his own,” said Applebloom.

“I’m glad they finally got all the kinks worked out of their relationship,” said Scootaloo. “That whole, ‘I like you but things are way too complicated’ thing was getting really annoying.” Applebloom frowned.

“Do you have any idea how ironic that was?” Applebloom asked. Scootaloo blushed and chuckled.

~

Rarity and Belle sat outside Ponyville cafe. They were at a table with a large umbrella that had been situated in the middle. Rarity sipped a mimosa, while Belle toyed with an order of scrambled eggs.

“Are you okay Belle? You haven’t eaten a bite,” said Rarity.

“I’m not hungry,” said Belle. Rarity set down her mimosa, and put her hands on her hips.

“Sweetie Belle, don’t sulk,” said Rarity. “It’ll give you frown lines. Look, I’m not saying you can’t see him, that’s not my place. I’m just saying that, well, I’m not sure you can’t do better.” Belle slammed her fork onto the table.

“You don’t even know him,” said Belle.

“I don’t have to,” said Rarity. “Twilight has told me all about him. Honestly, it’s such a shame. He was such a pleasant little boy.”

“He’s changed,” said Twilight. “You might not believe it, but he really has.”

“Look, it’s okay to be attracted to the bad boy,” said Rarity. “Believe me, I was. But at some point you have to get over that and start looking at relationships that could actually end up meaning something in the future. I know you’re only twenty, but it never hurts to start looking early.” Belle stood up from the table, tossing her napkin aside.

“I’m leaving,” said Belle. Rarity sat in shock, her mouth hung open in surprise. After a second she dug into her purse, threw some money on the table, and ran after her sister.

“Belle, wait!” Rarity called. She ran as fast as she could, cursing the fact that she had worn high heels. She managed to reach Belle, who refused to even look at her. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

“Well you are!” said Belle. “You’re not my Mom, Rarity. And I’m not you. I don’t want everything you want.”

“I didn’t say you did,” said Rarity. “It’s just, well, I’m trying to look out for you!”

“Well you’re doing a lousy job of it,” said Belle. “You’re judging Spike without even getting to know him.”

“Maybe you’re right,” said Rarity. Belle stopped in her tracks. This was very unlike Rarity. Most of the time if Rarity was convinced she was right, there was no way to convince her otherwise. “Look, if he means that much to you, I suppose I owe it to you to at least get to know this… new Spike. Shall we do dinner tomorrow, at your apartment?” Belle beamed.

“That would be excellent!” said Belle. She hugged her sister tightly, and Rarity returned it. “I really appreciate this.”

“It’s no problem,” said Rarity. “Consider it a thank you for running the boutique so well in my absence.” Rarity let her sister go, and smiled. “At the rate my work is selling in Manehattan, who knows? I might just give it to you after college.” Belle did her best not to flinch.

“That would be amazing Rarity,” she said.

~

“Spike!” called Twilight. “Spike, are you home!” Spike blinked the sleep out of his eyes. He turned to look at his alarm. Seven P.M. Twilight was almost two hours late. He stretched, and walked out of his room. Twilight was taking off her coat. She noticed him, and smiled. “There you are.”

“What are you doing home so late?” asked Spike. “You didn’t say you’d be going out tonight.”

“Why Spike, I didn’t think you cared,” said Twilight.

“Har-har,” said Spike. “Really, what kept you?” Twilight sat down at the dining room table, and began to tap her fingers.

“Work,” said Twilight. “Spike, I have something important I need to talk to you about. Can you please sit down.” Spike slowly walked over to the table, and sat across from Twilight.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Spike, how much do you know about what I do at the University?” asked Twilight.

“Not much,” Spike admitted. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I kind of tune out when you start talking about it sometimes. You use a lot of big words I don’t really understand.” Twilight chuckled.

“Don’t worry, you’re not the only one who has trouble following it,” said Twilight. “Essentially, I work under Professor's Celestia and Luna doing research on how energy interacts with matter- more specifically, how kinetic energy affects how atoms act under certain conditions.”

“Uh, okay,” said Spike.

“Well, we can only do so much at our University,” said Twilight. She began to tap her fingers against the table even more rapidly. “Ponyville is a small town, so as you can imagine the University isn’t exactly well-funded. We have a lot of smart people, but we’re missing some key equipment we need to do our experiments.”

“Sure, that makes sense,” said Spike. He wasn’t sure where she was going with this. Twilight rarely talked about her work at the University, not just because Spike couldn’t appreciate it, but because Twilight liked to keep her work life and her professional life separate.

“So we’ve ended up having to borrow a lot of equipment from Crystal College, down in Crystal City,” said Twilight. “And, well, both schools have decided that it’s gotten pretty inconvenient to have to transport sensitive equipment from one school to another on such a frequent basis.” Spike felt a chill start to creep into his gut. “We all got together, and decided that the easiest solution would be for one of the researchers to move from Ponyville to Crystal City. Since Celestia and Luna are both administrators as well as researchers, it was decided that I should be the one that goes.”

“But… but you can’t!” said Spike. He was doing his best to keep his emotions in check, but he was having a miserable time of it. “We’ve lived in Ponyville our whole life! If we move to Crystal City, we’ll have to start all over!”

“Spike,” sighed Twilight, “I’m not finished.” Twilight was now tapping on the table with such rapidity that it seemed like there was no break in the noise. “As part of the deal, Crystal College is going to let me live on campus in a student apartment. Those apartments are designed for a single person. The don’t even have a living room, it’s just a bedroom and a shared bathroom.”

“So… so we’ll have to share a bedroom?” asked Spike. Twilight stopped tapping, and lowered her head so that her hair fell across her face.

“No, Spike,” she whispered. “I can’t have any roommates. The only person that can live there is me.” Silence permeated the room. Spike sat in utter shock. He realized that Twilight was crying, but he wasn’t sure that he cared. She was kicking him out. He was finally getting his life together, and she was kicking him out.

“Did I do something wrong?” Spike asked.

“What? No!” said Twilight. Tears were streaming down her face. “You’ve been really, really good lately! This new job has been incredible for you! It’s just, well, there’s no other choice.” She shook her head miserably. “I’m going to be leaving in two weeks. I’ll do everything in my power to get you a place to stay. Even if I have to sell all my worldly possessions, I’ll-” Spike abruptly stood up from the table, and walked towards the door.

“I’m going out,” he said.

“Spike, no, wait!” Twilight cried, but the door had already swung shut behind him. He pounded down the stairs of the apartment building. He was seething. He had done everything right! He had got a job, got better clothes, gotten rid of the mohawk, and had stopped hanging out with his friends that Twilight considered a bad influence. He had done all these things, and it still wasn’t enough. Well what the hell was he supposed to do!

Spike burst through the front door of the apartment complex, and started to pound the pavement. It wasn’t fair! Nobody was giving him a shot. Rarity hated him, Twilight wanted him out… they were all abandoning him. But people had been abandoning him all his life. Why should now be any different. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out. Sweetie Belle was calling him. He pressed the answer button, and waited for her to talk.

“Um, hello? Spike, are you there?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said brusquely.

“Well I was just calling to let you know I’m home,” Belle said. “So did you maybe want to
come over a little bit earlier?”

“Look, something came up,” said Spike.

“I’m sorry?” asked Belle.

“We’re going to have to meet up another time,” said Spike. “Goodbye.” He hung up the phone, and continued walking. Sweetie Belle tried to call him again, but he didn’t answer. At first he didn’t know where his feet were taking him, but as he crossed over into the red-light district of Ponyville, he realized exactly where he was going. He walked up to an incredibly beat-up single story house. A group of kids sat outside, smoking and drinking. As Spike approached, one of them- a tall, tattooed kid wearing a hat with deer antlers on it- saw him approach.

“Spike, what’s up?” asked the kid. “It’s been forever.”

“Nothing much Discord,” said Spike. “What are you guys getting into tonight?”

“Same old same old,” said Discord. “You tryin’ to hang out?”

“You know it,” said Spike. “I need to let off some steam.” Discord laughed, walked over to Spike, and put his arm around him.

“Don’t worry man,” said Discord. “We’ll get you good and fucked up.” Spike laughed, and the two walked into the house.

~

Belle gasped as her phone began to ring. She looked at her wall clock. It was almost three O’Clock in the morning. She picked up her phone, and looked at the caller. It was from an unknown number. She tentatively pressed the answer button.

“Hello?” said Sweetie Belle.

“Hi, is this Belle?” Belle faintly recognized the voice, although it had been awhile since she had heard it.

“Twilight?” asked Belle.

“Yes,” said Twilight. “Belle, I’m sorry to call you so late, but I need your help.”

“What’s wrong?” asked Belle.

“Spike left the house earlier because… well, because he was mad at me. I’m not sure what happened, but I just got a call from the Ponyville PD telling me that Spike was arrested, and I can’t get my car to start. I know he cares about you, and I know you live near the jail, so…”

“I’ll go get him!” said Belle.

“Oh Belle, thank you so much,” said Twilight. “Please keep me updated.”

“I will,” said Belle. “I’ll call you soon.” Belle closed her phone, turned on a lamp, and quickly dressed herself. She grabbed her wallet and car keys, and sprinted out of the house. She practically dove into her car, started it up, and sped out into the night. She white knuckled the steering wheel, doing twenty over the speed limit. In ten minutes she had (after narrowly avoiding being pulled over on two separate occasions) reached her destination: Ponyville Detention Center. She ran into the building, and made her way to the front desk. A bored looking woman with cyan hair and a light blue jacket was tending it.

“Can I help you?” the woman asked.

“Yes!” said Belle desperately. “I’m here for my friend Spike!”

“One moment,” said the woman. She pulled out a huge ledger, turned towards the back of it, and ran a finger down the page. “Ah, here we go,” she said. “Lucky for you he’s not being charged with anything.” The woman put the ledger back. “Fair warning: he’s drunk as hell.” Belle shook her head.

“No way, I think you’ve got the wrong person,” Belle said.

“A little less than six feet tall, green hair, wears a purple hoodie?” asked the woman. Belle deflated. “We’ll get him out for you.” Belle walked over to a cluster of chairs and sat down in one of them. She was miserable. She thought that Spike had knocked this shit off! This kind of thing was unlike him… well, unlike the new him. The Spike that Belle had tried to sell to Rarity earlier that day.

A door opened, and a chubby officer dragged Spike out into the room. Belle ran over to the pair. Spike looked miserable. His hoodie was covered in all sorts of multicolored stains. His hair was an absolute mess, sticking out in a way that, were the situation less tense, would be completely comical. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was clutching his stomach.

“You gonna be okay with this guy, little Miss?” asked the officer. “We can take him back for the night if you want.”

“No, no, that’s okay,” said Belle. She grasped Spike’s arm, and led him out of the building. As she led him to the car, she realized that he stumbled almost every other step. “Spike, what happened?”

“Nothin’,” he muttered.

“Spike, talk to me,” she said. “I just want to know what to tell Twilight.” Spike’s face darkened.

“You don’t have to tell that bitch nothin’!” he shouted. Belle gasped.

“Spike, what’s the matter with you!?” Belle demanded.

“Juz take me somewhere,” Spike hiccuped. “Not back to Twilight’s place though. I don’t wanna see ‘er.” Belle led Spike to the car, and carefully helped him get in and buckled. Spike was fast asleep by the time she had got back around and started the car. As she drove towards home, she had to admit to herself that she didn’t know how to feel. She thought she knew Spike. Thought he had changed. But this… this was worrisome. Belle knew that if Spike did this every time he lost his cool, any relationship she had hoped for with him would be out of the question.

Belle parked, and gently shook Spike. He awoke enough to be dragged out of the car. Belle led him into her apartment, and onto the couch. He fell onto it and was back asleep in seconds. Belle went to her room, pulled out her cellphone, and gave Twilight a call back.

~

“Oh God, I haven’t been this hungover in years,” groaned Spike. He was on his knees in front of Belle’s toilet. He had been throwing up off-and-on for almost an hour. Belle, meanwhile, hadn’t said a word to him. All she did was pace back and forth, occasionally sitting down to do some paperwork or some sewing. Spike wiped some sweat from his brow, and tentatively stood back up. He made his way out of the bathroom and into the living room. Belle was sitting at the table, sewing a patch into an old blanket.

“Feeling any better?” asked Belle tersely. Spike shook his head. He made his way over to the tiny kitchenette, and poured himself a glass of water. He managed to down it without gagging. “I called Twilight,” said Belle. “She’ll be here to pick you up in about fifteen minutes.”

“I wish you hadn’t done that,” said Spike.

“Well you can’t stay here all day,” said Belle. She was doing her best to control herself, but anger was starting to creep into her voice.

“I have other places I could go,” said Spike.

“Like Discord’s house?” asked Belle. Spike didn’t say anything. “That’s where the police say they picked you up from last night.” Spike still refused to speak. “I don’t get you Spike. You passed up a night with me so you could go drinking with a bunch of, of… miscreants?”

“I was going through some stuff, okay?” said Spike. “I like you, but I can’t talk to you.”

“First off, yes you can,” said Belle. “I’m not just interested in you physically. I like you as a person. I like talking to you.” Spike smiled at this. “Secondly, it doesn’t seem like you did any talking. It just seems like you spent the night getting into trouble.” Spike’s smile vanished.

“We talked for a long time before we started drinking,” said Spike.

“Well I guess it was worth it then,” Belle said acidly. Spike set the glass down, and walked over to the table. He sat across from Belle, and closed his eyes.

“Do you have any aspirin or something?” asked Spike. “My head is killing me.” Belle set down the blanket and marched back into her room. She came back a few seconds later with a large pill bottle. She threw it at Spike, who barely managed to catch it before it hit him in the face. “Thanks,” he muttered. He took a pill out and threw it in his mouth. He looked at the bottle, and scrunched his face. “Midol,” he said. “Hey, isn’t this for-”

“It works for pain in general,” said Belle. Spike shrugged, and set the bottle aside. “Do you think you’re going to feel better by six O’clock?”

“Probably,” said Spike. “Why?”

“Well, I was going to ask you if you’d have dinner with me and Rarity,” said Belle. “But under the circumstances, maybe we should just do it another day.”

“Yeah, I think that would be best,” said Spike. Belle frowned. She was hoping that he wouldn’t say that.

“Fine,” she said. Her phone began to buzz, and she answered it. “I’ll send him out,” she said. “Twilight is here to pick you up.”

“Okay,” sighed Spike. He stood, but didn’t walk towards the door. “Belle… thanks.” He smiled. “For everything.” Belle didn’t return the smile. She just nodded. Spike walked out the door, and down the stairs.

~

Scootaloo sat on the swingset her father had installed for her when she was a child. She swung back and forth idly, her mind racing at full speed. She knew her parents would be home from work in a little while, and she was desperately trying to figure out how to say what she needed to say.

Although she and Applebloom had decided to keep their relationship a secret, she realized that she just couldn’t do it. Her family was just too important to her. They had supported her through everything- the good, the bad, and the ugly. They had been with her through every relationship she had been in before now. She just didn't have it in her to deceive them.

And who knew, maybe they’d change their opinions about same-sex couples after finding out their daughter was a part of one. She had managed to change their opinions about things before. It took them a while, and they went kicking and screaming, but she had done it.

She swung back and forth, rubbing her hands together to keep them warm. Ponyville was solidly in the middle of fall, and this year it had been unusually cold. It seemed like the dour weather was reflecting her mood. The yellow and orange leaves seemed to mirror her inner thoughts. She suddenly recalled a very vivid memory of her childhood. Her father had spent his entire saturday afternoon raking leaves into one gigantic pile. Just as he was getting ready to start bagging them away, Scootaloo had raced out of the house and dived headfirst into the them. She had scattered the leaves everywhere, completely ruining all her dad's hard work. She thought he would be furious, but her surprise he had just laughed and hugged her. Her mother had come out right after him. They spent the entire evening outside, playing in the leaves. It was one of her most cherished memories. That was the kind of parents they were. Loving, supportive, wonderful. They’d never abandon their daughter.

She saw a Volkswagen van pull into the driveway. Her stomach began to flutter, and her heart began to pulse. She got off the swingset, and made her way over to the van. Her parents got out of the car, and smiled at her.

“Scoot!” shouted Dad. She raced over to him, and they hugged. Her Mom hugged her next.

“Hi guys,” said Scootaloo.

“What brings you here?” asked her mother. “I thought you’d never leave that dingy apartment.”

“Hey, when you work to keep yourself living someplace, you want to spend as much time at that place as you possibly can,” said Scootaloo.

“Nonsense!” said her father. “You know you’re always welcome back home.” Scootaloo smiled.

“Thanks Dad,” she said. “Do you guys think we could go inside and talk?” Scootaloo’s parents exchanged worried glances.

“Is everything okay?” asked Mom.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” said Scootaloo. “It’s just, well, there’s some stuff going on in my life that I really need to tell you about.”

~

“I just don’t know what to say, Spike,” said Twilight. “I really thought we were done with stuff like this.” Spike refused to answer her. “Really, nothing? No witty comeback? No exclamatory accusations of me not being related to you in a maternal way?” Silence. “Well fine,” said Twilight. “You’re lucky Belle could help you. Nobody else lived near the police department, and last night my car wouldn’t start.”

“She’s a real hero,” said Spike. The two pulled into the parking lot in front of their apartments. They walked into the house, and Spike made a beeline to his room.

“Spike, I really think we need to talk-” but the door had slammed behind him. Twilight stomped her foot. She hung up her coat, and sat down at the table. This was going about as poorly as it could have. She knew Spike might take having to find a new place badly, but Twilight had desperately hoped he wouldn’t take it this bad. She resolved that they had to have a talk, no matter how bad he wanted to sulk. Twilight walked over to his room and knocked on the door.

“Spike, I really think we should talk,” Twilight said.

“Just leave me alone,” said Spike.

“Come on Spike!” Twilight shouted. “You’re twenty years old! This kind of thing is teenage bullshit!” Spike still refused to answer. Twilight decided to open the door anyway.

“What the hell!” said Spike. “You can’t just barge in here!”

“Yes I can!” said Twilight. “I pay the bills, this is my damn house, and I’ll go in and out of whichever room I chose whenever I damn please!”

“Yeah, that’s right, you pay the bills,” said Spike. “You pay the rent, you make all the decisions. You get to decide who gets to live here and who doesn’t. Well, you made your choice. Now just leave me alone.”

“Spike, it’s not like that!” said Twilight. “I’m not kicking you out! I’m happy that you got a job, and that you’re doing well for yourself. But I have to take this opportunity!”

“Hey, don’t worry, I understand,” said Spike. “I get it. You chose work over me. Fair enough. I didn’t think you had it in you, but boy did you prove me wrong.” Spike shrugged. “I guess in the end I probably never meant shit to you, right? I should have guessed.” Silence echoed through the room. Twilight clenched and unclenched her fists, while Spike glared at her.

“You are the most ungrateful bastard I HAVE EVER MET IN MY FUCKING LIFE!” Twilight roared. Spike’s mouth dropped open. “YOU’RE RIGHT! I NEVER CARED ABOUT YOU, AND I’M GLAD YOU’RE LEAVING YOU SON OF A BITCH!” Twilight left the room, and slammed the door behind her so hard that the door frame cracked. Spike realized that he was shaking. He felt completely cold. If pervaded his entire body. He had never, in his entire life, seen Twilight that mad. Even when he had come home outrageously drunk or high, or had flunked a simple test at school, or had been carted home by a cop. Twilight always kept her temper. But that… that was something else. Spike slowly stood up, and opened the door. Twilight was sitting at the table. She was sobbing. Spike felt his heart drop into his shoes.

“Twilight, don’t cry,” he said. He walked over to the table, and sat next to her. He put a hand on her shoulder. She shoved it off.

“Don’t, don’t touch me,” Twilight said. She did her best to stifle her tears. “I just can’t believe you Spike. I know you’re troubled, but I really didn’t expect you to be so goddamn heartless.” She wiped tear tracks from her eyes. Spike turned his face away from hers. “Do you know how much I’ve sacrificed to take care of you? When your parents abandoned you, I could have just let you fall into the foster care system, or let you live with those terrible assholes you called friends. But I let you live here, because you’re like a brother to me.” Twilight sniffed. “For you to say I never cared about you, well, it just b-breaks my h-heart.”

“I… I didn’t mean to hurt you,” said Spike. “I just…” Twilight waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. He felt Spike shiver next to her, and gave him a closer look. To her astonishment, he was crying. Spike never cried. He hadn’t cried the day his mother left the country. He hadn’t cried the day he had come home and all of his father's, and his own, stuff had been removed from the house. He hadn’t cried when both of his parents had told him that he was own his own.

“Spike, it’s okay,” whispered Twilight.

“I just don’t understand why everyone wants to abandon me,” said Spike. “I know I’m not the best person in the world, but… I… I don’t think I’m worthless.” Twilight embraced Spike, hugging him as hard as she could.

“Oh Spike, I don’t think you’re worthless,” she said.

“Then why are you leaving me?” he asked. “You’re leaving me alone just like they did. Just like everyone else does.”

“I’m not leaving you,” said Twilight. “I’ll be moving away, but I’ll never leave you. Trust me. I’ll call and visit you so much, you’ll get sick of me.” Spike chuckled wetly. “And I’m not gonna let you live in a shitty place. I have some money saved up bud. We’re going to get you a nice place to stay.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” said Spike. “I’m making my own money. I should find my own place to go.”

“It’s no trouble,” said Twilight. “I owe it to you.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” said Spike. “You’ve given me too much as it is. Twilight, I’m so sorry. I mean it. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“And I didn’t want to hurt you either Spike,” said Twilight. “I’m sorry for going into Mommy mode, but you really have to talk to people. You can’t just assume the worst all the time.”

“I know, I know,” said Spike. They let each other go, and just sat together for a while. “There’s somebody I need to go see.”

“Spike-” began Twilight.

“I’m never going to ge see Discord again,” said Spike. “It was a moment of weakness. I just didn’t know how to process my emotions, you know? I’ve never been good with that.” Twilight nodded. “But there’s someone who I need to talk to. Someone who I… who I really need to express my feelings to.” Twilight smiled.

“Go get ‘er champ,” she said.

~

Spike pounded up the stairs as fast as his feet would carry him. He was exhausted- Belle’s apartment was all the way across town- but he just had to talk to her. As he reached the top of the stairs, he was shocked to see Belle coming out of the house.

“Spike!?” said Belle.

“Yeah, it’s me,” said Spike. “Look, we need to talk.” Belle shook her head.

“Not now Spike,” she said. She walked past him and began to go down the stairs.

“But, but I have some things I really need to say!” said Spike.

“Believe me, I want to hear them,” said Belle. “But something’s happened, and Scootaloo really needs my help.”

“Oh,” said Spike. “Is it serious?”

“Yes,” said Belle. The two had reached the parking lot, and were approaching Belle’s car.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” asked Spike.

“I’m sorry, but no,” said Belle. “Look, we’ll just talk at work tomorrow, okay?”

“Sure,” said Spike. He watched as Belle got in the car. “I’ll see you then.” Belle turned the engine, and drove off. Spike stuffed his hands in his pockets, and sighed. It was gonna be a long trip back home.

Author's Note

First off, I just want to say that I’m about halfway done. Fear not, I’m working on the other half as fast as I can, and I promise it’ll come out ASAP. Anyway, a couple of things:

First, in my attempt to expedite this final chapter of the story, it is entirely possible that I have made some glaring grammatical errors. If this is the case, please PM me and I will do my best to fix them as soon as I can.

Second, Sorry for the wait. I fell out of the fandom, and my writing kind of went by the wayside. If you’re enjoying this, thank Blue Flame. Seriously, PM him right now and tell him how awesome he is.

I have a lot more to say, but I feel like I should wait until the proper end of the story. I’ll talk to you again soon!