//------------------------------// // Chapter 19 - "Common Ground" // Story: My Little Caboose: Blue is Magic! // by DarkWing //------------------------------// "I'm listening." Spike said, not looking at Church. "I know you like Rarity." Church said quietly after a short silence. "Don't try to deny it." "Was it that obvious?" Spike sighed, shoulders sagging. "I just know what love looks like." Church said. "Really? Have you had a crush on a girl for two years? Have you not able to tell said girl that you have loved for two years how you truly feel?" Spike asked, tears trickling down his face. "Try nearly a decade." "A decade?" Spike repeated quietly. "Yeah. A decade." Church said. "Now tell me, how does Rarity treat you?" "She treats me divinely." Spike said, heart beating faster. "When I'm around her I feel as if nothing else matters in the world." "Then you have absolutely nothing to be sad about. Do you want to know how the girl I love treats me?" Spike thought for a second and then nodded. "She constantly tries to find ways to hurt me, she is always berating and insulting me, she treats me as if I am nothing. And you want to know what makes it worse? She knows that I still love her, even after all that, and it gives her that much more pleasure in my pain." Spike looked down at the ground. "The difference between you and me is that Rarity cares about you. Be it as a friend or something more, I do not know." Church said. "Now ask yourself. Do you really want to ruin what you have? Would you really hate Simmons, even if he makes Rarity happy?" Spike looked at Church, smiling lightly. "No. That's all I want for her." Spike said, wiping the tears off of his face. "I just want her to be happy." "And if you truly love someone, don't you think you should let them be with whomever makes them happy?" "I guess so." "Listen, Spike. I know you probably still hate me, and I understand that." Simmons said. "I just want you to know that that kiss didn't mean anything. Not to Rarity, and not to me. She was just thanking me for helping her around the boutique." "Oh." Spike said. "I guess I made a rear end out of myself, huh?" "Kind of." Simmons said, laughing slightly. Church glared at Simmons. But then started to laugh, soon to be joined in by Spike. "Sorry for acting that way." Spike said, no longer laughing. "It's just... back at Twilight’s place, when I came downstairs and saw you with her, I thought you were going to replace me as her assistant, and when I saw Rarity kiss Simmons, I thought I was being replaced there too." "Don't worry about it." Church said. "Now lets say we go back?" "Sure. Thanks for doing this." "No problem. I guess we have more in common than we originally had thought." "Yeah." Spike said quietly. "Simmons, do you mind not saying anything to Rarity?" "You didn't even have to ask." Simmons said. "You guys are alright." "You're not a bad guy yourself, Spike." Church said. Simmons, Church and Spike then made their way back to the boutique and opened the door. "Spike!" Twilight yelled, running up to Spike to hug him. "I was so worried. Why did you storm out? Are you alright?" "I'm alright now." Spike said, looking back at Church and Simmons. "Sorry about worrying you." Spike then looked at Rarity and started smiling. She then looked him in the eyes and smiled back. "So how did you like the pieces Twilight?" Simmons asked. "I think they look fabulous." Twilight said. "It may even be her best work yet." "Thank you Twilight." Rarity said. "Simmons helped me greatly while making these." "That's great." Twilight said, smiling at Simmons. "All I did was stand there." Simmons said, crimson deepening the red of his cheeks. "You're too modest. Now I have two days until they come to pick it up, and I have no further orders coming in." "That's good." Twilight said. "Should we go see what the others are up to?" "Sounds good to me." Church said. "Where do you think they are?" "Something tells me I know where Grif will be." Simmons said. "Really?" Twilight asked. "And where would that be." "Sleeping at Fluttershy’s place." Simmons laughed. "Well, let's go then." Rarity said, walking towards the door. They soon made their way out of the Carousel Boutique and started making their way towards Fluttershy’s cottage, where Fluttershy and Grif were just returning from the market. "I wonder what came over me..." Grif muttered. "Whatever do you mean?" Fluttershy asked. "I worked harder today than I ever have in my entire life." Grif said. "It's going to take a whole lot of doing nothing to bring my average back down." "Isn't working hard a good thing?" Fluttershy asked. Grif looked at Fluttershy and she started to laugh. "Now you're getting it." Grif said, patting Fluttershy on the back. "The reason I don't do much is because then I start getting everybody to think that I work hard, and the more people think I work hard, the more things they try and tell me to do. By doing nothing, nobody asks me to do anything because they know I won't do it anyways." "You're just a lazy colt, aren't you Grif?" Fluttershy asked, shaking her head. "Damn straight, and I wouldn't have it any other way." Grif said with a smile. Grif then jumped on the couch and Haley jumped onto it next to Grif’s legs. At that moment, the others arrived at the door and knocked. Fluttershy went and opened it. "Oh, hello. What are you guys doing here?" Fluttershy asked. "We came to see what you guys are up to." Twilight said. "Oh, well me and Grif just got back from the market. He helped me with some animal food." Simmons and Church looked at Grif. "You're kidding, right?" Church asked. "Yeah, you really expect us to believe that Grif has done something productive?" Simmons asked. Fluttershy turned and looked at Grif, who gave her a small wink.