//------------------------------// // Amelia // Story: 7DSJ: Treasure // by Shinzakura //------------------------------// He sat in the quiet confines of the In-N-Out, having lunch with a friend. Shining had known Buck Withers since their days in high school, mostly at each other’s throats, as Buck had been the star quarterback of Canterlot High at the time and Shining had been decidedly…geekier back then. Given that Shining was now muscular in build and Buck was getting paunchy and with a receding hairline, no one that had known the two back in their school days had once been anything other than the opposite. Thankfully, both college and Buck’s subsequent marriage to Cadance’s friend Lemony Gems had mellowed things out considerably. The fact that Buck and Lemony lived down south in San Francisco probably also helped things. But, seeing as that the couple was in town to visit friends and family, the two couldn’t help but have a lunch together. “So, still thinking about getting married in Italy, eh, Shining?” Buck asked, munching on a few fries. “Yeah, figures you’d make me look bad in front of the wife.” Shining rolled his eyes. “Not my fault; Cady’s pretty much got that set – she’s been planning it ever since we got engaged. I’m guessing Lemony’s already planning the shopping trip?” “Yeah, it’s all ‘And since we’re in Europe, we should go see London, and Paris, and Berlin, and Oslo and Madrid and….’” He shook his head, the blond, curly hair of his mullet moving in time. “Sometimes I think she forgets that as bankers, while we make a decent living, we’re not exactly loaded yet.” “Hey, you make more than I do – try living on an officer second grade’s salary.” “Yeah, but your fiancée’s a lawyer,” Buck reminded him. “A public prosecutor,” Shining clarified, “with sizable college loans that she’s still paying off.” “And that’s why I keep telling you that you gotta invest, Shining! Build that nest egg now. I can easily recommend a dozen stocks that’ll—” “4-Golf-5, 4-Golf-5, this is Dispatch. Do you read? Over.” Shining gave his friend an apologetic look and then clicked the radio over his right shoulder. “This is 4-Golf-5. Go ahead.” “We’ve got a 10-32 in progress at the corner of Brookstone and Charlemont. Requesting all cars for immediate backup.” Shining’s eyes lit up; 10-32 was the brevity code for shots fired and given that the streets mentioned were ones that bordered Sunnytown, that was never a good thing. Buck caught Shining’s look immediately. “Everything okay?” “I gotta go,” he said in the way that indicated everything wasn’t okay. “Be careful, man!” Buck called out to his friend as Shining raced for the door. “I expect to see you and Cadance at dinner with me and Lemony on Thursday, not visiting you in the hospital!” By the time Shining got there, the scene was a mess. Four cars were on site, with three officers returning fire at an apartment that had at least two gunmen in one of the windows. Shining got out of his car, then rushed over to the senior officer in the site. “What’s going on?” “Got a tip that some bangers were dealing in one of the apartments there. Sent an officer to investigate, but he’s been missing for hours, and I don’t have to tell you what that means.” Given Buck’s warning and the fact that Christmas had just passed two days prior, it was a sobering statement. “We sent in another one, and they came out guns blazing and now we’ve got this.” “SWAT?” “Not happening. They’re currently backing up ECSD on a bigger case in Darkwood,” the senior officer said. “Gonna be a field day for the local section of the Equestria Daily tomorrow.” “Yeah,” Shining agreed. As a fifth car pulled up, he saw the person driving it; that was more than enough for him to hatch a quick plan. “Okay, you give me cover fire. Me and Melati Jasmine’ll go in and see if we can put an end to this.” As the girl rushed up, Shining saw that she was carrying her carbine; given that she had a department citation for her shooting abilities, it would come in handy. “Mel, we’re knocking on the door and paying a visit.” “Shoulda told me sooner, Shining; I would’ve baked a casserole.” Melati ran a hand through her pink, orange and yellow hair, a wicked smile coming onto her face. “Oh well, sucks to be them.” The senior officer said, “On my mark, you go. We’ll give you cover fire.” He then looked at the other officers to make sure they knew what was going on, they all tried to ignore the bursts of fire that came from upstairs; Shining noted that it came from an AK-12, which was definitely illegal in the state. As if reading his thoughts, Melati said, “Looks like our perps are carrying some nifty hardware. Wonder what kind of treasure trove we’re going to find up there?” “Don’t know, but go find out!” the senior officer shouted, then turned to the other officers, and aside from himself, opened fire. That drove the criminals away from the windows, long enough for Shining and Melati to make a sprint for the door. Once they reached it, he said to her, “Mind the casualties, Mel. It’s the holidays.” She smirked at him as he pulled his service pistol. “Not for me; I’m Muslim. But I get your point.” She then stood back as he reared back and kicked the door in, both officers rushing in for the fight of their lives. “Damn, I have no idea how the hell you two pulled this off,” the senior officer said ten minutes later, “but I’m damn glad you two are on our side.” The officers were standing in the heavily-shot up apartment the three gang-bangers had housed themselves in, having taken over then evacuated the building. By a small miracle, no one had been killed; both Shining and Melati had shot to wound, and the third one had surrendered the moment he knew he was outgunned. At the moment, he was on the ground in handcuffs, while the other two were being led out in stretchers. The room itself was filled with a lot of stuff that could easily be called terrifying: military-grade weapons had only been the tip of the iceberg. Drugs with a street value of over a million dollars was spread in various containers all over the apartment, and that was just the stuff ready to be sold on the street. One of the bedrooms had been turned into a growing room for marijuana, and a second one looked like it was being set up for a meth lab. But despite being something out of what felt like a police show on TV, the situation ended on a happy note when it came to the officer that had initially gone in to investigate: he was alive and uninjured, though being taken to a hospital because he’d been incapacitated by one of the gangbangers dosing him with an injection of mescaline, and when Shining and Melati had found him, he had little idea of who or where he was. Holding her gun at the ready, Melati looked at Shining. “Man, your girl is going to have a hell of a time with this one, isn’t she?” Shining shook his head. “No, she usually doesn’t get these cases. She mostly handles the domestic dispute ones. Heck, in her office, she gets so many of those they jokingly call her ‘the Goddess of Lov—’” There was a sudden rattle at the door to the master bedroom. “Did you hear that?” “Yeah,” Melati said, training her carbine on the door as Shining and the other cops pulled their guns. “Be careful.” With that, the cops aimed their guns, while Shining went to the door. Opening it carefully, he found something that he hadn’t expected…or rather, someone. The moment he saw her, words he said weeks ago to another girl haunted him: “Way I see it? You’re either really desperate to turn tricks if you’re working this part of town at this time of day, or based on the stuffed animal over there, you were living in that warehouse. I’m going to take a guess and say it’s the latter, because if it’s the former, I really am not in the mood to write all the paperwork to explain why I just arrested an underage prostie.” He looked at the girl standing before him. She was probably about sixteen at best, and was wearing clothing that was clearly stripperiffic. She had too much makeup on, and her shaggy blue-and-green hair and tangelo-hued eyes showed a life that was hard beyond imagining. I accused Sunny – my now-foster sister – of being an underage streetwalker, he sighed. And now I’ve really run into one. The girl looked around at the room and the three gangbangers being taken out of the room. “Fuck! Now I’m not going to get paid,” she groaned, then glared at Shining. “Thanks, asshole. I just did all that work for nothing – do you know how hard it was to keep ‘em smiling?” Melati rolled her eyes while Shining holstered his gun and motioned for the others to do the same. “Some mouth you got, kid.” “Fuck yeah,” she said, then turned her attention back to Shining. “Okay, here’s the deal: you let me go and you can have me for the night – no cost.” She looked at the rest of the people in the room, then sighed. “Well, hasn’t been the freakiest job I’ve done, but at least I’ll keep my dignity this time,” she muttered. Shining blinked. “Did you just proposition me?” She rolled her eyes. “Depends. If you’re going to arrest me based on that? No, officer, I didn’t and you must have imagined it. If you’re going to let me go in exchange for some fun, then yes, just take me to your place and tell me where I need to spread ‘em. Just…no cuffs, okay? They chafe.” “Cute,” Melati said sarcastically. “This one’s all you, Shining. I’ve got to fill out paperwork and then go see my well-behaved kids.” The other officers all took the hint and demurred to him, much to his dislike. “Fine,” he told Melati, “but you’re handling my paperwork as well.” “It shall be done, o wise one,” she cracked. “Now let me get out of here; I think the room is starting to mess with my sinuses.” “Okay you,” he said, taking his quarry by the arm and dragging her out to the street. “Time to get you down to Social.” “Oh, fuck you, man – I ain’t going to no youth-fuckin’-home!” “Well, we could just put you in juvie until we find out your actual age and see if we can arrest you for prostitution.” She sighed. “Fine, the home it is…unless I can convince you to take a ride with me. Trip you’ll never forget when you go through my tunnel.” “Kid, you’re laying it on way too thick. Anyways, what’s your name?” “Amelia.” Shining groaned. “Okay then, what’s your real name?” Thanks to his sister, foster sister and cousin’s reading habits, he found out that “Amelia Grund” was the name of the character in the Spellbound novels, and that her name was a translation from old German meaning fertile ground, an apt yet smartass name for a hooker if there ever was one. “I don’t go by that anymore,” she answered. “You’re going to have to.” “You’re going to laugh.” He opened the back door to his patrol car, gesturing for her to get in. “You’d be surprised.” She muttered something. “Come again?” “It’s Sweet Pea, okay? Now just fucking leave me alone and dump my ass off at the fuckin’ youth home. It’s all you Goddamn cops are good for anyway.” By the time he got home, hours later, he found Cadance there, waiting for him, a teary, worried look on her face. “I landed at the airport an hour ago and when my parents turned on the radio, first thing we heard was about the firefight by Sunnytown. Are you…?” He nodded. “None of our guys got hurt. I shot one and so did Mel; third one gave up.” She rushed over to him, holding him close, then kissing him. “I’ve never asked you to quit the force, Shiny,” she said. “I know you love the job too much. But I was hoping that my first sight of you would be at the airport, not hearing about you getting into a firefight with gang members!” “You told me you were coming back tomorrow.” “Yeah, I know. I saw my note on the markerboard, so that’s my fault, and I’m sorry.” She then saw the tired look in his eyes. “Look, I’m exhausted, you look beat, and…let’s just order in from the Moroccan place down the street and you can tell me all about what’s bugging you.” “That obvious?” She nodded. “We’ll worry about the Christmas gifts and other crap later. Right now, hon, all I want to do is spend time with you.” An hour later, Moroccan food and a bottle of wine later, the two lovers were just lying on the couch together, talking after Shining had explained everything. “This…Amelia girl. She sounds nothing like Sunny.” “I know; I think I’m just feeling guilt from assuming she was one. It’s just….” “You feel guilty because this girl looks like she actually needs help, whereas Sunny was relatively doing fine?” He nodded. “And here I thought you cared about her.” “You know I do. She’s only been living with us for a couple of months, but it feels…well, it feels like she’s meant to always be with us. I know Mom just loves her completely, and Dad says since she came into our lives, he feels like she belongs there. And I don’t think I need to say how either Twily or Tavi feel. And honestly? I like her. So no problem there. It’s just…I really don’t know what to do about this one.” “Well, I doubt your mother would want to take in another stray,” Cadance said, lifting her wineglass to her lips. “Where is this mystery girl, anyway?” “Social, until the County can do something. I already called my mom and explained everything as much as I could. She joked that she’s filled her quota of one stray per year, but she’ll see what she can do in the morning.” Shining downed the rest of his glass. “I really hope they can do something.” “I’ll look into it on my end; fortunately, I can’t get involved with the case since you’re the arresting officer. But I can talk to whoever’s going to look into it.” “I didn’t charge her with a crime,” Shining said. “I filed her as a victim – a rude, crass and foul-mouthed victim, but one all the same.” “Yes, dear, but she got that way somehow, and if she is Sunny’s age, then someone caused her to be that way – and that’s where my office comes in.” The following morning Shining had off, as he’d planned to meet Cadance and her family at the airport, so sleeping in had turned into the choice of the day. So, needless to say, he wasn’t happy when the phone started ringing off the hook. “Hello?” “Armor, this is Sgt. Rosethorn. We need you to come into the precinct.” Shining groaned. “Aw, c’mon, Sarge! I’ve been working practically overtime and this is my first day off in like two weeks!” “Yeah, I know, Armor – I feel for you there. But they brought in that kid that you took down to Social last night and she apparently refuses to talk to anyone but you. She said, and I quote, ‘I don’t want to talk to any of you assholes except that cop that brought me in. And if he ain’t here, you can all go sit and spin!’ And then she flipped us off. Real nice piece of work there, that kid. Practically reminds me of my own niece.” “Ugh. Fine, tell her I’ll be there within the hour.” He hung up the phone, then woke up Cadance. “I gotta go. They brought in Sweet Pea to the precinct. She wants to talk to me.” “I guess I’d better go as well,” Cadance offered, already regretting being awoken at eight in the morning on a day she had off. “She might feel comfortable with a female presence around.” “So you prefer Miss Pretty Pretty Princess’ sugar tits over mine?” Cadance’s right eye twitched in annoyance while the teen talked to Shining. “Look, I’ll bet the Barbie doll is cute for arm candy, but has she memorized the Kama Sutra like I have?” Amelia then blew the cop a kiss, leaning over the table to make sure he saw her cleavage. “Last chance to trade up.” “You’re not impressing us with the tough girl act,” Cadance replied. “Fuck you, Sugar Tits,” Amelia said, flipping the woman the bird. Shining apologetically looked at his fiancée, then back at the teen. “Sweet Pea….” “I hate that. Don’t call me that.” “That’s your name, right?” “It was my name. I’m a different person now.” “Fine. So, Amelia, why’d you call me then?” “Because I need you inside me?” she taunted. “Because I had a hot, wet, dream about you.” “I don’t have time for this,” he sighed, throwing his hands up and getting out of the chair. He went to the intercom by the door and pressed the button. “Lockdown, Escort, take her back to Social. We’re done here.” He got out of his chair, ready to go. He was just by the door when he heard a choked, strangled voice cry out… “Don’t leave me!” Cadance turned and gasped. Shining looked and a second before, where there was a teenage prostitute, was a girl whose eyes were beginning to glisten with tears. “Don’t…leave. Please….” she begged, the waterfalls beginning. “She’s probably faking it,” Cadance said coolly. “You have no idea how many of my clients could do that on a dime.” “Look, I’m sorry I called you ‘Sugar Tits’,” Amelia sobbed. “I’m sure you have very nice breasts…no offense.” The attorney wasn’t sure how to react to that. “Uh, none taken, I think.” A knock sounded on the metal door to the interrogation room, and opening it, Shining found Lockdown and Escort waiting. “You rang?” Escort asked. Shining and Cadance looked at each other, then at the cops. Fishing some money out of his wallet, he said, “Do me a favor. Call Pizza Hut. Large, everything on it and a six-pack of Coke.” Cadance pulled her small billfold out of her clutch purse. “Here, Lock. Get a few for the whole station,” she said, handing him a few bills. He looked at the money. “You sure about this, Cadance?” She nodded. “Yeah. Also, call my office and ask them to send over Hearts Aflutter. I have a funny feeling we’re going to need an attorney here, and it can’t be me.” “Will do,” Lockdown said. “And thanks for the pizza.” “Think nothing of it, Lock. Merry post-Christmas.” He grinned. “Actually, I’m Jewish, but I get the point. I’ll be back soon.” Meanwhile, Shining had returned to the table. Reaching in his jacket pocket, he pulled out a pack of tissues. “Here, you’re going to need this,” he said to the girl as she fruitlessly tried to wipe her tears with her wrists. “Thanks,” she murmured. She then looked at him and asked, “I…I overheard where the gang’s got the rest of their stash. But if they find out I was here, they’re going to kill me! As it is, I’m already out on the street, since you guys trashed the place where I lived!” “You were living there?” he asked. “Yeah. Stone Cold – he’s the one you shot – he was my pimp,” she admitted. “He took me in after I ran here from home.” “Where’s home?” Cadance asked. When the girl said nothing, Cadance sat down. “Listen: I’m an assistant district attorney for Equestria County.” Pointing a finger at Shining, she added, “If you’re in trouble, it’s his job to find out and my job to make sure if someone needs to go to jail, they end up there. I’m not saying that you need to talk to someone…but…you need to talk to someone.” “I…I don’t want to go back!” she said. Both adults caught the flicker of fear in her eye and they both had the same question: What would be so bad that turning tricks in the worst part of the Canterlot metro area was preferable in comparison? It was then that Shining spoke. “What I’m about to tell you I’m not making up. Two months ago, I came across a girl very much in the same situation as you. She wasn’t turning tricks, but she’d become so desperate that it wouldn’t have surprised me if she would have done that soon. I could’ve arrested her for the same things as you, plus illegal trespass and several other charges. I didn’t. I got her help, got her in a safe home, made sure she was okay. I probably risked my job to do that…but I would do it again in a heartbeat. “I’m a cop. When I took the oath, I meant every word of it: to serve and protect. And as far as I’m concerned? Catching criminals isn’t the main part of my job; there’s a dozen other guys and gals in blue out there doing that same part of the job that I do and probably do it better. But as for me? My job is keeping people safe, like a shield. If it means putting my life on the line like I did yesterday? No question. And if it means finding a way to help you? Again, no question. Because it’s what I do, and I’m not saying that just to look good. I mean it. “Amelia – no, Sweet Pea, you’re in a lot of trouble. And I don’t mean the legal kind. I mean the kind that will end with you dead before you’re twenty. I can see those train tracks on your arms, which means you’ve been using at least once. And if you’ve been doing your ‘job’ for more than a year, you’ve probably had to go to the doctor at least once, for either medicine…or something else. That’s no life that a girl your age should be living. I have two sisters and a cousin about your age, and I wouldn’t want to see them in your shoes. And I don’t want to see you in the shoes you’re in, either.” Cadance looked at Shining appreciatively. She figured that he would compare Sunset’s situation at least on the surface with this girl’s, but he probably didn’t notice that he’d referred to Sunset as his sister as well. She knew that of all the members of his family, both he and Spike had been the most standoffish, and in Spike’s case, it was understandable. Was Sunset finally beginning to mean something to him other than just the girl he saved from whatever fate she held? It was too early to tell, she thought, but she at least now had an inkling of how that would go. By the time Hearts Aflutter got there, Cadance had already written everything down. “See what you can do about putting together the case.” “Nothing we can do about it, Cadance, you know that,” Hearts replied. “Hearts, I want everything to go to their DA,” Cadance said, handing her colleague the notes. “Shining is already talking to his lieutenant about what she’s told us. And then we have to talk to Velvet. If what she’s saying is true, I want who did this to her nailed to the Goddamn wall.” “Again, not our call,” Hearts reminded her, “but I’m sure the boss can put in a special word with their DA if it progresses that far.” “It will,” Shining said, walking down the hall with his lieutenant following behind her. “We just got off the phone with the Junction County Sheriff’s Office. Everything she’s told us pans out. Based on what we emailed them, they’re going to get a warrant for his arrest.” Lt. Strongline, Shining’s supervisor nodded. “I was just telling Officer Armor that this is damn good police work he did.” “It was nothing, ma’am,” he replied. “She just needed help.” He looked at Amelia, still sitting in the interrogation room, eating the pizza like it was the finest meal she’d had in ages, and looking very fragile. “I just….” Strongline sighed, brushing the gray-and-red hair out of her eyes. “I just can’t believe this shit. That poor girl.” Amelia had finally broken down and told Shining and Cadance her full story: she was from Dodge Junction, a small town in South Dakota just ten miles south of the North Dakota state line. Her mother had died in childbirth, and her father had killed himself in grief, leaving her with her only remaining family, an uncle on her mother’s side. But her uncle had begun to do things to her as she’d grown older, things no girl should encounter. She’d been lucky that he’d inadvertently recorded one instance, and after finally putting up with one too many times of being violated, she grabbed the videotape and ran away, using an old Greyhound ticket that her father had once had from Canterlot, the town he was originally from; by a miracle, it was still good for the trip. Things had spiraled downhill from there, and she hadn’t been to school in six years, instead turning to a life on the streets. “What are you going to do now?” Strongline said. “We’re going to have to take her back to Social; she’s got no other family and we’re obviously not returning her to South Dakota anytime soon.” “She can stay with us overnight,” Cadance said, much to the surprise of Shining. “After that, we’ll consult with Social Services. Fortunately, we have an ‘in’ there.” “Counselor,” Strongline said to her, “I know your reputation – they call you the Goddess of Love over there at the DA’s office because of all the kinds of cases you handle. But this isn’t anything like what you’ve done before. I’m not comfortable about this.” “Uh, Lieutenant?” Hearts spoke up. “This is my case. Cadance is just a bystander. And technically I’ll be forwarding everything to South Dakota, anyway.” Shining added, “And it’s not like I have to worry about a single girl for one night, and I get the feeling she’s not going anywhere. If you want, I can go ahead on home and move my personal weapons out of the house for the duration. I mean, they’re already in a safe, but if it makes you feel better, L-T….” “No, that’s fine. Just…be careful.” “I’m not comfortable about this at all, you two,” Velvet told both her son and future daughter-in-law a couple of hours later. Amelia – she’d insisted that only Shining could call her by her real name, but Cadance ignored the edict – was asleep on the couch, wearing a pair of Cadance’s pajamas. “And I know what you’re going to say, but this is entirely different from Sunny’s situation. For one, Celestia could vouch for Sunny. Who can we have to vouch for that girl – her pimp?” “Velvet, that’s not fair,” Cadance insisted. “Forgive me for being worried about you two, but Shining, you just told me that yesterday this girl was trying to both proposition you and egg you on at the same time. And then today she did more of the same as well as calling you, and I quote, ‘Sugar Tits’, Cady?” The look on Velvet’s face was severe. “I went down to both Juvenile Hall and the County Childrens’ Shelter and got her records. Surprisingly, she told them that she often went to the Free Clinic down on Skyfire Blvd, and so I asked Zecora to get me the records as a favor, since she volunteers there on weekends.” She placed photocopies in front of the pair. “The girl’s had treatment for four STDs, and she told her doctor she’s had an abortion, prior. All that in a six-year period, and that’s just what we know – we know nothing about her life in South Dakota.” “Mom, you stepped in to protect Sunny,” Shining insisted, “and she didn’t need help half as much as this girl does!” “Shiny, believe me when I say that you should let this be someone else’s problem.” Cadance was shocked. “I cannot believe you’re saying that!” Velvet looked at her. “Do you really think I want to? It goes against everything that my career stands for!” she hissed. “But Night and I are worried about you and that you’re over your head on this one.” The older woman shook her head and added, “For one, even if you wanted to, you couldn’t even foster her – you two aren’t married yet and I would have to turn you down just on that. That’s not saying that a single person couldn’t successfully foster someone, only that they’re going to look at your record and based on what I know just off the top of my head, it’s going to torpedo fast.” “Then maybe someone else,” Cadance insisted. “What about one of my aunts, for example? Aunt Tia’s always saying she’d love to have someone around her place.” “If we were talking about a five-year-old, then maybe. But despite her job and having a lot of involvement in your life, Cady, Tia’s never really been good with kids from anything other than a disciplinarian level. Hell, I’ve no idea how she reined in Sunny prior to whatever happened the night Sunny was shown the error of her ways.” Cadance was about to open up her mouth, before Velvet interjected with, “and don’t suggest Lu, either. She acts like she’s your age, for crying out loud. And as for Armonia….” “I wasn’t even going to suggest my mother,” Cadance replied. “She’s always told me one kid was enough for her.” “Then who else is there?” When there was no answer, Velvet continued. “Okay, I’ll give you two a week. That’s as much as I can do to get the paperwork lost in the holiday shuffle. But by the end of the week, you need to find someone that I can approve or we have to send her to Social. I’m sorry I can’t do more, but just like you two…I have responsibilities to that child as well so long as she’s in the county.” The scream at four in the morning woke up both Shining and Cadance. Both of them rushed into the living room to find Amelia thrashing on the couch, shouting, “No, Uncle Tripwire! Please, no!” Shining grabbed both her arms, telling her “It’s okay, Sweet Pea! You’re safe!” She finally stopped thrashing and melted into his arms, crying hysterically. “It’s okay, it’s okay, you’re safe,” he told her. “Don’t send me back,” she sobbed into his shirt. “I’ll go to school, sleep on the couch, get a real job, just don’t send me back there!” “Nobody’s sending you back,” Cadance promised, sitting down on the other side of the girl and caressing her back. “You have our word – you’re never going back to that hell again.” She broke away from Shining long enough to look at Cadance. “Y-you…you promise?” Cadance smiled and raised her hand as if taking an oath. “Sugar Tits’ honor,” she said whimsically. “Look, I’m really sorry about calling you that, Ms. Cadenza,” she said. “I know. Just…get some sleep, okay? I’ll stay here with you.” “I’m not a little girl,” the teen huffed. “I don’t need anyone to babysit me.” “Think of it as her turn to watch over you,” Shining said. “Now if you two don’t mind, I need to get some sleep. I have to look somewhat alive for my shift.” At seven in the morning, Shining opened the gun safe and pulled his service gear out, then shut it. Heading into the living room, he was treated to a sweet sight: Amelia slept peacefully, her head on Cadance’s lap. Cadance, looking bleary-eyed, looked up at her fiancé. “She finally fell asleep ten minutes ago,” Cadance replied. “We talked all night. Her uncle’s a monster, Shiny. The things he’s done to her…. We can’t let her go back.” Despite her exhaustion, the look in Cadance’s eyes was very unfriendly at that point. “She won’t. No matter what, Mom won’t let that happen and you know that. But we do have to find someone to take her in; Social’s no place for a kid despite the name, and Mom knows that, too. We’ll figure something out.” “We’ll have to. And speaking of which, don’t we have dinner tonight with Buck and Lemony? We’ll have to cancel that. I’ll call them after I get a couple of hours of shuteye.” “Don’t,” Shining told her. “In fact, take Sweet Pea to shop for some clothes. I have an idea.” “What do you have in mind?” Shining looked down at the tortured girl sleeping on his fiancée’s lap. “Reverse psychology, in order to save a girl’s life.” “You’re not going to…?” “I am. But I’m probably going to feel bad about it later.” Later that night, the dinner crowd was at Beet O’ Brady’s, a fine dining establishment at the riverfront shopping center. Two different tables were being used at the moment, one filled with three teenage girls while the other one had four adults present. At the first table, Amelia looked at the girls in front of her. Both had looks on their faces as though they were waiting for her to bolt for the nearest door. For some reason, she got the feeling that the two had been through something like this before, though the troubled teen couldn’t figure out possibly how that came about. But as for her situation, Amelia said nothing, feeling very uncomfortable in the duo’s presence. Meanwhile, the other two had their own private conversation going. “This seems familiar….” Twilight Sparkle asked Sunset Shimmer. The look on Sunset’s face was somewhere between embarrassed and understanding. “Yeah,” she told her sister. “Tell me about it.” Meanwhile, at the adult’s table, an argument between four friends was underway. “You two are crazy!” Lemony told Cadance and Shining at the other table. “You guys are going to give up a formal wedding and elope?” Cadance nodded. “Yeah. My mom and his both think we’re nuts, but…Sweet Pea needs a home, and the only way the County is going to let us take her in on a foster basis, is if we do that.” “No,” Buck insisted. “Look, you two have gone too far with your plans to derail them now. A wedding is a memory you’ll cherish forever. Trust me on this.” Putting an arm around Lemony, he said, “Our wedding was one of the most special moments of my life – I’ll be the first to admit that. Don’t do this to yourselves.” “Cadance, promise me you’re not going to do this,” Lemony insisted. “I want you two to be happy and eloping for someone else’s sake, even while noble, is…well, it’s stupid. I agree completely with both your mothers that you’re both out of your minds even thinking about it!” Shining replied with, “Look, we made a promise that she would be looked after and we can’t do that if we’re not there to foster her. Unless you two can think of something, our minds are made up.” Buck looked at the girl, and how she seemed to be warming up to Shining’s sisters – he didn’t recall his friend having two sisters, but then again, he didn’t really pay attention back during their high school years – but there was something in her eyes that even from this distance he could see. She’s like me, he thought. Doesn’t trust the world, but thinks that it owes her everything. And I always wondered why Cadance left me for Shining…only that we were never really an item in the first place. It was all just in my head. “We’ll take her,” he said all of a sudden. Three people at the table all had the same answer for him. “What?” Buck looked at his friend. “Lemony and I…we’ll sign the paperwork and take her back with us to San Francisco.” “No, I can’t ask this of you,” Cadance told him. “This is going to be difficult enough for us—” “No. Buck’s right,” Lemony said. “We…we all gotta grow up sometime, Cadance. You and Shining are lucky: you’re not married yet and you get to still live the good life. But Buck and I have been married for four years now. Sooner or later, we’ll think about kids, a house in the suburbs….” “Concord’s nice, I hear,” Buck said to no one in particular while swirling the wine in his glass. “Perfect place to raise a family.” “She’s had no schooling since she ran away from home,” Shining pointed out. “The tutoring costs alone—” Lemony giggled. “Our next door neighbor’s a retired teacher and was recently complaining that she hates retirement because she’s got nothing to do. This’ll be a challenge for her, one I’m sure she’ll accept.” “She has trust issues,” Cadance added. “I’m guessing she didn’t trust either of you when you found her,” Buck stated, “yet she looks like she trusts only you now. For now. I’m sure Lemony and I can fix that.” “Are you sure about this?” Shining interjected. He had to admit, as much as he wanted to keep his promise, he already knew the loopholes and issues his parents had to go through with Sunset, and it wasn’t something that he could’ve done with Sweet Pea. At least with this decision, Sweet Pea would have a chance to survive and thrive. He looked at Cadance and though he could see the conflict in her eyes, he knew that she would back his decision. The truth was, they were both playing a con job on their friends, and neither of them liked it, but it was the only way either of them could think of to protect the girl. “I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret.” “Hey, that’s my line,” Buck laughed. “If you think we’re unsure about all this, what about how everyone thinks of you two in regards to this? At least with Lemony and I, this’ll be a head start for us to get ready for planning our own kids.” “Plus, it’ll prevent you two from making a serious mistake that’ll cost you in the long run,” Lemony added. “You don’t want to start off your wedding on a bad footing, you two. Trust us on that.” Buck looked at both of them, a smile in his eyes. “Furthermore, this way, if we agree to it, you two don’t have to sit here and try to be the world’s lousiest con artists.” When Shining and Cadance blinked, Buck laughed. “C’mon, do you really think we couldn’t figure what was going on? You can’t kid a kidder, and I’m a banker – I know how to snowball the best of them.” “Should’ve known,” Cadance giggled, while Shining facepalmed. “Hey, don’t worry you two. It’s clear why you did it and we’re not offended in the slightest. In fact, we’re honored that you even thought of us, though I wish you would’ve mentioned it directly; we would’ve still said yes.” He then grinned as he added, “Besides, getting one up on you two for a change? Totally worth it.” “Ah, my hubby,” Lemony said, kissing him on the cheek. “Isn’t he the greatest?” “We can’t thank you enough,” Shining told Buck two days later at Terminal Two of Canterlot International, while waiting for the trio’s flight. Buck and Lemony had stayed two extra days to fill out the paperwork, pass the tests and all the other stuff, which was rushed through by a very relieved Twilight Velvet. Finally, San Francisco’s Department of Childrens’ Services agreed to take over the oversight of Amelia once she left Equestria County and moved to the city. “I should be thanking you,” Buck said, watching as Amelia talked excitedly and animatedly with Lemony Gems as the two came back from the Caribou Coffee shop. “It’s been two days and not only has she adjusted to us…I think Lemony’s grown up a bit as well. Me, too. This isn’t going to be easy, but…well, if your parents can do it, so can we.” Since Shining and Cadance’s scheme had been discovered, they then told their friends the truth about the elder of Shining’s two “sisters”. “Besides, this will be a challenge, and one that we’re willing to go with.” “I’m still surprised you were able to get things moving so fast,” Cadance admitted. “It took Velvet a couple of days, herself, and she’s the one that controls the paperwork and had favors to call in. But you don’t have those kind of connections, as far as I know.” “Well, Shining’s mother was very happy to pull more strings when she found out we offered to take Sweet Pea in. As for her education, Lemony called Mrs. Oaktree and she agreed to tutor Sweet Pea to get her up to speed, with the hopes that we can get her into high school by next year. The biggest issue by far is going to be to head back to South Dakota for the trial. She’s already worried about that, but Lemony and I already promised her that she wouldn’t be alone and if her uncle even gave her a look we don’t like….” He punched his hand in the other. “Well, you get the idea.” “Oh, you think you can back it up?” Shining asked, pointing at Buck’s out-of-shape body. “Not right now, admittedly, but I’m re-upping for the gym near our place once we get home. Gotta lose a few pounds, be a role model. You know how it is,” he said, shrugging. “So, who wanted the mocha?” Amelia asked, holding a tray of drinks. She looked far different than she did just a few days prior, wearing a loose-turtleneck sweater, a jacket and jeans. She looked a lot more cleaned up and it was almost hard to believe that this was the same girl that had propositioned Shining just a few days before. “Eh, probably better to just give you the shi…stuff. I meant ‘stuff’.” Lemony looked at the girl out of the side of her eyes and the teen blushed. “I’m working on it!” she grumbled. “ATTENTION ALL PASSENGERS: SKYWEST FLIGHT 5460 NONSTOP TO SAN FRANCISCO, NOW BOARDING AT GATE 2A,” a voice boomed over the airport’s intercom. “That’s our flight,” Lemony said, then going over to hug both Cadance, then Shining. “Next time we see each other? Let’s do something a little less…involved,” she said with a wink. Cadance laughed. “You got it.” Buck then hugged them. “Thank you both for everything.” Finally, it was the teen’s turn to say goodbye. “Thank you,” she said, her eyes tearing up. “I know I can’t stay with you two, but….” Cadance hugged the girl. “Hey, Buck and Lemony are great folks, and they’ll take care of you. Besides, we know where they live, so we’ll come down some time to visit. And that we promise.” She then went over and hugged Shining. “For what it’s worth? You’re the best client I never landed,” she said with a smile, tears running down her cheeks. “Thank you for everything, Officer Armor.” “It’s okay,” Shining said, a little misty-eyed himself. “But what made you decide to trust me in the first place?” “One, you’re the first cop that ever turned me down. No, seriously. I left a list with your sergeant and he says Internal Affairs will look into it,” she admitted. “Secondly….” She reached into her purse, handing him a faded photograph. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but…these were my parents. I never knew them, but…when I met you and Ms. Cadenza, something felt right.” Shining and Cadance looked at the picture. The woman had long hair the same colors as Shining’s, as well as the same eye color, though her skin was much darker. As for her husband, he was fair skinned, but had hair and eye colors similar to Cadance. The man had a well-groomed beard, and both looked happily married. “My Mom and Dad: Gleaming Shield and Bolero,” she said. “Uncle Tripwire once told me that he would burn this picture of them if I ever told anyone, but I stole it when I ran away. I think I was meant to look to you for help, strangely enough.” “I guess,” Shining said, finding the pair’s coincidences to himself and Cadance uncanny. Giving her the picture back, he hugged her again, and said, “Take care of yourself and we’ll see you soon, Amelia.” “Amelia? Who’s that?” she said, a wide grin on her face. “You’ve got the wrong person, Officer. My name’s Sweet Pea.”