//------------------------------// // The Family Way // Story: The Napoleons: The Confessions & Revelations Of The Greatest Mafia Family // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// 'Ah, back again, I see? After the maudlin seriousness of the last couple of chapters, let's bring things down for a moment.' 'Here's a little-known fact about our family: every few years, we would go on a trip down to a location of our choosing for spring break, usually somewhere exotic, and they usually turned out to be the best days of our lives. Why, during my first spring break as a young teen, Anarchy and I travelled to Kenyolk, where I lost my virginity to Zebra twins. Then there was my trip to Fetland, where I met a lovely Reindeer gal who was very... creative in the use of her antlers. Ah, those were the days...' 'Of course, the first trip we took after Anarchy's death (well over a decade after, in fact), to a degree, was nothing like the ones that came before. First off, it was Caboose's first spring break, and I had to strong-hoof my brothers into allowing him to win the straw drawing game that would take us to the Palomino Canals. As hard as I tried, I was unable to enjoy it due to the pressures of becoming the next don. My father had been ridin' my flanks about learning all there was about commanding the Napoleon empire before he stepped down, and that spring break was probably the only time of relief I got from my father... not that it helped.' 'While my brothers partied, drank, and get laid, I struggled not to collapse under the weight of my new responsibilities. But then, dear Caboose came along, and set me up with the beautiful Sandstorm "Sandy" Speck, my future first wife. Although he practically forced us together, I wasn't complaining. We walked along the beach, took a swim, and just enjoyed each others' company. After our romantic activities, I took the liberty of escorting Sandy home...' Grimoire and Sandy stopped outside her front door. "So, I guess this is it." Grimoire sighed. "I had a really great time today, Sandy." "So did I." Sandy grinned. "You're such a sweetheart, Grim." "And you're the loveliest mare I've ever met." Grimoire added. "Flatterer." Sandy cooed, as she opened the door. "Say, would you like to come in for some coffee." "I don't care for coffee." Grimoire admitted. "Neither do I." Sandy purred. Before Grimoire could react, Sandy grabbed him and pulled him inside. 'What happened next is best left to the imagination. Suffice to say, coffee was the last thing on our minds. What followed was one of the greatest weeks of my life, easily outclassing my loss of virginity to the Zebra twins. But you never know when things will take a sudden turn for the worst. How much worse, you may ask? Well, you will soon find out, in what I call:' Chapter Three: The Family Way It was morning, and Grimoire was in his room, packing up all his belongings. He was humming the song "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Polka Dot Bikini". "It was an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini that she wore for the first time today, an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, so in the locker she wanted to stay..." He smiled widely, about to sing another verse. There was a knock on the door. "It's open!" Grimoire called. The door opened, and Caboose and the other brothers came in. "Hey, Grim." Murray smiled. "Getting ready to go?" "Oh, yes." Grimoire nodded. "I tell ya, I'm kinda sad this break is over. I had a good time." "Really?" Sonny mused. "Because last I heard, you were moping at the beach bar, not wanting to do anything but go home." "Yeah, what gives?" Salt added. "Oh, nothing..." Grimoire gave a sly chuckle. "Oh, I know that chuckle." Vinny smirked. "Ol' Grim here got laid!" "And by the size of your smile and number of springs in your step, it was a recurring occasion throughout the entire break." Lars observed. "You sly dog!" Slot chuckled. "Who knew our former bookworm had it in him?" Murray smiled. "Oh, I knew you and Sandy would hit it off nicely!" Caboose cheered. "Sandy?" Murray repeated. "Wait, you know the mare Grim's been mating with?" "Well, yeah, I was the one who set them up." Caboose boasted. "You?!" The other brothers gasped. "Don't sound so surprised, guys." Grimoire grinned. "Caboose actually makes for a good wingpony." "Seriously?" Salt snorted. "Maybe on a kamikaze mission..." Vinny snickered. "Very funny, guys." Caboose huffed. "So, tell us more about this Sandy mare." Murray urged. "Yeah, was she hot?" Vinny asked. "Oh, definitely." Grimoire nodded. "Long legs?" Salt asked. "Yep." Grimoire nodded. "Supple flanks?" Sonny added. "Mm-hmm." Grimoire grinned. "Perfect curves?" Lars inquired. "Yeah..." Grimoire sighed. "And the mating?" Slot smirked. "Oh, it was the most fan-f-" Grimoire started. 'I'd like to interrupt myself for a moment to point that I will censoring certain parts of dialogue in this chapter. Rather than subject you to my youthful recap, I will simply say that I had a marvelous time with Sandy, and that she was a wonderful lover... and her hips would make Xenia Onyaflanks jealous.' "...And that was all the things she could do with her back left hoof." Grimoire finished, pulling off an odd gesture. The brothers whistled. "Dang, Grim." Salt said appreciatively. "And here I thought I struck it rich with those models down at the cabana." "Lars, what's a 'BLEEP'?" Slot asked. "You don't want to know." Lars cringed. "Well, I am happy for you, Grim... do you think you will be bringing this mare back home to Bitaly?" Caboose asked. "Oh no, that's out of the question." Grimoire shook his head. "Aw, why not?" Caboose pouted. "You two would make a cute couple." "Well, one, I don't think Pa would be happy with me bringing home an Earth Pony." Grimoire declared. "He likes to keep it in the family genus. And two... we're mobsters." "Oh, yeah." Murray nodded. "Let's say Sandy's as into Grim as he said she is. You think that'll stick when Grim's revealed to be the son of a mafia don?" "...I don't know." Caboose shrugged. "Well, we do." Vinny declared. "She'll run for the hills." "Or call the cops." Sonny added. "Or blab to rival families." Murray frowned, "It's risky business, I tell you." "In other words, you've gotta cut ties with her." Salt told Grimoire. "It's best for everypony; Saves a lotta heartbreak all around." "Exactly." Grimoire nodded sadly. "Well, will you at least say good bye to her, Grim?" Caboose asked. "I suppose she deserves that much-" Grimoire sighed. There was a knock on the door. The brothers were confused. "That's odd." Salt frowned. "Were you expecting anyone?" "No." Grimoire replied. "I wonder who it could be..." He went to the door and opened it to reveal Sandy. "...Sandy?" "Hey, Grim..." Sandy smiled nervously. "What are you doing here?" Grimoire asked. "I wasn't expecting you." "Sorry, it's just that I had to see you before you left for wherever it is you come from... can I come in?" Sandy asked. "Um, sure..." Grimoire stepped aside to let her in. Sandy was caught off guard by all of Grimoire's brothers. "Whoa." She gaped. "I thought you only had one or two brothers, not seven." "Well, you know what they say." Grimoire smiled. "Seven's a lucky number." "You don't say..." Sandy snorted. "Let me introduce to everypony." Grimoire led Sandy around the room. "This is Murray..." "A pleasure." Murray grinned. "Salt..." "'Sup." Salt smiled. "Vinny..." "How you do, pretty lady." Vinny nodded. "Sonny..." "Grim's a lucky guy, that's for sure." Sonny beamed. "Lars..." "Felicitations, fair lady." Lars smiled. "And Slot." Grimoire finished. "Hey, babe." Slot smirked. "You wouldn't happen to have any twin sisters I could get with?" "Sorry, no." Sandy chuckled. "And you remember Caboose, right?" Grimoire gestured to Caboose. "Hey, Sandy!" Caboose waved his hoof gleefully. "Oh, hey, Caboose." Sandy gave a small smile, but it soon faded as she glanced around. "It's very nice to meet you all, but I didn't exactly come here to socialize." "Then why are you here?" Grimoire asked. "Well, it's..." Sandy hesitated. "I've got something to show you..." Sandy dug into her saddlebag, and pulled out a pregnancy test. "...Uh, Sandy, what is this?" Grimoire asked. "It's a pregnancy test, Grim." Sandy declared. "I've been feeling weird all week. I've been throwing up in the mornings, having mood swings... So I tried this. Look at the stick." Grimm glanced at it... and it had a +. "I'm pregnant, Grim... and you're the father." Sandy revealed. 'And that's when everything went to 'BLEEP!'' Grimoire was slack-jawed, as were the brothers. Caboose suddenly cheered "Congratulations, Grim-oof!" He stopped as Slot sucker-punched him. 'I was absolutely shocked. I was just barely out of my teen years, and there I was, being told I was going to be a father.' "Sandy, I... I..." Grimoire stuttered. "I know it's a lot to take in." Sandy sighed. "But I thought you'd want to know." "I... I... I..." Grimiore was stuck in a continuous loop. "Um, Grim?" Sandy frowned. "Could you excuse us one moment?" Murray asked, casting glances at the older brothers to come with, as he dragged the frozen Grimm in the other room. "Caboose, Slot, please keep the lovely expectant mare company, will you?" "Aye-aye!" Caboose saluted. "Don't have to tell me twice." Slot smirked. As soon as the six entered the next room (which happened to be the bathroom), and the door was shut, Grimiore stopped stuttering... and immediately darted to the toilet. "Oh my-BLARGH!" Grimiore panicked, throwing up his stomach's content into the toilet. "What did you do, Grim?!" Murray demanded. "I don't know!" Grimiore groaned, still heaving. "You got a freakin' mare pregnant!" Sonny yelled, "How could you let this happen?!" "I don't know!" Grimiore repeated. "This is a disaster!" Vinny screamed. "How could you forget to use a contraception spell?" Murray admonished Grimoire. "Just like pop taught us!" "I don't know!" Grimoire yelled, trying his best not to lose it. "It just... happened!" "Good going, Grim." Vinny declared. "You know how badly you've bucked things up for us?" "Excuse me?" Grimoire frowned. "You know what he means." Lars glared at him. "This could ruin everything!" "Way to go, bro." Sonny shook his head. "You could bring us all down with you." "Don't you all think you are all overreacting a bit?" Grimoire said timidly. "Overreacting?" Salt growled. "You probably just single-handily destroyed us! Our family name is done for!" "He's right." Lars nodded. "This could destroy our reputation!" "We'll be turned into laughing stocks!" Sonny agreed. "Ohh, pop is gonna lose it!" Murray quivered. "He's never been big on the idea of just getting with other breeds." "When he finds out you got one pregnant, he'll tear you a new one... if you're lucky!" Vinny told Grimoire. "Everypony, just let me think!" Grimiore barked. The brothers clammed up, but not before glaring at him. "Look, I know this looks bad, but we can figure this out! For starters, we should bring Sandy back to Bitaly." Grimoire declared. "If our enemies find out she's carrying my foal, she'd be in real danger." "So?" The other brothers asked. "What do you mean, 'so'?" Grimoire growled. "We can't in good conscience let that happen to her." "Speak for yourself." Vinny snorted. "Yeah, I ain't about to risk our family name for some girl you got knocked up!" Salt glared. "I'm the oldest, and you'll do as I say!" Grimoire yelled. "Not if it drags our name through the mud!" Murray yelled. "We're screwed!" Vinny despaired. "Logically, what you're suggesting is a terrible move." Lars told Grimoire. "Buck logic!" Grimoire yelled. "We're screwed!" Vinny repeated. "It's a recipe for disaster, alright." Sonny declared. "We oughta just cut our losses and leave." "Not without Sandy!" Grimoire insisted. "We're screwed!" Vinny yelled again. Meanwhile, Sandy watched the bathroom door with concern as she overheard the brothers arguing. "So... how've ya been?" Caboose asked, struggling to make some small talk. "Seriously?" Sandy groaned. "You know how I've been. I just told you!" "Easy, lady." Slot declared. "All that anger can't be good for the foal." "It's not really even a foal yet." Sandy pointed out. "Whatever." Slot shrugged. "You're gonna be one hot momma either way." "Maybe I should leave." Sandy said awkwardly, a little disturbed by the turn in conversation. "Come back at a better time..." "Wait, please don't go." Caboose stepped in front of Sandy. "We were, uh... about to throw you a 'Congratulations on finding out you're pregnant' party!" "Sorry, Caboose." Sandy sighed. "I'm not really in a party mood." "Yes, you are." Caboose countered. "No, I'm not." Sandy frowned. "Yes, you are!" Caboose yelled. "No, I'm not!" Sandy bellowed. "I'm sorry, but I really have to go." Sandy walked towards the door. "Not so fast..." Slot growled, picking up a desk lamp. Meanwhile, Grimoire still arguing. "Just forget it, Grim!" Salt declared. "It's too risky!" "Yeah, like jumping into a Quarray eel nest!" Vinny agreed. "I know it is." Grimoire declared. "But I care too much for Sandy to just leave her behind like that. I have to do what I know is right. And if you care for me as your brother at all, then you'll-" The sounds of Sandy screaming interrupted Grimoire. "Sandy?!" Grimm gasped. The brothers immediately rushed out to find a stupefied Caboose, a peeved Slot with a broken lamp in his hooves, and a knocked out Sandy on the floor. "He did it." Caboose pointed unnecessarily to Slot. "What did you do?!" Grimiore yelled, gripping Slot by the jacket. "Relax, I just knocked her out!" Slot glared. "And what did you do that for?!" Grimoire roared. "Because she was about to split!" Slot shot back. "Besides, you oughta be thanking me! It sounded like you wanted to bring her along, and now you can, with no fuss!" "Well, Slot does have a point." Lars pointed out. "I don't care!" Grimoire yelled, still focused on Slot. "You just assaulted my marefriend!" "She didn't give me a choice!" Slot protested. "There's no time to argue!" Murray told them, pulling Grimoire away. "That scream would have probably drawn some attention. We'd better skedaddle pronto, before somepony decides to check it out!" "Looks like you get your wish after all, Grim." Salt pointed out. "Lucky you." Sonny added. "Not how I wanted our vacation to end, but beggars can't be choosy." Vinnie shrugged. "Anytime, Grim?" Grimoire glanced at Sandy's unconscious form, and sighed. "Okay." He said sternly. "Let's move." 'I found the thought of kidnapping Sandy repellent, but I had to do what I thought was right. It didn't stop me from feeling tremendously guilty, though...' Moments later, they snuck out of the hotel, Sandy hidden under a sheet. They made their way to their Griffon-drawn carriage, and hid her inside the trunk. Just as the brothers was about to close the trunk, Caboose quickly adjusted her body so that it was comfortable. "What are you doing?" Salt asked. "What? Because we are kidnapping her doesn't mean she can't be comfy." Caboose pouted. "Besides, she's carrying little Grim in her belly." "Could we not give this thing a name?" Slot glared. "It's already giving us enough trouble!" "Just stow it, Slot!" Grimiore growled, as he and the brothers climbed into the carriage. "Take us home, please." He ordered the griffins. "Yes, sir." One nodded, and they took off into the air. Hours later, the carriage arrived back at the manor, with Clyde waiting there for them. The brothers got out, all a bit nervous from what they just did... "Boys, welcome home!" Clyde smiled. "How did my strapping young lads enjoy their spring break?" "It was okay." Murray shrugged. "Yeah." Salt nodded. "Sand, sea, sun... all that jazz." "Same old, same old." Vinny agreed. "Nothing really big went down, if that's what you're asking." Slot declared. "Oh no..." Clyde frowned. "What?" Grimoire asked. "I know you guys' faces when you're hiding something... who did Vinny insult this time?" Clyde asked accusingly. "Hey, why you assumin' I did something?" Vinny growled. "Sorry, it's a force of habit." Clyde shrugged. "...Did you-?" "No!" Vinny yelled. "Okay... who did Salt sleep with and won't leave him alone?" Clyde asked. "Not that, pa. Thankfully..." Salt sighed. "Who did Slot injure or kill this time?" Clyde pressed on. "Hey, that's profiling!" Slot said indignantly. "Okay..." Clyde growled, getting annoyed with the guessing game. "Did Slot knock down a liquor store?" "No." Slot growled. "Did Slot rob a bank?" Clyde continued. "Not actually." Lars shook his head, as Slot grew angrier. "Did Slot try to sell cheap knock-off watches again?" Clyde asked. "For Faust's sake, Grim got a mare pregnant!" Slot burst out. "Slot!" Grimoire yelled. Clyde glanced at Slot... before chuckling. "What? Grim?" He smiled. "You're kidding, right?" "Nope. Grim gone and bucked a mare and knocked her up." Slot revealed. "Sure he did." Clyde said skeptically. "And here I thought Vinny was the funny one, right, boys?" The brothers weren't laughing. "...Slot is joking, right?" The brothers were silent. "Right?" Suddenly, there was muffled screaming as the trunk was being banged on. "...And we kidnapped her." Slot added. "...My Faust, you guys aren't kidding." Clyde groaned. He turned to Grimoire, angry. "You stupid son of a-BLEEP!" Clyde stormed over to the carriage and opened the trunk... only to be kicked in the face by Sandy. "Gah!" He yelped. "Where am I?" Sandy gasped, panicked and angry. "Where the buck have you taken me?" "Sandy..." Grimoire reached out. "I've gotta get out of here!" Sandy yelled, running towards the gates. "Guess again!" Clyde followed. Before Sandy could get even close to the gates, Clyde jumped atop her. "HELP! HELP! I'M BEING KIDNAPPED!" Sandy screamed. "Good Faust, would you just shut up?!" Clyde snarled, as he pressed his hoof tightly around her mouth. The mare struggled to break free... only for the lack of oxygen to conk her out. Rubbing his bruised snout, Clyde then turned around and faced his eldest son, full of anger. "Everypony inside." He hissed. "Now!" Some time later, after placing their uncompliant visitor in the guest room, the brothers and their father were gathered in the study. 'Ah, what a familiar scene. And father was still as formidable as ever.' "...What did you do?" Clyde glared deeply at Grimoire. "I... brought my summer love home?" Grimoire said nervously. "I'm not talking about bringing her here!" Clyde yelled. "Though that is a problem... that you clearly all made!" The brothers cringed. "I'm talking about you knocking her up!" "Oh, that." Grimoire gulped. "How could you do something so stupid?" Clyde growled. "Impregnate a mare out of wedlock? An Earth Pony mare, no less! You've jeopardized the entire Napoleon empire with this stunt!" "I didn't mean to!" Grimoire protested. "It just... happened!" "Did I teach you nothing about safe intercourse?!" Clyde snarled, "Heck, with all the scares Salt got, you would had known better!" "I know, and I'm sorry!" Grimiore growled. "Sorry ain't gonna cut it, Grim!" Clyde glared. "Of all the stupidest things I've ever seen... why an Earth Pony mare, Grim?! It was bad enough entertaining your lust for zebras, but an Earth Pony? I'm not a racist, but this family has been nothing but Unicorns for fifty generations! And now all that is going down the drain because you had to stick it to this bimbo!" "She is not a bimbo!" Grimm snapped. "She's smart, and beautiful, and fun, and... carrying my foal..." "And now we've gotta deal with it." Clyde frowned. "Maybe we should just kill her. That'll solve all our problems..." "What?!" Grimoire gasped. "No way!" "Fine, then we'll make her get an abortion." Clyde shrugged. "It's just a fetus after all." "We can't!" Grimoire yelped. "Why not?" Clyde asked. "Because suggesting abortion would make the readers hate us?" Caboose suggested. 'Ah, this was one of Caboose's first steps out of the so-called 'fourth wall'. Too bad it was with such a distasteful subject' "No, because... because..." Grimiore sighed, "It's my foal. I'm responsible for it, and I don't want it hurt!" "You said it, Grim." Caboose smiled. "Shut up, Caboose!" Slot spat. "Yeah, this is your fault, really!" Lars added. "You're the one who hooked them up in the first place!" Sonny agreed. "So I'm a romantic." Caboose shrugged. "Sue me!" "Ho, I'll do more than that!" Slot growled, cracking his hooves. "What's going on in here?" Bonnie entered the room. "What's with all the yelling?" "Grim got a girl pregnant." Clyde declared. "And to make matters worse, he's brought her here." "My boy's going to be a daddy?" Bonnie gasped. "How wonderful!" "No, it's not!" Clyde growled. "She's an Earth Pony! Think of the scandal! Grim's going to be the don! He has no time to be fathering some dumb kid!" "Oh, hush, Clyde. Leave it to you to make a big spectacle out of the littlest things..." Bonnie snorted. "Where is the proud mother-to-be anyway?" "In the guest room." Clyde stated, "We're trying to figure out what to do with her." "Then that's where I'll be." Bonnie declared. "The poor dear probably needs some support right now, and I'm just the mare to give it." Bonnie left the room, and Clyde resumed glaring at Grimoire. "So, you wanna 'take responsibility', is that it?" He asked. "Yes." Grimoire nodded. "And that means I won't let any harm come to Sandy or the foal. I'm sorry but that's my final word." There was silence in the room. "Well..." Clyde sighed, "I guess I have to give you points for 'doing the right thing', but that only leaves us one option... you're going to have to marry her." "Say what?!" Grimoire gasped. "What?!" The brothers gaped. "It's the only way, Grim." Clyde declared. "Our one chance to save face is for you to marry that girl before the foal comes. It may be a mixed-race union, but at least the kid'll be born in wedlock. One less scandal to deal with..." "I highly doubt she's in a marrying mood right now." Grimoire declared. "Yeah, and I doubt she ever will be." Murray snarked. "Well, that's not our problem, now is it?" Clyde sneered. "Wait, are you saying I should... force her into marriage?" Grimoire gaped. "This is the only alternative we have aside murder or abortion." Clyde declared. "...I won't do it." Grimoire growled. "I won't make her marry me because I forced her into this." "You lost that right to make that choice the moment you mounted her." Clyde glared, "Either you do it, or both her and the child will be dealt with..." He then got up in Grim's face. "Severely... do I make myself clear?" Grimm stifled a growl, but he already knew that he lost this fight the moment he came in… "Crystal." 'I was outraged that father could even suggest something so awful. Unfortunately, I had been left with no other options. For the sake of Sandy and our foal, I had to bring her into out family. I could only hope she would forgive me...' The next morning, Sandy came to. As she awoke, she realized Bonnie was watching over her. "Finally awake, I see." Bonnie smiled. "Get away from me!" Sandy leapt back. "Easy there." Bonnie urged. "I'm not going to hurt you." "Wh-who are you?!" Sandy stuttered, "Where am I?!" "I'm Bonnie Napoleon, the boys' mother. And you are in our home in Bitaly." Bonnie said kindly. "And you are?" "S-Sandy Speck." Sandy declared. "Nice to meet you, Sandy." Bonnie smiled. "I wish I could return the favor." Sandy frowned. "But it's hard to be courteous when you've been kidnapped and held against your will!" "Oh... that..." Bonnie frowned. "Please don't think poorly of my boys for what they did. Believe it or not, they were only thinking of your best interests." "They've got a funny way of showing it." Sandy snorted. "Well, my boys always had this tendency of not thinking things through." Bonnie shook her head. "...Please, let me go." Sandy whispered,#. "I don't want to be here. I just want to go home and forget this ever happened." "I'm afraid we can't do that, Sandy..." Bonnie sighed. "For what my boys did was totally justified. You see... we're the Bitalian mafia." "You... what?" Sandy gaped. "Care to run that by me again?" "It's true. We are the Napoleon Family, the leading mafia in Bitaly." Bonnie nodded. "And as the mafia, we have enemies. If they knew you were carrying a foal from one of my boys, those enemies would hunt you down and slaughter you like a pig. Both you and this child." 'Mom's bedside manner had a lot to be desired... blunt as a rock.' "No... no, no, no, no..." Sandy began to whimper, burying her head in to his hooves. "This can't be happening, this can't be happening..." "I'm afraid it is..." Bonnie patted her shoulder sympathetically. "Why didn't Grim tell me?!" Sandy snarled. "That's usually a deal breaker right here!" "Be serious, dear. Would you have gone out with him, knowing the truth?" Bonnie asked. "Probably not..." Sandy admitted, before letting out a sob. "Oh, this is just perfect! I'm pregnant with a mobster's foal!" "Not just any mobster." Bonnie pointed out. "Grim's on the way to becoming the new don." "Yeah, that makes me feel so much better." Sandy growled. "I'm sorry." Bonnie apologized. "This all must seem so... overwhelming." "That's putting it mildly." Sandy huffed. "I thought I'd gotten myself the perfect stallion, and it turns out he's a criminal. And now my life's in danger and I'm a prisoner in another country, just because I'm carrying his foal!" "Well, when you put it like that, it does sound pretty bad..." Bonnie sighed, "I mean, haven't you ever heard of contraception?" "No... have you?" Sandy glared. "Mrs Mother to eight criminals?" "...Touché, dearie." Bonnie admitted. At that point, Grimoire and Clyde entered the room. "Hello, Grimoire." Sandy glared. "Or should I say 'future don'?" "You told her?!" Grimoire gasped at his mother. "She deserves to know why she's been brought here." Bonnie pointed out. "She is going to be the mother of your child, after all." "Makes sense." Clyde shrugged. "And I suppose it doesn't really change anything..." "You let me go right now!" Sandy yelled. "My family's probably worried sick about me!" "Oh, please." Clyde smirked. "We've done a background check on you, missy. From what we've heard, you were an orphan who bounced from orphanage to orphanage until you were eighteen. You have no family or relatives. Not that it would had make any difference." Sandy slumped, defeated. "What are you going to do to me?" Sandy shivered, "I don't want to die..." "Don't worry, we already have come to a decision as to how to handle this." Clyde declared. "Grim, you're up." Grimoire stepped forward. "Sandy, I'm sorry about what happened." He declared. "And I want to do right by you and the foal. Which is why I'm asking... will you marry me?" "Excuse me?!" Sandy gasped. "...Beg pardon?" Bonnie raised a brow. "It's a solution that'll work out to everypony's benefit." Clyde declared. "Sandy, you will marry Grim before the foal is born, and we'll avoid any major scandal. And you get some protection into the bargain. Not to mention you won't be some single mother that would probably turn to drugs and die of a poison joke overdose." "No way." Sandy spat. "No way am I marrying some guy who just kidnapped me! And buck you, man!" She snarled at Clyde. "I do not need some stallion to raise a foal and I do not want to be a mistress to a murderer!" "I wouldn't badmouth your soon-to-be father in law, girl." Clyde snarled coldly. "Furthermore, you don't have a choice in the matter. Either you marry my stupid son or I will have you placed in a pit somewhere where no pony will ever hear from you again..." "For your own safety, of course." Grimoire added. "It's your choice." Clyde declared. "And choose wisely, because there's no backing out." "Some choice..." Sandy huffed. "I did not see things turning out like this." "Any time now..." Clyde urged. Sandy ran the thought over in her head. 'Do I really want to marry a Mafioso? No!' She thought. 'But it's not like I have much of a choice... If I refuse, I'll be dumped in some pit for the rest of my life. Guess there's only one real answer here...' Her decision made, Sandy stepped forward. "Alright, I'll do it. I'll marry Grim..." Sandy said in an ultimately defeated tone. "Thank you, Sandy." Grimoire smiled. "But I don't have to like it." Sandy turned her back on her future husband. "I could never love a crook and a murderer like you." "Sandy..." Grimoire gasped, feeling his heart break. "Then it's settled." Clyde pulled Grimoire away. "Let's go set things up with the minister. He's an old pal of mine, so I think he'll be able to squeeze you in..." As Clyde led Grimoire out of the room, Grimoire glanced back at Sandy. The poor mare looked absolutely broken. The knowledge that her predicament was all thanks to him nearly caused Grimoire to drown under a sea of guilt. 'Not quite what you were expecting, am I right? My darling Sandy was faced with a no-win situation, and in the end chose the lesser of two evils. Hardly romantic, I know. I hated that it had come to that, but it was the only way to keep her safe. What else could had been done? But don't you worry, this loveless love story still has a few pages left in it. But you'll have to read that in the next chapter. Until then, my friends...'