Cry No More
The prison was cool, in complete contrast to the early heat of summer outside. Twilight was relieved for the cool air as she sat at the visiting table and waited. She almost laughed when she recognized Jeremy filing through the prisoner's door. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit. Twilight remembered reading about his arrest in the newspaper. His trial was pending. She hoped that he was locked away for a long, long time.
Jeremy stopped when he saw Twilight at the table. He recognized her. He knew why she was here. His eyes move from side to side, as if looking for an escape route. Eventually, he smiled and sat down at the table. "Twilight," he said, "this is a big surprise."
"Not really," Twilight said. She took a moment to study him. He seemed unsure of how to act as she watched him warily. Her eyes traveled across a swollen nose and black eye–she discerned that these injuries were fairly recent–the dirty orange jumpsuit, the battered, bandaged paw resting on the table top. "They don't like you much in here."
Jeremy attempted a smile, but Twilight was anything but completely ignorant. She knew what the other prisoners did to his kind.
"You know why I'm here," she said, her voice low.
He nodded. "Your assistant."
She closed her eyes. "Spike," she said quietly.
"What?"
"His name is Spike." Her eyes snapped open. "He is not a zero. He is not a nothing or a nobody. He is worth more than you'll ever be, you piece of trash." She realized she was trembling and forced herself to breathe. "You're lucky I can't touch you." Her voice was low and gruff. So unlike her. "Otherwise, I would have killed you by now."
He swallowed.
She felt a glimmer of satisfaction. "I'm glad you're in here," she hissed. "I hope they lock you up for a very long time, and I hope the other prisoners show you just how much they don't like you every single night. Then you might know how it feels."
She suddenly felt very tired. She didn't want to be looking at the raccoon who had cast a dark shadow over Spike's life for so long.
She stood up. "I think we're done here."
"Twilight, wait." He put a paw on her hoof.
She stared coldly at it. He pulled back and she leaned down until their faces were very close. "If you actually get out of here, by some miracle, and you come anywhere near Spike, I will personally make sure you are physically unable to carry out your filthy misdeeds ever again. Do you understand me?"
He nodded, his eyes wide.
"As I said, we're done here." She signaled to the guard and walked through the door.
She didn't even look back.
Spike was sleeping in his basket when she got home. She smiled slightly before going to the kitchen to fix herself some coffee, a habit she had picked up ever since she lived in Canterlot, and had been unable to kick since.
She stared out the window, the tiny espresso cup clutched in her magic. She wondered if she should tell Spike where she'd been.
"Hey."
Spike's voice was sleepy. Twilight turned to see him standing in the doorway, rubbing at his eyes. She smiled. "Hey."
"Where were you?" he asked through a yawn. "I got back from Rarity's and you were gone."
She hesitated, unsure of what to say as she watched him. "I went to see Jeremy."
His reaction was immediate. He suddenly didn't look as sleepy.
They never talked about Jeremy.
"Why?" His voice was scratchy.
She felt her heart clench a little. "Because we never talk about it." She put her still full espresso cup on the counter and started to approach him. "Because as much as you like to pretend it didn't happen, it did." She knew Spike knew where Jeremy was. She'd made it a point to leave the article about his arrest on the coffee table. "And because if he does get out, I wanted to make sure he would never come near you again,"
Spike stood very still.
For a moment, Twilight was afraid he would bolt like a frightened animal. "Spike," she said softly, and closed the gap between them.
He stared into her eyes, pleading silently with her to make it all okay. She placed a shaking hoof on his cheek. He closed his eyes as she pressed their lips together. The kiss was soft and undemanding. It felt as if it'd been a long time coming. Once at one of Pinkie's parties, in a dark, quiet corner away from the ever-present crowd of too many friends, a drunken kiss had occurred, and neither of them had mentioned it since. All too soon it was over, and he rested his head on her chest as she ran a hoof up and down his spine. "It's okay," she said.
If Jeremy was scared when he saw Twilight at the table, he looked positively terrified to see Spike sitting there as well. For a full minute, Twilight thought Jeremy was going to run, but the raccoon squared his shoulders and walked over to sit with them. He had a scar on his face that Twilight hadn't noticed before, a fine silvery line that cut diagonally across his nose and left cheek.
Under the table, Spike gripped Twilight's hoof.
"I sure am getting a lot of visitors this week," Jeremy said weakly.
Twilight only regarded him coldly.
"Twilight," Jeremy said, "it's nice to see you again. And–" He broke off suddenly under Twilight's glare. He coughed. "Spike," he added, "you too."
For a long moment, no one spoke. Finally, Spike spoke very quietly. "I'm here because I'm not afraid of you anymore."
Twilight brushed her hoof across the back of Spike's hand, encouraging him to continue.
"I know I'm going to be able to walk away from this place and never think of you again, but I have no doubt that you've thought of me every night for the past three years, and will think of me every night for the next three years, and three years after that, and after that." His grip on Twilight's hoof was so tight it was painful, but Twilight's face was impassive. "I'll forget you and what you did to me, but you will never be able to forget me. And that just kills you."
Spike didn't let Jeremy speak. Twilight knew that Jeremy had never heard Spike talk this much before.
"I'm also here to say that if, by some huge miscarriage of justice, you aren't found guilty, I'm willing to stand up and reveal everything you did to me to get you behind bars."
Twilight stared at him, unable to hide her surprise. Had Spike just decided that on the spot? Or was that the reason he had wanted to come here in the first place?
"There are witnesses, Jeremy," Spike said. "Twilight is one of them. The rest of our friends. Hell, practically the whole town of Ponyville knows what you did." He was unable to completely conceal the bitterness in his voice.
Twilight squeezed his hand.
"For a rapist, you aren't very smart."
Twilight saw the way Jeremy flinched at the word.
Spike's lips twist into an unpleasant smile. "Don't like to hear the truth about yourself?" he asked. "Well then, let me lay it out for you. You raped and molested me every night for over three months. You abused your position of authority over me, and told me I was so unimportant that nopony would care even if I did tell them. But you were wrong." He stared at Jeremy for a moment, then turned to Twilight, his eyes sad and tired. "Can we go home?"
Twilight was already standing, pulling Spike up with her.
"This is over," Spike said. His voice didn't shake.
Outside the prison, Spike stopped suddenly. For a moment, Twilight thought he might collapse. She held him close and whispered into his ear, "It really is over now. It really is okay."