Weeks apart were torture. Hell, moments apart were unbearable. That was all that Rainbow Dash knew. And yet, whenever she saw the barmaid, she felt nothing short of jealousy and anxiety, even if the pulling desire still grasped at her strongly.

Turning her head over in her crossed arms, Rainbow cracked one lazy eye open, glancing up to the lounge from her place slouched right over the host stand. A pang of unrest rattled her heart, but she stared on anyway, at the woman across the bar. Her flowing blonde hair was still as captivating, her bright green eyes, a mysterious manipulator, and her charm was as undeniable as ever. Yet Rainbow gazed at her solemnly, feeling rejected, unworthy, betrayed. It's not like she really had a right to be angry, but she could not help her petty and possessive self.

Applejack had tried to warn her, had tried to keep her at bay, had given her enough signs that she should have caught on to the trouble. Yet Rainbow Danger Dash had once again proved that she excelled at getting in over her head, if nothing else. She should have been supportive, she should have been loving and accepting, but the only thing she could think about was just what compromising positions Miss Jubilee had put her Applejack in. And that drove her mad.

With a groan, she turned her head to look at the front doors, doing so being her job after all. She flinched as she heard the door creak open, and she pushed herself up to appear more personable and professional. She was confused, however, as she noticed who was walking through the doors.

Across the bar, Applejack was having just as much trouble keeping Rainbow Dash off her mind as the hostess had with her. It was the second time that day that she had overfilled a drink, something that she seldom ever had done before. Grumbling as she wiped the spilled beverage off the draining counter top, she failed to notice the perplexed and suspicious gaze of the cocktail waitress across the divider from her.

“You all right there, Applejack?” Vinyl inquired with an odd voice, a teasing kind that matched her slight smirk and raised eyebrow.

“Y-Yea', just a mite distracted, tha's all,” Applejack lied with a shake of her head, hiding the way she pursed her lips and scrunched her face beneath the shadow of her Stetson.

“Trouble in paradise?” a second voice wondered, and Applejack peeked a glare out from under the brim of her hat to notice Octavia slide in beside Vinyl, placing her tray on the moist divider. Applejack merely scoffed, which brought a haughty smile to the Cellist's lips. “Thought so.”

“Don't start with me,” Applejack warned as she finished cleaning up the mess, pitching the wet cloth into its sanitary-solution-filled bucket.

“I would never,” Octavia defended herself in a stunned gasp, and Vinyl glanced over at her with a grin, knowing there was more than that. “Never more than suggest that, perhaps, things don't appear to be going to well between you and your...”

“Husband.” Vinyl finished, leaning back and glancing down the restaurant at the girl in question, who was clad in a nice dress shirt and slacks, a much more masculine outfit than the rest of the employees tended to have to wear.

“She ain't my,” Applejack was about to finish her sentence, when she paused to make an odd face about Vinyl's choice of word. Shaking the idea off, she went on, “She ain't my nothin', Ah don't even think we're friends.”

“Just the benefits, then?” Vinyl questioned, leaning further over the divider and resting her elbow on it.

With a knowing gaze, Vinyl smirked at Applejack's uneasy expression, reading it well. Octavia glanced on the other side of Vinyl, only to notice the drinks that Applejack had made for her tables were inconveniently beyond the girl and out of her reach. Rolling her eyes and sighing, Octavia decided to rescue Applejack by distracting the deviant on her counter.

“Do you mind?” Octavia hissed presumptuously, drumming her thumbs over the metal counter and leaning nearer to Vinyl in an intimidating way.

“Hmm?” Vinyl dully looked over at the other girl, noticing the way she gestured for her to move. With a slick defiance, she leaned ever further and began running the tip of her middle finger around the rim of one of Octavia's ordered beverages playfully. “You want some benefits, too?”

“The benefit of my drinks, maybe,” the well-dressed girl retorted, darting her eyes at the requested objects.

“Gimme that,” Applejack growled as she pulled the drink out from under Vinyl's swirling finger, tossing the contents into the sink and placing the glass in the bus bucket, the thing being tainted by Vinyls dirty finger along the rim. As she began making another drink, Octavia wrestled her remaining drinks from around her obstructive friend. “Al'right you two, now enough o' buttin' into ma business. Y'all got jobs t' do.”

“Yeah, and you have a girl to do,” Vinyl pointed casually to the same hostess, though Applejack reached out and smacked her finger away.

“How blunt,” Octavia murmured in a monotonous voice.

“But anyway, Applejack, whatever she did, I'm sure she didn't mean it,” the blue-haired girl tried to tell her, speaking in rhythm with the tapping of her thumb over the counter.

“And why're you s' sure it was her that did somethin' wrong?” the barmaid asked the presumptuous young girl, who grinned widely and shrugged before explaining.

“Easy: you're boring,” she stated, and the statement nearly floored both Applejack and Octavia. Catching the barmaid's incredulous and offended expression, she waved her hand lazily and went on, “I mean that in the best sense. I mean that you're mature, and stable, and everything. She's... well, she's reckless and wild, kinda like me. And I screw up all the time!”

“It's true, she does,” Octavia agreed readily with an even tone and a simple nod or two.

“Well, thanks, but, for your information,” Applejack paused with a frown as she grabbed the dispenser nozzle from its holster and began pouring some club soda into her mixture. “It was my fault, really.”

“No shit?” Vinyl seemed surprised, raising her eyebrows and pushing off the counter. As she chuckled a bit and put her drinks onto her tray, she turned and started away from the bar, leaving few more words in her absence, “Well then... I don't know what you should do. Beats the hell out of me.”

“How helpful,” Octavia grumbled as she watched Vinyl shrug and leave the conversation. After a slow exhale, she turned her attention back to the barmaid as she finished up her last drink. “Listen Applejack, I'm probably not the best woman to talk to these things about. But from what I see, something has got you bothered. I wouldn't be much of a friend if I let you go on like this without saying anything.”

“You ain't usually much of a friend at all, we don't talk all that much neither.” Applejack reminded the girl with a faint smile, pushing the drink across the counter and watching the mixture settle.

“Well then, consider this a complaint from a co-worker,” the black-haired girl changed her tune, reaching out and grabbing her beverage, placing it onto her tray and hoisting it above her shoulder with ease. “Find a way to keep from spilling liquor. Understand?”

“Yea', Ah hear ya,” the barmaid agreed with a few nods.

“Whatever happened,” Octavia's voice went quieter, and she paused. She glanced across the lounge to see Vinyl, who was busy dropping off her beverages and making small talk with her customers. Octavia smiled a bit, her eyes growing soft as she looked upon the blue-haired girl. “If you like her, and she likes you, well... it will work out. Things have a way of falling together in surprising ways.”

Applejack stared thankfully at the cocktail waitress, cracking an appreciative smile. “Thanks, Octavia.”

“Don't mention it,” she told Applejack as she started off towards her tables. With a slightly deeper tone, she added, “Ever.”

Applejack smirked at her pride, shaking her head and going back to cleaning up the moist remains of the spill. It was quiet once the girl had left, and Applejack frowned to realize how lonesome she was. She sure wished that Octavia was right, but after the way that Rainbow Dash had reacted, she had begun to lose faith. She ran the cloth under the lip of the counter, busying herself the way she had since Hearth's Warming to keep her mind off how awful she felt about it all.

As her head was down, she hardly noticed a boy cross the lounge from the front doors, planting himself solemnly on one of the stools at her bar. Hearing his expel a tired and disappointed sigh, Applejack glanced up to recognize him.

Dressed up in a slightly too-large black suit, complete with a flower pinned to the lapel, the younger boy leaned over the counter with a wounded look in his eyes. Applejack squeezed her rag out and left it hanging on the faucet, turning around and going over to his position along the wood. Leaning her hand on the counter in front of him, Applejack dropped her head to try and catch his sorry gaze.

“Well, someone cleans up mighty fine,” she ventured, but his expression did not change. She tried again, “Y'al'right there, Spike?”

“Yeah,” he said in a sigh, and Applejack didn't buy it. He couldn't hold up the lie for very long, and after making an attempt to warp his frown, he shook his head. “No, no I'm not.”

“What's got ya all sour, sugar?” the barmaid asked compassionately, crossing her arms on the counter and waiting on his response.

“The winter formal is tonight, or, was tonight.” Spike began, but though the idea seemed fantastic, there was a sadness in his voice. “But... well, I was supposed to go with my friend Pipsqueak—we were going to go together stag, you see—but, at the last minute, he called and cancelled, saying he had gotten a date. So... well, he's going with her, and I'm left alone.”

“Ah'm sure he didn't mean no harm, but that sure sounds tough to swallow,” Applejack said with a sorry tone and a sigh.

Reaching out below the counter and grabbing a small, round glass bowl, Applejack began to prepare something special for the downtrodden boy. He dully watched her, not quite sure what she was up to. Mixing in some fresh fruit, Applejack added squirts of favourable juices and stirred them about with some stray spoon.

Upon finishing the mix, she proceeded to glance around the lounge, which was somewhat busy but bore no knowledgeable witness such as a fellow employee. The barmaid subtly took hold of her ounce measure and poured in a shot of something that seemed a bit stronger than Spike would be of age to drink. His eyes widened as he watched her dump not one, but two shots into the concoction. Finding a small, short glass from under the counter, Applejack dipped it into the bowl and filled it with the tainted liquid, wiping the stray drops along the outside with a napkin. She placed the mixture in front of him and nodded.

“If y'don't get t' go t' your party, least y'all can get is some punch,” Applejack told him, sliding it further across the counter until he gratefully took it in his hands. “Don't tell y'sister, 'kay?”

“Wow, thanks, Applejack,” Spike thankfully appreciated the gesture, taking the glass and bringing it to his lips. “Mmm, this is really delicious.”

“Well thank ya, Ah do make a career outta mixin' up some trouble,” the barmaid joked, winking at the younger boy with a crooked smile.

Bringing the punch to his lips once more, Spike took a small sip, letting the fruity flavours mingle on his tongue. He could taste the burn of liquor in it, but found it warm and comforting. With a sigh, he placed the drink back down on the counter, leaving silence between himself and the barmaid.

“Spike?” another voice chirped up, and the two nervously glanced over to see Twilight Sparkle approaching the bar. She didn't seem to have any idea what her brother was drinking, so they both relaxed as she went on, “Aren't you supposed to be at the dance tonight?”

“Pipsqueak got a date, and he's taking the limo, too,” Spike explained to his sister with a pained expression, playing with the drink at his fingertips.

“Oh, Spike,” Twilight murmured in a pitying voice, and Spike seemed bothered to hear it. “Why don't you just go by yourself? You can meet up with your friends there, have a good time anyway.”

“No way, it's so embarrassing to go alone,” her argued in a pouting voice, shrinking in his seat. “I'll just hang out here until you're off, then maybe we can get some doughnuts or something.”

“Come on, you've been looking forward to this for weeks,” Twilight tried to convince him, but he just frowned deeper and looked down at his hands.

“But it won't be the same, Pip and I were supposed to go together and hang out, that was the whole point of going. But now, he has a date, and he's going to spend the whole night with her,” Spike went on in a grumble.

“Well, why don't you go with a date?” his sister suggested in a careful voice, already knowing something of an answer.

“It's too late, everyone already has dates, and besides, who'd want to go with me anyway?” the young boy inquired, looking down at himself disdainfully.

“Spikey-wikey!” a more shrill voice mused, and after the initial flinch or cringe, the three noticed the speaker standing by the bar with a great big smile on her face. “Oh, you just look ever so darling! Is tonight your winter formal? Stand up, let me see!”

The woman scuttled over to him and grabbed him by the hands, pulling him out of his seat. She smiled warmly as her eyes patted and pressed the fabrics of his suit, and under her attentive gaze, Spike blushed madly. Her adoring expression made him feel a good deal better, and he swallowed nervously as he tried to straighten his posture.

“R-Rarity,” Spike murmured her name as he stared fondly into her eyes.

“You look wonderful, Spike.” Rarity told him honestly, placing her hands on his shoulders. “Now, where's the lucky lady who gets to be on your arm tonight?”

“There... isn't one,” he revealed shyly, fidgeting with his hands. “I was going stag with a friend, but he decided to go with someone else instead. I'm not going.”

“Not going? What do you mean not going?” Rarity gasped in a dramatic act of distress, and Applejack rolled her eyes but smiled at the familiar presentation. “Why, you simply must go, Spike. You'll regret it if you don't. This is your winter formal, there will be only one, darling.”

“I can't, its too embarrassing,” Spike mumbled nervously. Snorting something of a sarcastic laugh, he added, “It's not like you'd want to go with me or anything.”

Rarity was silent for a moment as she stared at the boy seriously, a curious expression on her face. Opening her brilliantly ruby lips, she spoke, “I would love to.”

“You would?” Spike, Applejack and Twilight Sparkle all asked in unison, their voices varying levels of disbelief, hope, and confusion.

“But of course! The chance to take Spikey-wikey to his own winter formal, how could I not? What kind of woman would I be if I did not step in when I am needed?” Rarity explained in a valiant tone, but Applejack and Twilight awaited the real reason, which came seconds later, “Besides, a chance to look fancy and get dressed up? I would never pass that up.”

“Right,” Applejack chuckled as that made more sense.

“Well, you came at a perfect time, I was just let off shift. Just let me swing by my place and slip into something a little more, je ne sais quoi,” Rarity began as she twirled a bit, lights shinning in her eyes as she imagined what she'd wear.

“The dance is almost starting,” Spike mentioned as he leaned back by the counter and took another sip of his punch.

“Well then, we'll be fashionably late, darling,” she hardly cared, taking Spike by the hand suddenly. “Come along, there's so much to do!”

“W-Wait!” Spike tried to stall her as she yanked him across the lounge, as he still had his glass of punch in his hand, but she did not pause.

Applejack smiled as she watched them take off, envying their innocent bliss with a sullen sigh. As the two of them passed Rainbow Dash at the host stand, who gave them a curious and suspicious gaze, Spike reached out and placed the glass of punch on her stand. They rushed out the front doors in haste, leaving the wondering Rainbow Dash standing there alone with Spike's punch. She glanced down at the familiar liquid, smirking at it as she picked it up. Peering through the glass to see the fruity hue, she recognized the composition.

“Punch, huh? Reminds me of high school,” she murmured as she brought it to her lips, taking a big sip. Making a surprised face as she noticed the adult ingredient mixed inside, she held it away from her face and grinned at it. “Oooh yeah, high school for sure.”

Placing the punch down on the stand once more, Rainbow solemnly realized who must have mixed it. Slowly and sneakily glancing over to the bar, she saw said barmaid dumping out the remainder of the punch. With a sad smile, she missed the way that Applejack used to make drinks for her, the way she used to sit up at the bar with her. It made her jealous to have seen Spike and Rarity rushing out so happily, and seeing so many couples come and go from the bar, while she was left so lonesome.

She wondered if Applejack was doing all right, after all, she had been so upset when she told Rainbow about what had been going on. Maybe Rainbow should have been more comforting, maybe she should have tried to understand. After all, perhaps she knew a little more about what Applejack might have been going through than what she let on. Still, her pride seemed to get the better of her, and she picked up the glass of punch to go dispose of it in the dish pit.

Author's Notes:

Just a short little chappy for y'all. Thought you'd all like some TaviScratch and Sparity, and some sad moments betwixt my AppleDashie :(