Two months. Two, bloody months! It's been far too long since Silver Bit under took this job. Sure, she worked a few side jobs to keep the cash flowing but by Celestia's beard! This thing was a pain in the ass to work with. She couldn't get the thing open for the life of her. She would work, day in a day out trying to crack open the box that held the gears and springs, but the screws would never give way.

She even had a unicorn, a fucking unicorn try prying open the box and even using a screwdriver. But they never moved. After another long, hard night of trying every possible way to open the gearbox, again, Silver closed up shop. Tiber had left about an hour ago and was probably starting to worry. Silver Bit sighed. This was the longest time she had ever stayed after hours working on this.

This was getting old. After locking Nexus' project in her safe, she moved over to the forges that were starting to smolder and pulled a single cord. All of the forges hissed in anger as water poured into the hot forges. Smoke rolled out of the chimneys and the dim light from the fires turned faded away. There was something off about the hiss after the fires went out. They sounded like whispers for some reason. Silver just shrugged it off and started walking towards the doors through the dark shop.

She'd walked through here so much she could walk through it blindfolded. Her mental map told her exactly where everything was. She walked around the table like the sun itself was lighting her way. In the darkness she could hear better as well. The sound of the hissing bounced off of the brick walls so well that if she were one of Luna's boys, she could have a perfect map of the room just from the sound. So when a dead spot in the sound came up, her head snapped to the gap in the sound.

Her eyes had just started adjusting to the darkness. She could make out the silhouette of a unicorn with a curved horn. Silver reached for the work bench next to her and grasped the first thing her hoof touched. If felt like a screw driver. The pony heard her fumbling and looked her way. All she saw was two small, white circles where the eyes were suppose to be. The pony hissed like some kind of snake and lunged at her. Silver was ready. As soon as the pony tackled her, she shoved the screw driver into its chest. The pony screed in pain and fought against her grip.

"Ah! Somepony help me! I'm being robbed! By Faust, somepony get their lazy flanks in here!" Silver Bit shouted in anger trying to hold the pony down.

Though, the more it fought, it didn't feel like a pony. It felt like it was wearing very thin leather armor. There was no way this was skin or fur she was grabbing. It was hard like the exoskeleton of an insect. Silver pulled the screwdriver out of the pony's chest and was about to push it into its neck when a bright flash of light, followed by a loud explosion, echoed inside the shop. She felt the pony get hit with something and let it go. The pony quickly writhed in pain before standing. The Flash made it hard to see now. All she could see were the white circles of its eyes as it staggered out the front door.

Silver started to give chase but something grabbed her before she could get to the door. With her adrenaline rush still pushing her limits, she swing her screwdriver of death around and trying to stab her attacker.

"Silver! Silver! Calm down! It's me!" the stallion holding her shouted.

The voice made her stop instantly. "Tiber!?"

The moment she said his name, he let her go. By now her eyes had readjusted to the dark. She was relieved to see that face of his again. His handsome, handsome face. "What are you doing here?"

"I left a work order I meant to sign off on on your desk. I came back to get it and I hear you screaming."

Silver tried to keep from acting like anypony from some cheesy romance movie. "Ugh. Don't expect me to fall into you like some damsel in distress." Silver said hoping to sound annoyed.

"I wouldn't expect you to. Knowing you, you'd be more likely to burst into flames first. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright."

"Let’s just get out of here. The cab's waiting outside. I'll take you to the police station before we head home."

"They're not open until dawn. Tyler. Let's just go home."

"Are you sure? That was a loud fight you were putting up."

"I'm fine. Let's just go before I change my mind about stabbing you with my screwdriver."

"Fair enough." Tiber said setting one of her muskets on the work bench.

On the way out, Silver could see the first winter's snow starting to fall. The white flakes sparkled in the moon light as they fell. The air outside was frigid compared to the warm comforts inside. The smell of winter washed over Silver as she stepped into the cab with Tiber right behind her. He was beginning to get obnoxious constantly asking her if she was okay. The cab ride home was long for her tastes. The driver seemed to be a moron when it came to driving in snow. Even if there wasn't on the ground.

Once home, Silver was the first in. She could smell the spices in the air from Tiber's cooking. Though not his talent, he was a damn good chef. Two salads that were cooked in vegetable oil sat on the coffee table with forks ready. She had no idea how long ago he'd made them but the smell hung in the air like it had just come off the pan.

Silver didn't hesitate to sit down and dig in. She loved his cooking. Tiber sat down and ate slower but seemed none the less happy to eat it quickly. Once Silver was half way through her bowl of salad, she asked the question that had been milling in the back of her mind.

"I didn't know you could shoot." She said. Okay so it's not a question but it does warrant some explanation right?

"I can't. I just got lucky."

Okay, not much explanation there but it's something to work with. "How'd you know how to use the muskets?"

"I saw you test firing one. And Fixette had me help her put one back together."

"Convenient."

"I guess so."

The two ate in silence for a moment. Silver's heart started pounding again as she tried to think of something to say to Tiber. He saved her life after all; he deserved some kind of gratitude.

"Thanks for saving me." that was too simple. "I don't know what I’d do without you back there." better I guess.

"It's nothin'. Besides, if you died, I'd be out of a job." Tiber said with a nervous chuckle. "So, you make any progress on that inventor guy's project?"

"No. Can't get the damn gear box open. I have the right ratchet size, but I can't get enough force on it to pry them open."

"You ever try heating it up a bit?"

"What? And risk ruining one of the best inventors in Equestria's creations? You're insane."

"Well, my dad had this hitch he needed to change out on the family carriage and it was stuck on. He and the maintenance mare took a blow torch to it and it came loose. Even if that doesn't work, you’re the smartest pony I know. You'll figure it out."

"Why do you have this much faith in me?"

"Because you're a fighter. I knew that even before I started working for you."

"Do you really think that?"

"Yeah. You're kind, considerate, smart, and beautiful-" Tiber quickly covered his mouth at that last word. He put his hoof to his mouth a bit too quickly and more or less slapped himself.

"I'm what?" Silver said putting her salad down and looking to Tiber.

"I said you're smart." Tiber said not looking away from his salad.

"No after that."

"I smacked myself."

"No smart ass, before that."

"I-I-I said you're beautiful." Tiber said with a blush hardly showing on his dark brown cheeks.

"Y-You think I'm beautiful?"

"Well, yeah." Tiber said finally making eye contact. "You're beautiful. I really like you."

Silver Bit's heart stopped the second he said that. Her insides started tying themselves in knots. He liked her! He actually liked her! Okay, calm down. Don't act eager. Make him work for it. "Um, that's unexpected." Silver said stalling for time.

"Yeah. To me too. I-I really do like you Silver. D-Do you like me?"

"I don't know. I guess." Yes you do you moron! Stop torturing the poor boy and get with the kissin'! You know you want him too. 'Shut up.' she thought to herself.

"Oh. So, you wanna give this a shot then? Like a real shot?"

"I-I, uh-"

Silver Bit would've finished her mindless babbling if it weren't for Tiber putting his lips to hers. Under normal circumstances, she'd land a hind-hoof into his groin. But a little something inside her just made her freeze in place. Then it took control. She leaned into him and let him deepen the kiss. Silver couldn't hold back a sigh of relief as months of tension left her mind and body.

Outside, the snow started to build up. And another pair of white circles watched the two embrace on the couch. Its head started to tilt slowly left and right trying to devise a plan. After a moment, Silver started hearing that noise again. The noise that came from the forges. She broke the kiss and looked to the front window.

"What is it?" Tiber asked.

After scanning the narrow view of the world being blanketed in snow outside her window, she couldn't see anything amiss.

"I-I don't know. You ever get the feeling you were being watched?"

"Sometimes. Why, you think somepony's out there?"

"Probably nothing. Let's just go to bed."

Author's Notes:

Nexus: Sometimes, I want to hit you.
Me: I get that, but it's essential to the character. You don't know anything about writing so I suggest you get off your computer and do your job.
Nexus: I'm on leave.
Me: That was last week.
Nexus: .... Fuck me running!