The skies above Ponyville quickly filled with dark rain clouds, covering up the bright sun and dimming the blue sky to a dull grey. Suddenly, a light blue streak broke free from the clouds and flew across the darkening sky followed immediately by a prismatic trail. Anypony who looked up could tell that Rainbow Dash was on the move, and fast. She only slowed as she neared the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres where her orange coated friend Applejack was busy at work bucking as many apple trees as possible before the scheduled downpour of the next few days.

"Hey, AJ! I finished up all my cloud work, I thought we were gonna go race today!"

Applejack looked up at the hovering pegasus, trying to keep the worry out of her face. She'd had quite a lot on her mind lately. "Aw shoot, Ah'm sorry sugarcube. Ah've been so busy with applebuckin', Ah plum fergot." Applejack said with a sigh. "Ah gotta buck as many as Ah can before the storm starts tomorrow and this whole field turns ta mud. Apple Bloom an' Big Mac ain't here to help, neither. They're off in Appleloosa with Granny Smith visitin' cousin Braeburn." Applejack looked a little sheepishly at Rainbow Dash. "Ah don't suppose you can delay the storm, can ya?"

"No can do, but maybe I can lend you a helping hoof instead." Rainbow Dash said. "Think we can clear this field before sunset?"

Applejack smiled. "Ah'd appreciate it mightily, grab a bucket and let's get ta buckin'!" She still had trouble asking for help, but had definitely learned not to turn it down when it was offered.

The two friends quickly got to work, Applejack running from tree to tree bucking each one without stopping while Rainbow Dash flew loops around each tree, bucket in hoof, catching the falling fruit and zipping it to the cart before rushing to the next tree. Applejack's worries felt less important with her best friend by her side. Laughing and joking with each other, the two mares just started filling their tenth cartload when disaster struck. Rainbow Dash suddenly crashed to the ground with a cry of pain as along with the apples, a large broken branch rained down on her right side, pinning her and bending her wing in the wrong direction.

"Rainbow Dash! You okay?!" Yelled Applejack as she rushed over, carefully lifting the branch off of her injured friend.

Rainbow Dash curled up in pain, her body twitching as she gingerly tried flexing her right wing. "It's my wing! I think it's broken!"

Applejack carefully nosed the injured pegasus onto her back, setting her gently in the hay of the nearly empty apple cart. "Sit tight sugarcube, Ah'll get you to the hospital as quick as Ah can!" Applejack slipped herself into the harness and took off toward the hospital, hooves flying. An hour and a thorough examination later, the doctor broke the news to a much calmer and slightly sedated Rainbow Dash.

"Lucky for you it's mostly just a bad bruise and some bent feathers, but you'll need to stay off of your wing for a few days so it can heal properly." The doctor said, pointing out the sling now cradling her injured wing.

Rainbow Dash groaned, flopping back against the bed and pulling a grim face. "Grounded again! Just wonderful! And I was supposed to be in charge of this storm!" Applejack grimaced, hearing the news. She knew how much being able to fly meant to her friend and she couldn't help feeling completely responsible for the mishap.

"Other than letting your wing heal, you're in perfect health and free to go."

"Go?! Go where? I can't get home without flying!" Rainbow Dash moaned.

Applejack fidgeted, this whole mess adding to her worries. "Ah'm awful sorry, sugarcube. It's mah fault ya got hurt, the least I can do is let ya stay in the guest room until you're healed up." She offered.

"Yeah, okay. Thanks, AJ. Tomorrow I'll have to get Fluttershy to go tell Cloud Kicker she's heading up the storm team until I can fly again." Rainbow Dash looked a little happier, if still mopey.

"We better go quick if we're gonna get back before yer rain storm starts." Applejack said while Rainbow Dash got out of bed, walking gingerly beside the earth pony.

Rainbow Dash snuggled into bed in the Apple family's guest room just as the rain began to fall. The soft pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof sending her to sleep almost at once. Applejack closed the door and lay down in her own bed, tossing a bit, but eventually drifting off to sleep from the exhaustion of a hard day's work despite the distracting noise of the rain and all the worries still running through her mind. A couple hours later her uneasy sleep was abruptly ended by a shout from the adjoining room. Rushing to see what was wrong, Applejack flung open the guest room door to find a spluttering Rainbow Dash laying on what now looked like a burst waterbed. A quick glance at the ceiling showed a steady leak of rainwater.

"I wasn't planning on a shower until the morning!" Rainbow Dash said, frowning up at the ceiling.

"Aw, horsefeathers. As if tonight couldn't get any worse..." Applejack grimaced, helping Rainbow Dash out of the soaked bed. "Go get yerself dried off while Ah get a bucket ta catch all this water fer the night. Figure out what ta do about it in the mornin'."

A few minutes later, Applejack offered a now dry Rainbow Dash her own bed. "Roof's fine in here, take mah bed and Ah'll go camp out in the sittin' room."

"I don't want to kick you out of your own bed, AJ." Rainbow Dash said apologetically. "It's big enough for two, why don't we share?"

"Ya sure? Ah don't mind ya taking the bed. Ah feel bad enough what with your wing and the leaky roof and all. Ah just wanna make sure yer comfortable."

"Come on, it'll be fun. Like the slumber parties we had as fillies when I first moved to Ponyville." Rainbow Dash grinned and snuggled into the closer left side of the bed, facing the middle so that she wasn't laying on her injured wing. Applejack shrugged and slid in the opposite side, wondering what her pegasus friend would want to talk about. As she lay down however, she noticed that Rainbow Dash had already fallen asleep again, snoring softly.

"Night, Dash." Applejack said softly with a slight smile, rolling over to face the wall and attempting to sleep again.

Some time later Rainbow Dash was stirred awake by movement in the bed. Applejack was tossing and turning, apparently unable to find a comfortable position. Rainbow Dash extended a hoof and shook her friend's shoulder. "Hey, AJ." She said softly. "You're rocking the boat. Something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Just restless, sorry Ah woke ya." Applejack sighed. "Maybe Ah should go camp out on the sofa after all." Applejack started to get out of the bed, but Rainbow Dash held her back.

"Hey AJ, I'm your best friend. Something's bothering you, I can tell. What's wrong?" It was a rare moment of empathy from Rainbow Dash, the kind of thing she usually kept to herself, but Applejack really did seem down, and she and her injury just might be the reason.

Applejack lay back in bed, staring up at the ceiling for a moment as if weighing things in her mind before finally rolling over to face Rainbow Dash. "You're right, RD. If'n Ah can't trust ya, then Ah can't trust nopony." Applejack started, closing her eyes. "Ah'm just gettin' a mite worried about mah future, ya know. Ah spend so much time workin' the fields an' keepin' the farm runnin' that Ah just don't have the time ta go courtin'. Ah thought Ah'd be raisin' a family of mah own by now, but here Ah am, still a single filly livin' with mah siblings and Ah ain't gettin' any younger." Applejack blushed a little, embarrassed to be putting forward her innermost thoughts. "Ah'd just like to meet somepony special, ya know?"

Rainbow Dash felt a pang in her chest. She usually avoided this kind of mushy stuff, but Applejack really was feeling bad. She put a hoof gently on Applejack's shoulder, smiling to her as the orange earth pony sniffed, fighting to hold back her tears. "I'm sorry AJ, I didn't realize still being single was bothering you so bad..."

Applejack smiled, perhaps a bit sourly, but chuckled all the same as she recovered with the perfect lighthearted jab. "Course not, high flyer. The way yer always on the move, Ah wouldn't expect ya to give much thought ta settlin' down."

Now it was Rainbow Dash's turn to blush, caught with her emotions showing, she managed a quick comeback. "Hey now, it's not like I'm not looking! Of course I want to find somepony special too. I just don't get all mushy about it." Rainbow Dash stuck out her tongue to hide her embarrassment and Applejack laughed softly, cheering up considerably. Rainbow Dash puffed her cheeks a bit at Applejack's reaction before speaking up again, trying to get back the advantage in the conversation. "So... You got your eye on anypony in particular yet? Any stallions caught your eye?" A sudden thought and a devilish grin. "Or mares, maybe?"

Applejack flushed again, knowing that Rainbow Dash must be thinking the same thoughts that were now running through her head. Three months ago, Ponyville's first mare-mare wedding had taken place. In fact, the first mare-mare wedding in Equestria in almost 100 years. Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon had tied the knot and almost all of Ponyville had been in attendance for such a unique event. While there had been a few neigh-sayers around town before the wedding, Princess Celestia herself had come to wish the new couple well and afterwards had delivered a heart warming speech to the crowd, one which was soon echoed across all of Equestria. She reminded everypony that like friendship, love was it's own special kind of magic and should never be shunned, no matter if that love was the more usual kind between a mare and a stallion, or the rare and unique bond between two mares or two stallions.

Almost overnight a dozen or more similar couples sprang up, whether they had been keeping the fact secret or finally acting on feelings they had been trying to ignore. And thanks to Princess Celestia's moving words, the entire community showed the new couples the same courtesy as any of the more usual couples. Now Bon-Bon was even carrying Lyra's foal thanks to her wife's magic, unicorn mares having the unique ability to impregnate other mares as well as mating with stallions in the usual fashion. These new possibilities lingered in the back of everypony's mind, stronger in some, less so in others, right now they were on the minds of two ponies engaged in some midnight pillow talk.

"Nopony in particular yet. Ah'd prefer a stallion, Ah think, but shoot Ah ain't so old-fashioned... If'n Ah found my somepony special and she happened to be a mare, Ah guess that'd be alright." Applejack admitted, then grinned. "How 'bout you, missy?"

Rainbow Dash froze mid-giggle, but quickly regained her composure. "Yeah sure, same here. Stallions are my thing, but I guess I could settle for a mare if she were as cool as me." Rainbow Dash waved a hoof as if the matter weren't important.

Applejack gave a smirk at Rainbow Dash's attempt to cover up her feelings then yawned, sleep finally overtaking her senses. "Reckon Ah can get ta sleep now. Thanks for listening, RD. Ah feel loads better." Applejack patted her friend's shoulder and rolled over, pulling the blanket up around her shoulders and snuggling into the pillow.

Rainbow Dash put a hoof to her own shoulder where Applejack has touched it and stared longingly at her back for a moment before answering with her usual bravado. "No prob, AJ. Good night." Rainbow Dash lay her head back down on the pillow, but didn't close her eyes.

"Night, Dash. Sweet dreams." Applejack waved a hoof lazily in the air and within moments was snoring softly.

Rainbow Dash just lay there, her magenta eyes fixed on the silhouette of her sleeping friend. "If she were as cool as me..." She whispered the thought out loud before finally falling asleep.

Rainbow Dash slept fitfully. In her dream, all in greyscale, she walked alone through an apple orchard. Seemingly wandering aimlessly, she was instead being inexorably drawn toward a shadowy figure at the base of a particularly large apple tree.

"Well, Rainbow Dash?" The shadow asked in a familiar voice.

"Well what?"

"Are you ready to admit it?"

"Admit what? Who are you?" Rainbow Dash said with a frown, skeptical of the shadowy stranger.

"Your feelings about Applejack. Don't pretend you don't know what I mean."

Rainbow Dash flinched. "Come on, I don't do that mushy stuff. Besides, Applejack's just my friend."

"Are you sure? Ever since Lyra and Bon-Bon's wedding, you've been toying with the idea. Even longer than that, though it took Celestia's blessing to make you realize it."

"Me? In love with Applejack? Jeez, come off your high horse. Who are you and where do you get this stuff?"

"Why did you want to share a bed with her?"

"Huh? Please, Applejack was having a bad day. First her apple bucking, then my wing, and then her guest room. She was being so nice to me, I didn't want to make the night any worse for her."

"What about asking her if she liked other mares?" The shadow said scornfully. "Certainly no ulterior motives there."

"Hey, I was losing that conversation. Applejack had the upper hoof, I had to get back on top."

"You'd certainly like to be on top of Applejack, but you didn't stay there long. You admitted to liking mares when she shot the question back at you. That doesn't sound like you were trying to 'win'."

"Well, I... Well..." Rainbow Dash stammered.

"Applejack's honesty is rubbing off on you." The shadowy figure stepped into the grey light. Unlike everything else in this dream world, she was shining with color, a perfect mirror image of Rainbow Dash but in full color and without injuries. "You COULD settle for a mare as cool as yourself. A mare as cool as Applejack."

The greyscale Dash, still with her right wing in a sling, seemed small and pitiable as her dream doppleganger advanced on her, shining with vibrant color, both wings spread full. "But we're just friends." She said meekly.

"You could be more, you want to be more, you felt it. Tonight more strongly than ever." The doppleganger flapped her wings, hovering in the air before her scared, but bemused counterpart. "That lightning in your heart when she mentioned finding somepony special." The world began to colorize, slowly at first, just the apples in the trees. "That second jolt when she said she could settle down with the right mare." More color, the sky, trees and ground becoming more vibrant. "That could be you, Rainbow Dash."

The greyscale Dash began to colorize as well. "With me? Me and AJ?" The colors of her mane and tail became more distinct.

"Yes, Rainbow Dash and Applejack, the coolest couple in Equestria." Her doppleganger landed, putting a hoof to her shoulder as Rainbow Dash slowly regained all of her color.

"Hey, yeah..." Rainbow Dash's eyes lit up as she imagined it.

"Are you pony enough to make Applejack yours?"

The now fully colorized Rainbow Dash spread her wings, the sling flying away. "Yeah I am! I'm coming for you Applejack!" Rainbow Dash took flight, shooting toward the sky, then doubling back into a sonic rainboom, the shockwave forming a giant rainbow heart above the apple grove as her dream faded to darkness.

The internal debate finally over, Rainbow Dash yawned and her eyes opened to the dim grey light, slowly focusing on the sleeping face in front of her. Applejack must have rolled over in her sleep, her face was just inches away. Rainbow Dash smiled, she was so close, her lips right there... No, that would be too awkward, too sudden. Rainbow Dash needed a place to stay until her wing healed, she wanted that place to be here by Applejack's side. Stealing a kiss could ruin everything, but maybe... Rainbow Dash carefully scooted a little closer to Applejack, closing the distance between them until their lips were just barely parted and closed her eyes again, feigning sleep and waiting. She could feel Applejack's warm breath against her nose, a pleasant feeling, she suppressed a giggle. She hoped Applejack would wake soon and if she was lucky, she would steal a kiss by "accident". She could laugh and pass off the faux pas and test the waters for real later. The perfect plan.

Applejack's sleep, though her anxieties had been greatly calmed by talking with her friend, was not entirely without worry. Nothing as vivid as Rainbow Dash's dream, Applejack was simply brooding over the state of the guest room, Rainbow Dash's injury and in the back of her mind, pondering just why the pegasus had brought up mares when asking if she had her eye on somepony special. She supposed that was probably just her competitive streak trying to come back with a good jab. Still, the way she answered when Applejack threw the question back at her was odd. Well, she would buck that apple tree when she came to it.

Applejack also woke slowly, not long after Rainbow Dash. As usual, she started to stretch out her forelegs and yawn, but something was different. Her hooves met something soft and as they parted, her lips met another set of lips. Her eyes snapped open and she scrambled backwards. "Whoa, Nelly!" She cried, falling out bed and sprawling on the floor.

Rainbow Dash clicked her tongue as Applejack disappeared off the side of the bed, that hadn't exactly gone as planned. She rolled over, sticking her head over the side of the bed and tried to look innocent. "You okay? What happened?"

"Jus' startled." Applejack said, her eyes rolling around in her head. "Ah must've rolled over in mah sleep, was dang near kissin' ya there." Applejack blushed, unable to look at her friend. After their talk last night, the thought of kissing Rainbow Dash excited her a little, but that thought shocked her in return.

"Hey, no sweat. "Rainbow Dash said, extending a hoof to help Applejack up. "If you wanted a kiss from The Dash, all you had to do was ask." She grinned wide at Applejack.

Applejack shook her head to clear it, trying to cover up her embarrassment. "Certainly got yer feisty, fightin' spirit back. Ah'm gonna go check on the guest room an' get breakfast ready, help yerself ta the shower if'n that downpour last night weren't enough fer ya." Applejack trotted off as Rainbow Dash rolled lazily out of bed, adjusting the fit of the sling with her teeth.

An hour later, both mares were sitting over the remains of a country breakfast, deciding what to do with their day. "First things first, I need to get that message to Cloud Kicker, so let's go see Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash said. "After that, I dunno."

"Ah usually stay in an' do some cleanin' on rainy days. Prob'ly bore ya right outta yer mind." Applejack stuck out her tongue and Rainbow Dash pulled a face in return. "How 'bout we go fer a walk. If'n ya can't head up the storm, ya can at least watch it."

"Yeah, okay that sounds good."

Applejack got out two umbrella saddles, carefully strapping one onto Rainbow Dash before slipping into her own. Rainbow Dash stood still, her good wing twitching slightly as she enjoyed feeling Applejack's hooves brush her coat. The two friends trotted off into the storm, chatting as they walked.

After a few "oh my"s and "oh dear"s, Fluttershy took off, heading for a small break in the clouds and the bright day above them to deliver Rainbow Dash's message to Cloud Kicker. They had agreed to wait until she returned to keep her animals company. Thankfully, most of the animals were napping. Angel was hopping in circles around the room, looking bored. Rainbow Dash's eyes followed the bunny as he went, sneaking glances over at Applejack when she wasn't looking. She'd been trying her best to keep Applejack's spirits up, but it was becoming more and more difficult to maintain her facade of simple friendship when she really wanted much more.

Applejack frowned, Rainbow Dash looked just as bored as Angel. She was trying to keep Rainbow Dash happy after everything that happened yesterday, but her own confused feelings were making it difficult to find topics of conversation. She too kept sneaking glances at Rainbow Dash, but they never quite caught each other's eye. "Ah'm sorry again... Ah know yer prob'ly wishin' ta be on the other side of them storm clouds. Corrallin' them an' makin' sure they rain just the right amount. All cuz of some dang apples and a stupid branch." Applejack put her face in her hooves.

"AJ... stop beating yourself up so much." Rainbow Dash put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. She wanted to kiss Applejack and let her know how she felt, let her know it would all be okay, but she didn't quite have the courage yet. "I was the one who offered to help you, you couldn't have known that branch was broken. Besides, we don't hang out enough anymore. Now I get to spend the whole day with you." Rainbow Dash smiled and hugged Applejack, her heart racing a little at the contact.

Applejack sniffed, trying not to cry and reflected how good and warm it felt to have Rainbow Dash's hooves wrapped around her. "That's sweet of ya ta say, RD. Thanks."

Rainbow Dash playfully brushed Applejack's nose with her tail after they broke. "Good, now quit being so mopey and let's enjoy our day off."

Applejack perked up and snapped playfully at the colorful tail being waved in her face. The two mares spent their remaining minutes at Fluttershy's cottage joking with each other again and laughing. Fluttershy returned to find them both sprawled on their backs, laughing together at an apparently enormously funny joke.

Having thanked Fluttershy and donned their umbrellas again, the two friends walked slowly through the town. Few ponies were out on a day like this, all of them either under umbrella saddles or wearing raincoats, or both. Pinkie Pie with her umbrella hat bounced by, shooting them a greeting in passing.

Everything seemed peaceful, if quite damp, until the two mares heard a roll of thunder and several sharp crashes. Lightning bolts were crashing down from the rain clouds. Not randomly, but in a line, running down the main street of Ponyville and heading right for where Applejack and Rainbow Dash were standing. The ponies that were on the street were diving for cover as the lightning bolts fell.

Applejack started to run, but Rainbow Dash stopped her, shouting out loud above the sound of the rain, thunder and lightning. "DERPY! IS THAT YOU?!"

The lightning stopped as a blonde-maned, grey coated pony peeked cutely over the side of the cloud right above Rainbow Dash's head, one eye focusing on the grounded pegasus while the other stared off into space, her mane frizzed with a static charge.

"Hi, Rainbow Dash!" Derpy said in her slightly husky voice.

"Derpy! What are you doing!?"

Derpy grinned down. "Cloud Kicker needed somepony to fill in after you gots hurt. She told me to make lightning 'cause I'm the best at it!"

"Rrrr... Well, be careful, please! You don't need to make every single cloud shoot a lightning bolt, and please, please, please try not to damage anything!" Rainbow Dash shrugged at Applejack who grimaced.

Derpy saluted, even more wall-eyed than usual. "You gots it boss!" She started bouncing on the cloud like a trampoline, preparing to take off.

"Derpy, NO!!!" Rainbow Dash leapt into the air at the same instant an intensely powerful lightning bolt struck from the cloud, heading straight for Applejack. The bolt caught Rainbow Dash in mid-air, lighting her up like a Hearth's Warming tree. Applejack caught her as she fell, her mane and tail were totally frizzed and a bit singed and her umbrella was nothing but a smoking skeleton, but otherwise she looked relatively unhurt.

"Rainbow Dash!" Applejack cried, unable to stand the idea that her friend had been hurt twice in two days on her account.

Rainbow Dash coughed a small puff of smoke and smiled up at Applejack. "AJ, I'm fine. But you wouldn't have been. Takes WAY more lightning than that to take down a pegasus." She looked away for a moment, blushing. "Besides, I didn't want to see you getting hurt. That lightning would have fried an earth pony."

"Shucks... Ah don't know what ta say, RD." Applejack stammered.

"You don't have to say anything, AJ." Again, Rainbow Dash wanted nothing more than to lean up and kiss Applejack, but that lightning bolt had almost been too much for her. "Um... Let's go back to your place, that lightning bolt may not have hurt me, but I still feel a bit woozy."

"Alright, RD. Looks like we'll have ta share an umbrella, though. Yers is toast." The remains of Rainbow Dash's umbrella crumbled, falling to the ground.

"Yeah, pegasi can take lightning. Umbrellas, not so much."

The two mares walked flank to flank back toward Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash walked on Applejack's right, her unhurt left wing was draped over her friend's shoulders. Her excuse was for support, still feeling woozy from the lightning bolt. That was partly true, but she enjoyed the physical contact much more.

Even though it was only late afternoon, Rainbow Dash was ready to lay down. That lightning bolt had knocked the wind out of her, despite the brave face she put on it. Applejack had rigged up a complicated drain system using some buckets and a couple troughs to save the guest room, but it didn't leave the bed accessible and the roof couldn't be patched until the storm ended. She offered Rainbow Dash her bed again, intending to go downstairs and do some of her usual rainy day cleaning while she slept.

"Don't go. I thought we were going to spend the day together." Rainbow Dash said, trying to keep the begging note out of her voice.

"Ya need yer rest after that lightning an' fer yer wing, ah don't want ta keep ya awake."

"Come on, I just want to lay down, not sleep yet. Besides, I like talking with you and I don't want you getting all mopey on me again." Rainbow Dash hugged Applejack again. "I have eyes and ears you know, I can tell you've been feeling down, but I can also tell you feel better when you're hanging out with me."

Applejack sheepishly admitted that was true as they climbed into the bed again.

Rainbow Dash put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "I sorry things haven't been going your way, AJ. I know you've been worried about your future, and my wing and the guest room and the lightning haven't helped." Her magenta eyes fixed on Applejack's beautiful green ones. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

Applejack wasn't exactly sure why she did it, maybe it was because Rainbow Dash had risked her life to save her and that fact was just now sinking in. Whatever the reason, instead of answering, Applejack leaned over and kissed Rainbow Dash. It began as just a short and fairly innocent kiss, but it didn't stop. Rainbow Dash was stunned for a moment, her wings would have flared to full if she wasn't laying on the good one and the other secured by a sling. She had been trying to find the right time for this all day, but she'd never expected that Applejack would make the first move. Recovering from the shock, Rainbow Dash pulled Applejack closer with the hoof still slung over her shoulder, letting her know that this was exactly what she wanted.

"Whoa, Nelly!" Applejack exclaimed as they finally came up for air several minutes later. "My, but ya are a good kisser! If Ah had known that this mornin', well..."

"Mmm, I wish you had. You looked so cute sleeping, but I didn't think you'd stay asleep if I stole a kiss."

"Why ya little varmit!" Applejack stuck out her tongue and tousled Rainbow Dash's mane. "Ya snuck up on me an' hoped Ah'd do the stealin' fer ya."

Rainbow Dash giggled and ran a hoof along Applejack's blond mane. "It almost worked. So, anything still worrying you... dear?"

Applejack blushed and her heart skipped a beat hearing that. "Ah like the sound of that. Nah sugarcube, Ah think ya just solved all mah worries. Well, maybe the guest room, but we can sort that out later." Applejack scooted closer to her new love, hugging her close. Soon they fell asleep despite the early hour. Both slept soundly. Whatever may come, that was the future's problem. For now, they had each other.