Author's Notes:

Non-canon chapter because that decision fucks with me lol. Takes place immediately after the Foal Mountains operation

I laid in the guest bed for hours, mulling over everything that had transpired over the last forty-eight hours, from the Canterlot invasion force to Mark’s death. We’d scraped by with our asses still intact somehow. There was still a lot of war to go around, but we’d kept it away from the capitol. I sighed, exhausted but still buzzing from the fight; it didn’t take long to realize that sleep wouldn’t be coming. I slipped quietly into my boots and into the hallway, nodding to the Guards as I made my way out of the castle, I’d have to explain to Tia what was up later, I doubted that she’d have any issue with me stretching my legs. I walked the streets of Canterlot, grabbed a bite to eat, and headed back to the apartment.

I pulled out my phone as I trotted up the steps to my door, firing off a text to Scotty.

Hey brother.

A few seconds later, my phone pinged.

Can’t sleep either huh?

I smiled, dude knew me too well.

Fuck no.

…

Well Rav’ and I are going to go to dinner later, come with us. The last thing any of us needs is to be sitting around thinking about it.

I shook my head to no-one in particular.

I don’t want to interrupt what you guys have going on, I know you needed some time together.

Instead of a text, my phone rang, and a very familiar female voice laid into me, “Zack, you get your flank to dinner, no buts!”

I smiled, answering with a small laugh, “Okay, Raven, how can I say no to my paperwork, buddy?”

“Bucking right, you can’t.”

“Sassy, aren’t we? I’ll be there. What time?”

“We’ll swing by and pick you up around four?”

I checked my watch, “Sounds good, gives me time to get a cat-nap in.”

“Awesome, see you soon!”

After she hung up, I collapsed on the couch, that little boost was all I needed apparently, I was out like a light in seconds.

I awoke what felt like minutes later to soft knocking, I crossed the room wordlessly, opening the door to see Raven dressed to the nines in a flowing black dress and heels, contacts in and makeup perfectly applied, “Hey buddy,” She said with a smirk, “ Bedhead much?”

I ran a hand through my hair, returning her smirk and pretending to slam the door in her face, eliciting a giggle from my friend, “Yeah yeah, give me ten minutes, you can wait in here if you want. Scotty with the car?”

She beamed and nodded.

Watching the street… good man.

I left Raven standing in the kitchen and got dressed, combing my shaggy hair into something resembling normal, making sure to grab my black passport, and tucking a Glock-19 into a deep concealment rig, carefully tying the paracord around the button of my slacks, was I being paranoid? Probably, but there was a war on, and old habits die hard. After a few minutes, I walked out to see Rav’ leaning on my kitchen island, she rolled her eyes and sighed when she saw me.

“Keep a mare waiting, why don’t ya?”

“You can’t rush perfection,” I shot back as I threw my jacket on, “And I know I look damn good.”

Raven laughed as I locked up, “I’m sure somewhere out there is a woman or a mare for that matter, that will buy that bullshit, but it definitely isn’t me.”

Closer than you might think. I thought with a grin.

We walked down the steps, I kept Raven in back of me, checking the street and seeing Scotty standing by the car, a sleek black embassy issued sedan. “Hey man, got the “Company” car for our date? I’m touched.”

Scotty smiled broadly, he caught the emphasis and chuckled at my cringe, “Hell yeah baby, only the best.”

Raven walked up and threw her arms around Scott’s neck, “Easy boys, I might start getting jealous.”

“Girlfriend, he’s had years to put a ring on it; I’d say you won.”

For a heartbeat, nobody said anything before we all cracked up.

The ride to the restaurant was filled with all the things I’d needed, the banter between Raven and Scotty never stopped; they were perfect for each other. I waited for a lull in the verbal sparring,” So you guys have a date yet?”

Scotty caught my eye in the rearview and smiled, “Well as soon as this shit is over with, I’m taking her back home, like I told you, we’re gonna tell my parents and everyone then. You should hear this one,” He jerked a thumb at Raven, “And my mom on the phone, like two old friends, how’d I get so lucky?”

Raven smiled a little dreamily, “Kara is awesome, Brian and Amy, too, your Dad has the best jokes, how could anyone not love your family?”

Scotty grabbed her hand, planting a kiss on her knuckles, “Maybe it’s because you’re so easy to love babygirl.”

Raven blushed to the tips of her ears, I made a show of heaving out the window, but I smiled all the same. I glanced behind us out of habit as we changed lanes, a car three cars back made the same move.

Hmm

When we banged a right and pulled up out front of the restaurant, the car rolled right by, not even slowing down. I shrugged it off and popped my door, stepping out onto the sidewalk and opening Raven’s door for her.

Blue Chrysler…

“My, what a gentleman, I wonder where my fiancé was?”

I snorted, “Give the guy a break, ya clown.”

Raven giggled, “Someone has to keep him on his toes, can’t have all those diplomatic errands making you guys dull.”

Bertstare.jpg

Scotty gave the side of her head a look that almost had me pissing my pants, “Yeah, babe, wouldn’t want that.”

I snickered, “Fuck no, it’s a real problem, I tell ya.”

Raven missed it and smiled, “There you go then, consider me indispensable.”

Scotty offered her his arm before planting a kiss on her lips, “Wouldn’t be here if you weren’t babe.”

She sighed and leaned into him as I brought up the rear. The restaurant wasn’t packed, but there were enough ponies to make it feel comforting, warm even. We sat in a corner; Raven took the side nearest Scott, who had his back to the wall. I hated having my back to the door, but I knew with Scotty around, I could relax.

Dinner went by, and, like all the other times we’d hung out, everything flowed effortlessly, until Raven got real personal.

“So, Zack? Any special mares in your life?”

Scott did, in fact, give me the stare around Raven’s head, I almost choked on my glass of water, coughing a bit.

Real spooky, much tradecraft.

After a second, I handled my shit, “No, nobody special, work being what it is; I’d never be able to get a phone number, let alone find time to actually date.”

Raven nodded, “Well, there’s more than a couple of mares in the castle who have asked me about you, a certain Lieutenant Glow to be exact.”

“Emerald? Really now?” In another life, Em’ would’ve been a hell of a catch, but, well…

I kind of duped your Princess into falling for me, go figure.

Raven’s eyes lit up, “Yes, she asked me a few times if you were single, if you asked, I’m sure she’d be thrilled to have dinner with you.”

Scotty was still in the backfield, making this fucking face that almost had me laughing, while Raven’s attention was wholly focused on me, “I dunno Rav’ I’m swamped and Em’ is sort of a friend, I’d hate to complicate things.”

Thankfully before she could respond, dessert arrived; by the time we were finished, she seemed to have let it drop. We made our way back to the car, sliding in and pulling off the curb, Scotty was gonna drop me off before heading home for the night, but when we pulled back onto Brightwood, something tugged at me, so I glanced in the side-view mirror.

Blue Chrysler

Now my bells were ringing, it could’ve been a coincidence, but in my world, there weren’t any. I tapped Scotty on the shoulder while Raven complained about work, “Blue Chrysler, two cars back, I saw it on our way to the restaurant,” I whispered, Scotty’s eyes flicked to the rearview, then back out the windshield, he held up two fingers.

Two guys inside.

I caught his eye and nodded, easing my Glock out of the deep concealment rig, timing a speed bump and racking the slide as Raven was talking animatedly about how excited she was to meet Scott’s family. He nodded and smiled in all the right places, but his gaze kept flicking to the mirrors.

Scotty changed lanes, the tail did the same, and then back again, looking for all the world like he was trying to beat traffic. The tail pulled right up to our bumper as the car behind us made a turn, I scooted real low in the seat, that old feeling washing over me.

Raven finally noticed that she was the only one talking, “Guys?”

Scott answered, never taking his eyes off the tail, “Baby, I’m sorry, things are about to get real weird.” He threw the car in reverse and gunned it, slamming into the tail car, I saw the occupants bounce from the impact, then a gun clear the dash.

“GUN!” I called out, spinning and leaning up against the back of Raven’s seat, getting a good firing position while shielding her from anything coming back at us. Raven screamed, and I fired five rounds through the back window, shattering it and spidering the windshield of our tail, I followed up with ten more, emptying the mag into them, I couldn’t tell if I’d hit anything through the smoke and broken glass.

My ears rang as Scotty shifted back into drive and plowed through the car in front of us. Racing down Brightwood back toward my apartment, “Scotty, I’m dry! Anything else in the rig?”

“Under the seat,” He answered, weaving in and out of traffic.

I reached under Raven’s seat and pulled out a hard case, popping the lid to find an MP7 and what a pretty girl she was. I grabbed all the spare forty-round mags, seating one and racking the bolt. I planted my foot against the backseat and watched behind us, ready for anything.

Raven finally found her voice, “WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!”

Scotty grabbed her hand, “Darlin’ of all the ways I didn’t want you to find out what I do for a living, this is number one.”

“WHAT?!”

While Scott tried to find the words, a white van came racing up behind us, “Scotty, got a van, six blocks back and closing fast.”

Scotty glanced in the rearview, “Rav’ I promise, when we’re not seconds away from dying, you can ask me whatever you want, but baby girl? Right now? Get low.”

She just stared but scooched down in her seat all the same.

The van kept coming until they were right up next to us, I kept my weapon trained on the side door, thank god for window tint. After a second, it began to slide open, revealing two guys inside armed with AK-12’s.

I didn’t wait to see what they wanted, I opened up through the window, the high rate of fire making my little sub-gun sound like a buzzsaw in the confined space of the car. I held the reticle over them as the 4.6-millimeter rounds tore through their armor and ripped them to pieces. Scotty gunned the accelerator pulled level with the driver, his Glock already out, there was no hesitation as he fired a string of rounds through the window and into the Russian.

“Hang on!” Scott shouted as he slammed on the brakes, I dropped the MP7 and wrapped my arms around Raven’s seat and Raven herself, trying to stabilize her as best as I could as we went from sixty to zero in seconds. Ahead of us, the van fishtailed wildly before rolling, finally coming to rest in a thankfully closed storefront. Scotty quickly got back in it and blew past my place, headed for the Embassy.

“Zack, call it in.”

“On it brother,” I fished for my cell, punching in the Annex’s number, a voice answered after a ring.

“Standby…Line Secure, send traffic.”

“Officers have been ambushed, we are rolling with no wounded, but there are several hostiles down on Brightwood street. Word of the day is Onyx, I say again, Onyx. ETA to Annex is six mikes plus or minus two. We’ll be coming in hot, get Frank.”

“I copy Onyx; we’ll have the door open for you.”

I hung up, changing mags and scanning for threats as I called out, “Scotty, we’re good, the Annex is waiting.”

Scott didn’t reply; he just kept his foot in it until we blew through the Annex gate.

Fifteen minutes later, I’d made a pot of coffee, and found a spot on the couch, Frank had arrived almost immediately and was currently talking to Scotty and Raven in one of the side rooms. I’d already described the two guys who may or may not have gotten away, as well as my account of what had gone down.

I was mulling over the implications of what had just gone down, when the side door popped and Scott walked out, all but carrying Raven, her mascara had streaked down her face, and her eyes were more than a little red as they made their way over, I popped up off the couch to give them some space. Scott nodded his thanks and eased Raven onto the soft leather, whispering to her in hushed tones, she nodded every so often but was silent otherwise. Frank tapped me on the shoulder, motioning for me to follow him a grave expression in his face.

“What’s up, Frank?”

“The girl knows everything now; it would’ve happened anyway once they were hitched, so no big deal. But the balls on these fucking Russian cocksuckers!” Frank finished with a yell. I was beyond shocked; I’d heard Frank raise his voice maybe twice in the years that I’d known him.

“We made it Frank, that’s what counts.”

“Fuck…Yeah, I know, kid, nicely done. I’ve gotta call some people and get this sorted out. Oxide is gonna take a breather, I’ve got a couple of contractors who can level this shit out real quick.”

“Frank, we’re up for it.”

He shook his head, “If they know who Scotty is, they know who all of you are, we circle the wagons while you’re in the city, I already called Tucker and Rob, and we have guys headed over to watch your families. Someone is gonna pay for coming in my house like this, count on it.”

I’d seen this side of Frank a scant few times, the last time had been in Syria, he’d fried some local commander’s nuts with a car battery and a wire hanger for molesting a ten-year-old boy, it had taken the guy hours to finally die from shock, and Frank kept the juice on the whole time.

I squeezed his shoulder, “We better end this war fucking fast before someone gets hurt.”

He tried not to smile, but eventually, he cracked, chuckling, “You’re a sick fuck, you know that?”

“Pretty sure that’s why we’re friends, old man.”

“Yeah, heh, fuck. I’ll keep you updated.”

I smiled and turned, walking back to the couch where Raven was holding Scotty like he’d vanish if she let go, “Rav’ I am so sorry about tonight.”

She sniffled and then shook her head, “No, don’t apologize, I’ve always had my suspicions that something was up. But it’s one thing to wonder, and another thing to..to see…” She trailed off, fresh tears in her eyes as she hugged Scott tighter.

I reached out and intertwined my fingers with hers, my other hand squeezing Scotty’s shoulder.

“Welcome to the family.”