"Twiliiight! Can you make me another peanut-butter pickle sandwich?" Trixie called out from the living room.

"Yeah, in a minute. Afterwards, I'm going to run out to the store and get those crackers that you asked for." Twilight yelled back.

"Ooh yeah, and pine cones!" Trixie added.

"Pine cones?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, I'm having the weirdest craving for pine cones. Oh, and this cheese log is almost gone too."

"Celestia help me..." Twilight muttered on her way outside. "At least once the pregnancy is over it'll get easier."

An eerie sound of every parent in Equestria simultaneously face-hoofing echoed across the land.

"Right? It gets easier right?" Twilight begged to the heavens.

"I dunno." said the wall-eyed, grey, mail mare hovering down above her. She struggled to shove a hoof full of mail into Twilight's nearby mailbox, bending several envelopes.

"Thanks, I'll- I'll just take that." Twilight said reaching out.

"Okie dokie." she said, before flittering off to the next mailbox.

Twilight flipped though the envelopes. "Let's see, bill, bill, somepony wants to make my horn bigger, bill, ohh a letter!" She tucked the others away in her bag. "Oh, it's from Shiny!" she said out loud excitedly.

Dear Twilie,

Ever since the Wedding and the Crystal Empire crisis, I've been thinking about how little time we've spent together in a casual setting. Also, it has become abundantly clear that one or both of us seem to be in fatal peril on a semi-regular basis.

Therefor, I have made up my mind to enjoy some time together with you as soon as possible. By the time you receive this letter, I will have already scheduled leave, and I should be in Ponyville in a day or two. So go tie a big yellow ribbon around the old oak tree. Your big bro is coming to town.

Love,

Your brother, Shining Armor

Twilight turned the page over.

P.S. Our parents will be joining us shortly after my arrival as well. Fair warning.

Twilight folded the letter back up and clutched it tightly to her chest, before running back inside.

"Trixie my broth-" Twilight stopped short to the sound of abject bawling. "Trixie what's wrong?"

"WAAAA AHH AHH! I was just so lonely!" Trixie cired out.

"I was only gone for like, forty seconds." Twilight deadpanned.

"I'm sorry! I'm just so saAAAad!" Trixie whined, "I'm going to be a terrible mother!"

Twilight practiced her breathing exercises from the Lamaze classes they went to. "Trixie you're not going to be a terrible mother. Your just having a mood swing. In a few minutes you're going to be fine, just relax." Trixie's face was a mess of tear-matted fur and snot bubbles.

"Oh Twilight, I love you so much!" Trixie lunged at Twilight, trying to make out with her. Twilight winced and craned her neck back, trying to stay out of reach of the mess, hastily fetching a wet face cloth with her magic.

"Here, let's just-" Twilight stalled as she wiped down her lover's face as best she could. "There. Who's a pretty pony?"

"I am." Trixie said, smiling again.

"That's right." Twilight gave her a quick kiss and sat her back down. "Anyway as I was just saying, My brother is coming!"

"Eww." Trixie replied.

"No. I mean he's coming to town. He's arriving tomorrow!" Twilight said excitedly. "And then my parents are going to be here the day after. It's been so long since I've seen them all!" Twilight clopped her hooves together in joy. "And you'll get to meet them all, and they'll all get to meet you. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Meeting the inlaws... greeeat." Trixie put on her best faux smile.

"Well they're not officially your inlaws... yet." Twilight said with a grin.

Trixie completely missed the implied proposal, "Well I meant it more as a jok-"

"Because I was thinking that that is something we really should consider doing before our little bundle of joy arrives." Twilight said, rubbing Trixie's belly. Trixie loved it when Twilight did that, even though she wasn't even beginning to show at all yet. "You know, so we can have proper custody and all when the foal arrives."

Trixie looked back at Twilight, as she rubbed her belly, "Twilight, you really, really care about me don't you?"

Twilight put on her best impression of Trixie she could, "Was there ever any doubt?" Trixie giggled, Twilight joining her.

Trixie climbed on top of Twilight, "Oh I love it when you do that. It's so cute! Annnd since we're not going to have any time for the next couple of daaays..." Trixie began to nibble on Twilight's ear, her hooves roaming over her lavender body.

"Ooh, Trixie. Right here?" Twilight asked, nervously.

"Right here!"
____________________________________________________

* KNOCK KNOCK*

Twilight awoke to a knocking at the front door the next morning. Spike wasn't home to answer the door. He had been at a sleepover with one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. He had been doing that a lot ever since Trixie moved in. Twilight carefully disentangled herself from Trixie's sleeping form. They had both slept in quite a bit that morning.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"I'm coming!" Twilight said, before covering her mouth with her hoof, embarrassed. "I mean, I'll be right there!" Trixie remained upstairs in bed, undisturbed. Twilight opened the door.

"TWILIE!"

"SHINY!"

Twilight jumped up and hugged her big brother tightly. It felt like she hadn't seen him in ages. He put her down after a moment.

"Twi, I was worried for a minute. This was the address they gave me but I thought it was wrong. This is a library."

"Uh huh."

"You live here?"

"Uh huh."

"You live in a library?"

"You sound surprised."

Shining sighed, "Well I guess that makes about as much sense as anything else around here."

"Please, come inside." Twilight covered her mouth again. Having Trixie around had gotten her thinking so dirty, "Er, I mean, please, step inside my home." Twilight smiled nervously.

"Thanks." Shining walked inside, "Hey Twi, I had to catch the early train into town this morning. So I've had hardly a thing to eat. I don't suppose you'd have anything around for your big bro to snack on, would you?"

Always sex and food with boys

Twilight smiled, "Sure thing. I actually just picked up some groceries so I have whatever you could crave." Twilight turned to the kitchen, disappearing inside, "Let me throw together a sandwich for you." she called out as she began to make a clatter of utensils, cooking in the kitchen.

Shinning sat at the living room table patiently, looking forward to catching up on old times with his sister.

"I hear somepony making me a saaandwich!" Trixie called from upstairs, startling Shining. Trixie started down the stairs and saw Shining Armor. Shining Armor looked up and saw her. Both froze in their stare of instant recognition.

Twilight called out from the kitchen, "I'll make one for you too Trixie!" Trixie furrowed her eyebrows, putting a silent 'shh' hoof to her lips, before pointing aggressively at Shining. He just sat there, mouth agape in shock, nodding dumbly in acknowledgement.

Twilight walked back into the living room, not noticing the sudden drop in temperature from the icy stares. "Oh, Trixie, I see that you two have met. "Shining, this is Trixie Lulamoon. Trixie, my brother Shining Armor."

"Hello... Shining. I'm Twilight's... roommate." Trixie said, bending the truth. Twilight didn't understand Trixie's hesitance, but decided not to press the issue until she got a chance to talk to her in private.

The three of them sat down and enjoyed lunch in relative peace and awkwardness. The tension between Trixie and Shining didn't even register to the socially oblivious Twilight. Shining Armor was able to catch up on old times with his sister without the threat of looming disaster for all of Equestria. Just as he hoped. The siblings did nearly all of the talking. Trixie meanwhile did her best to remain invisible at the table.

When actually engaged in conversation, she acted as though nothing was wrong. Nothing at all. It came easy to the career performer. They were just room mates. That was all he needed to know. She and Shining Armor had never met before today. That was all Twilight need to know.

Twilight got up to clear their plates. While she was in the other room Trixie passed Shining a single folded slip of paper. He went to read it but she slapped his hoof, motioning to his bag. He put it away. He would read it later. Entirely by his own choice, he convinced himself.

Twilight came back in and Shining stood up. Stretching his legs with a yawn. "Well sis, I ought to get going." Twilight pouted.

"But it's only seven o'clock. surely you can stay!" Twilight begged.

"I want to sis, I really do. But I don't want to impose on you and your... roommate." Shining's eyes glanced at Trixie for a split second.

"Oh, its no imposition. I could just-" Twilight said, getting cut off.

"No. I already made reservations at the Shetland Inn, just down the street, and I still need to go check in." Shining lied.

"Oh, ok." Twilight pouted.

"Hey, don't worry." Shining reassured her. "I'll be back bright and early tomorrow and we can go out and fly kites and have a picnic with our folks and everything!" Shining said, getting her to smile. Twilight glanced at Trixie, still trying to remain invisible. Shining took notice, "Your room- Trixie- can. come. too. If she wants." Trixie smiled just as hard as she could fake. "Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow kiddo." Shining said as he tussled Twilight's mane, before heading out the door. "Love you."

"Love you too." Twilight said before she closing the door behind him. Twilight sighed, and turned back to Trixie, who was looking at her with the seriousness of an undertaker.

"Twilight. We need to talk."
___________________________________________

Outside the library door, Shining Armor retrieved the note from his bag. It said two things.

Bannered Mare Tavern. 8pm

He tucked the note away, took a deep breath and made his way down the street looking to the sky. "Just one day without a catastrophe. Is that too much to ask out of life?"
____________________________________________

"Trixie, what was that all about today?" Twilight asked.

Trixie was visibly shaken. Shining now gone, her guard finally dropped, as a wave of the day's anxiety washed over her. "Twilight. That night. That last night at the strip club. The bachelor party. It was him! The groom-to-be? It was Shining Armor! Your brother!" She cried out.

Twilight rushed to her side, cradling her in her hooves as though she might fall from her seat at any moment. She listened with all her sympathy and understanding. Finally, after much discussion of what their course of action would be with this new revelation, Twilight came to a final conclusion.

"Trixie, as far as I can see it, this changes nothing." Trixie listened to her lover's confident words, "The facts are thus: You are with foal. And I WILL be here to raise it with you by your side. Shining may not know that it is his foal and as far as I am concerned he doesn't need to know. This is our child, NOT his. I love you." she finished, embracing Trixie tightly.

Twilight always did know exactly what to say to help her feel better. Trixie looked over Twilight's shoulder at the wall clock. There was just one last loose end to tie up.
_____________________________________________

The Bannered Mare Tavern 7:59 pm

Shining Armor staked out a table close to the tavern's entrance. He had been vigilantly watching the door for the past 25 minutes. He was military on-time. Which meant that on-time was late. And that 15 minutes early was on-time. Needless to say he had been sitting nervously in that chair since 7:30.

He held a glass of Applejack Daniels in his shaky hoof, his third since he sat down. His first was mixed with molasses seltzer. His second, plain, over ice. His third he skipped all foreplay and took straight, at room temperature. The burn in his throat did little to mask the electrocution of his every nerve fiber.

The very mare that nearly ruined his marriage was now roommate with his sister of all ponies. "Heh, roomates." he scoffed. He knew a couple when he saw one. And now she wanted to meet him! Could this night get any worse?

Fate accepted his challenge.

*JINGLE*

His attention snapped to the entrance. Trixie entered unceremoniously, 8 pm on the dot. She scanned the room with a predatory efficiency. Her eyes locked on his bright, pure white fur. It was like a beacon in the dark tavern screaming out, 'here I am'. She moved with unnatural speed to his table, seating herself before he even had the chance to extend the courtesy of standing to greet her, let alone pull out a chair for her.

"Now you listen here Shiny," She hissed, making it immediately clear that she was not here on a social call. She was here on business and she meant it! "Listen- I love Twilight. And she loves me. And I am NOT going to let anything get in the way of that, alright?" Shining just nodded, still petrified in shock. Never before had he seen such dominance in a mare. Not his wife, not even the princesses he served.

"I am NOT going to let some stupid mistake from my past ruin what we have. So all you need to do is understand ONE thing." She growled, "I don't know you, and you don't know me. And I never did no dance for you in no club." Shining kept trying to turn away from her dagger eyes, she grabbed his face with her hoof, forcing his gaze, "For the sake of your relationship and mine, that night in that Canterlot club NEVER HAPPENED! You got that?! Now promise to keep your mouth shut!" she barked. He nodded weakly, scared for his life.

"Say the words, mule!"

"I promise." he whimpered.

"Promise what!?"

"I promise that I'll keep my mouth shut."

"About what?"

"I promise I'll keep my mouth shut about that night in Canterlot. It never happened! We've never met." He cried out, clenching his eyes.

"That's three times you promised." She said, striking him in the chest sharply with her hoof.

He cowered a moment longer before opening his eyes. Trixie was nowhere to be seen. The patrons around him were looking at him strangely. Shining Armor didn't know what just happened... as he downed the rest of his drink in one large gulp... all he knew was that he felt like he needed a long. hot. shower.
_____________________________________________________

Trixie closed the door behind her as she entered the library.

"Trixie! There you are!" Twilight cried out, running down the stairs to greet her. "I was so worried! You just left without saying where you were going, or for how long..." Twilight hugged her tightly.

Trixie squeezed back, "I'm sorry Twilight. I just stepped out for a little walk to let off some tension."

Twilight looked at her, concerned, "Well, next time, please let me know so that I can come with you. Or at least so I know where you are." Twilight said with genuine concern, rubbing Trixie's belly.

"You're right Twilight. I promise that from now on I'll let you know if I'm going out. I'm sorry" Trixie pouted, with big doe eyes. Twilight couldn't resist the Great and Apologetic Trixie.

"Oh, come here you!" Twilight said, pulling Trixie on top of her.

"Oh, TWILIGHT!"

"Right." Spike called out over his shoulder, grabbing his pillow on the way out the door. "Sleepover at Sweetie Belle's again."