It seemed like the day would never end when it came to the paparazzi at their door. Although Spitfire had gotten mostly used to them after her status as a wonderbolt had come out, but this felt like an entirely new beast she had to face. With her and Sapphire taking in a “filly” a month or so ago, it feels like nearly everyone wants to know who she is. Despite Spitfire’s first hesitations about bringing in Veea, it only solidified when the tabloids somehow got the news that they had a new guest in their house.
 
 
It was no secret to those who knew the surface information about Veea and her cover as Brass Hoof that Spitfire did anything but pay her mind. How could she? She took in, what she thought was, a little filly needing her help, and was deceived outright by the changeling that uncovered their identity. Not only this, but she’s caused more trouble than initially thought by muttering about where pesky tabloids could spy on them.
 
 
So when Spitfire came home to see the very changeling in her living-room, blinds closed of course, she couldn’t help but turn her nose away. Little did she know that Veea could see out of the corner of her eye what Spitfire was not so subtly doing. Bringing a bit of heartache to the changeling that she couldn’t help but blame herself for.
 
 
As Spitfire made her way to rest and unwind in her’s and Sapphire’s shared bedroom, she would see Sapphire in the room, doing the very same thing. When they met eyes, Sapphire couldn’t help but see the very frustration that Spitfire seemed to be plagued with all day.
 
 
“What’s the matter sugar?” Sapphire asked curiously, a tone of concern to her voice.
 
 
Spitfire shook her head and let out a bit of a huff through her nose. After a second of hesitation, she began to unload her grievances onto her wife.
 
 
“This is all just so ridiculous.” She said vaguely, only bringing more confusion to Sapphire.
 
 
“What’s ridiculous?” Asked Sapphire, adjusting herself to sit up in their bed.
 
 
Spitfire fell silent again. Though this time, with a growing frustration visible to the mare’s face.
 
 
“All of this with the tabloids” She insisted, her feathers starting to ruffle in aggravation. “Ever since we took her in, the tabloids have done nothing but harass us for information regarding her.” She said, her hooves hitting the ground in increasing intensity.
 
 
“Hey now shug’, it isn’t her fault for all this. Just take a brea-” She said, trying to protest against Spitfire’s increasing hostility, only to get interrupted by her.
 
 
“You can’t be serious Sapphire. She’s literally the reason all of this is going on” Sapphire said with a bit more intensity in her insistence. This only brought a frown to Sapphire’s face.
 
 
“Hey now-” She started to say until being yet again interrupted by Spitfire, who seemed to grow much angrier as all the thoughts she had been harboring since being coerced into taking in Veea had come to a head.
 
 
“Sapphire, ever since we took in that… changeling… everything has gone haywire! Yeah, we’ve had tabloids on our tail since before we even got together, but this is just ridiculous! There were crowds of ponies outside our gates when i came home this morning! If i didn’t have the capability to fly, i’d be most likely on some magazine saying something about my ‘anger towards the crowd’ or my ‘frustrated behavior’. She lied to me to my face on who she was to feed off of us! Can’t you see that she’s literally the cause of all this?!” She said, much louder than before, causing Sapphire to recoil a bit.
 
 
Sapphire looked at her wife with a shocked expression on her face, obviously surprised and appalled by her wife’s words. “Whoa there! ‘That changeling’? Where is that coming from?” she said with a sharper tone before. Not standing for her wording at all.
 
 
Spitfire tried to bactrack. “That’s not what i meant and you know it” she said with a frown of her own, only gaining an annoyed look from Sapphire.
 
 
“Do i?” Sapphire said simply, getting off the bed and standing up. “You don’t just state someone’s species as if to insult them, Fire.” She said sternly. “Much less a filly.” she said with a disapproving look and tone. Spitfire paused and looked back at her wife, taking a short moment to reflect on what she said and looked back at Sapphire. “…I’m sorry” She said softly. “I’m just so frustrated.” She said as if that were to excuse anything.
 
 
Sapphire looked at her wife, still a bit disappointed in her wife for her words but willing to move on to talk about the other subjects at hand. “Fire, this isn’t the only time the paparazzi saw an opportunity to make a few bits.” She said matter of factly. “and If i remember correctly, I recall you saying something about the same thing happening to you oh so many years ago. Minus all the tabloids and pressure.” She said, managing to catch Spitfire off guard.
 
 
“What do you mean?” Spitfire said, gaining a bit of confusion herself by her wife’s words.
 
 
Sapphire looked Spitfire in the eye and rose an eyebrow. “I remember you telling me about how you were down on your own luck when you were her age.”
 
 
Spitfire looked at Sapphire with her own shock as she brought up her own life experience about running away from her family. “That… that is nothing like this.” she said, ever so sure of herself and her statement.
 
 
Sapphire rose an accusing eyebrow. “Isn’t it though?” She said, walking to the edge of the bed and laying down on it to rest herself. “ you told me near the beginning of our relationship about how you ran away from your family because it wasn’t ideal. How you went to Soarin’s house, asking to stay because you didn’t have anywhere to go. You told me it was a nightmare being in your own family’s home and that it was a blessing that Soarin’s father took you in.” Spitfire’s look of confusion only continued to grow, only now with the added pain of past memories brought up about her toxic family life. Though Sapphire continued. “How do you know that was precisely what happened to that little filly? Accept she didn’t have the support system you had. She did have a best friend to help her through trying times and had to find a way to survive.” She said, looking at her wife with a strict yet stern look in her eyes.
 
 
“We don’t know what her life was like before she came to us, Fire. You can’t paint a picture you haven’t seen. So don’t try to paint hers.” She said as Spitfire kept eye contact, though her view dropping to the ground as she came to grip what she was just told. After a silent moment, Spitfire looked back up at her wife with a shake of her head and a slightly confused tone.
 
 
“But she deceived us Sapphire! What if she’s only continuing that now?” She asked
 
 
Sapphire looked at her with an equally confused and surprised face. “Have you not been paying attention? What would give you that idea other than when you and her met?” She said pointing her hoof to the door. “If you look out into that living-room, you’ll see her as behaving as ever. She’s finished what she has from the work given to her by the tutor, she’s sitting on the couch resting from the days work, she even thanked me today for all that’s gone on so far.” She said with a nearly pleading tone.
 
 
Spitfire paused as her whole world view on this situation came crashing. Despite what she’s seen when passing by in the hall, she never once thought of it that way. She thought for a moment and looked at Sapphire with a bit of a hesitant, pleading look. Her tone was much more gentle than before. “Why… why has she said things like that to you but not me?” She asked, truthfully not giving the question much thought as to the answer.
 
 
Sapphire looked at her with the same shocked expression, her tone just as insistent and almost saddened as before. “What reasons have you given her??” She said, putting her hoof down onto the ground. “All you’ve done, as far as I’ve seen, is keep your distance and be emotionally unavailable to her as far as growth. All you’ve done is keep to the past and not be supportive of her.” Sapphire said, raising a hoof again, but this time placing it against Spitfire’s chest as if to point to her, then placing it to the ground again. “ Yes, she’s lied in the past, but how else was she to survive? Walk up and ask strangers to feed off of their love? You know as well as I do what canterlot ponies are like to others. We don’t know her past.” She said.
 
 
She looked at Spitfire and took a breath to calm herself down after all that. “Fire, It’s hard enough for people to survive in canterlot, let alone on the streets and at that age… At least give her a chance.” She said softer than before, taking a moment of silence to look at her wife before walking to the side of her to the door. She paused a moment to look behind and back at Spitfire once more. “From what i’ve seen… She’s a great filly.”