Title: The Benefits of a Curious Mind
Characters: Ned/Chuck. A dash of Olive and Emerson
Rating: PG
Spoiler(s): None
Set: Somewhere in that happy time when Chuck and Ned still made googly eyes at each other.
Summary: Ned finds that a little holiday spirit is not such a terrible thing.
Disclaimer: Definitely not mine.

"But I'm curious!"

"Well Curiosity did kill the cat."

"And you brought that cat back to life already so I don't see how it makes a difference. Plus I know that this particular venture will not result in death, unless maybe someone gets caught in an exceptionally twisted bunch of tinsel or is electrocuted in a freak accident when plugging in the Christmas lights—"

"Chuck…."

"Ned." The girl named Chuck sitting criss-crossed on the booth opposite of the Piemaker fixed him with a stare that on the outside was candy glossed over with playfulness but on the inside filled with a rock solid tenacity that he knew he could not overcome. And maybe some part of him didn't want to. At least she asked this time. And it did sound like an interesting prospect…. No. That's how this whole thing started out. With an interesting prospect that got way out of hand.

"Remember what we talked about with surprises." Chuck gently admonished him as she hugged her knees to her chest. She rested her head against a knee and her long auburn hair fell across her exposed shin. It's far too chilly to be showing bare skin like that, Ned thought worriedly. What if she were to catch a cold? But a little selfish part of him was glad that she let her skin show, that at least he could look even if he dared not touch. (And if the Piemaker possessed the gift of telepathy instead of the gift of raising the dead he would had known just what had passed through Chuck's mind while getting dressed this morning which was that a selfish little part of her enjoyed his clandestine glances of admiration, showing that he would touch if he could.) Her skin was almost as white as the marble on which he daily rolled the piecrusts in the back of his shop. He wondered if it too would feel luxuriously smooth, the only discrepancy being that she was bound to be deliciously warm, not cold. Even when he had placed a single finger upon her cheek to administer the touch that had brought her into the land of the living (and the ever curious) he did not recall her being cold. To him Chuck represented all that was warm, and cozy, and comforting. He couldn't help but smile shyly whenever she was near.

He rubbed a hand guiltily along the back of his neck. Through the blinds he could see the thick snowflakes descending like not-yet sifted flour onto the coal black road. "I, uh, yeah, no?" he stuttered what he hoped would be a firm counter response. Apparently it was not.

"Alright. Then it's settled." Chuck jerked her head up, her gaze travelling somewhere beyond Ned's left shoulder. "Olive!"

Ned swiveled around just in time to see a little blonde head pop up from behind the counter. It was followed by a tanned neck and ample bosom that could only belong to a Miss Olive Snook. The awaiting waitress grinned eagerly with a toothy smile that was eerily reminiscent of the way the Piemaker's dog beamed before receiving a particularly tasty treat."Yep?"

The girl named Chuck nodded curtly with triumph, her eyes gleaming at her partner in crime. "Operation Christmas Special is underway."

"Oooh how exciting! I don't think we've ever had a proper Christmas at the Pie Hole. Will this be like that scene in A Charlie Brown Christmas where all the little boys and girls decorate Charlie Brown's decrepit Christmas tree with Snoopy's prize winning decorations in the spirit of goodwill and joy?" She clapped her hands together lightly.

"No." Ned cut off. "This is to be a contained operation. A covert one at best."

"You mean we're doing Secret Santa too?" Olive's eyes lit up at the added prospect as she turned around from hauling out a prodigious carton of Christmas decorations and multicolored lights from under the counter that Ned had somehow failed to spot all morning. If only he had paid a little more attention to strange detail he could have headed this off at the past Ned thought longingly. But it wouldn't be the first time he'd be distracted by present company and the way her sweater curved along her form….

"Maybe later Olive. For now we'll stick to the original plan." Chuck declared as she bounded off the booth to assist her friend. Ned leapt backwards hastily and Chuck grinned good naturedly at his worried face. Ned blushed shamefully at the prospect that he actually had to back away from his girlfriend. He would have given anything to have leapt forward instead, catching her in a rib crushing hug and swinging her around like they did in old black and white films. And maybe her right foot would jerk up as the universal signal women used to convey that they were perfectly happy. Instead he clasped his hands behind his back and shook his head in disapproval.

"Don't give me that bah-humbug look." Chuck wagged a knowing finger at him cheerfully. "You've been hanging out with Emerson for far too long."

"I couldn't agree more." A gruff voice proclaimed as the pair shivered in the frigid air that came rushing into the store via a flung open door. Mr. Emerson Cod daintily plucked his hat from his bald head and shook the already melting snow in a little cloud onto the floor.

It was Chuck's turn to stammer out a response. "I-I-didn't mean that—" She abashedly explained.

Ned gallantly stepped in. "We didn't hear you come in."

"Well the way you two love birds were carryin' on I don't think you'd notice if the sky felt right on top of both yo' heads." He rolled his eyes with his trademark distain and plopped down in the booth closest to the door. As he unraveled a particularly lovely knit scarf from his neck he chanced a glance around the shop. His gaze halted on the until then forgotten Olive. "What's she doin'?"

Chuck and Ned looked back to see Olive wobbling as she stood on a bench to better situate a string of lights while holding a box that looked to be twice her size. "Woah, woah, oh!" The waitress dipped precariously and swung her weight forward to counter the force of gravity. Being that she did not have much weight to swing the effort was in vain and she tumbled backwards. Ned bounded towards her and caught her in the nick of time. Still holding a strand of blinking lights she smiled broadly at Ned who, reminded of a similar instance that had occurred not too long ago and had resulted in a mightily awkward situation, released her as soon as he had lowered her onto solid ground.

"Should've let her fall." He heard Emerson growl. "Would've taught her a lesson not to be climbin' over the damn place like some kinda cat."

At that particular phrase Ned glared at Chuck and secured his hands on his hips. "You see? I knew this would happen."

"But Ned I'm fin—" Olive chirped merrily.

"I did warn you, didn't I? She could've broken her neck!"

"I didn't though, I'm—"

"But you wanted to do something different. That's all well and good until someone loses an eye."

"I still have both my peepers! One, two!" The waitress assured him as she deliberately pointed to each of her secure emerald eyes which searched Ned's face. He had been known to ignore her before, but he couldn't be blind.

Chuck, seeing that the Piemaker's wrath was not really wrath at all but rather a vindication that routine and custom were far safer than venturing out into the new and unknown, paid no heed to his words. Instead she simply swung her hand to show the work that Olive had managed to achieve before her mishap. Ned reluctantly glanced up at the display and was strangely warmed with Christmas spirit by the sight of many many blinking lights strung around the inside of the Pie Hole. And given her vicinity he was delighted by the way the red and green lights illuminated Chuck's white skin.

He gave a lopsided grin and allowed the situation to pass since he wasn't actually all that mad. "You just better be careful when you're making that hot chocolate."

"Yes sir, boss!" Olive answered in her chipper way as she scampered off to deck the halls with a few wreathes. She didn't get too far as the gruff Emerson summoned her over for his usual slice of pie. Chuck shuffled over to Ned, her colorful skirt swaying slightly with the motion.

"Yes boss." Chuck smirked as she reached forward and began to toy with the scarf Ned still wore around his neck. "It'll be a very merry Christmas yet." She commented as she coyly raised her eyes, batting her eyelashes in such a way that absolutely drove Ned mad. It also made him seriously wonder if maybe they still had some of that holiday colored plastic wrap in the back.

The Piemaker beamed in response. "A very merry, safe, Christmas indeed."

Fin.