Title: Christmas of Love
Author: louisemcgregor
Rating: PG
Words: 2145
Spoilers: Corpsicle
Pairings/Characters: Ned/Chuck. Olive, Emerson, OC.
Summary: A Christmas party at the Pie Hole gather everybody for a Christmas celebration.
Dedication: To Blienky27 for betaing this fic for me.
Disclaimer: Pushing Daisies and all related-characters are the property of Bryan Fuller and NBC Network.
A/N: Written for orangeyarn at pdficathon. This is my very first Pushing Daisies fic, so be kind with me.

At this very moment, young Ned was eight years, fifteen weeks, two days, and twenty minutes old, and his dog Digby was two years, three weeks, two days, seven hours, and six minutes old.

They were the best of friends in the whole world. They had a friendship that was supposed to last: a young boy and his loyal dog, best friends forever.

Ned and Digby were playing in the local park of Couer d' Cours when suddenly Digby's ears perked up. He heard something, something bad.

"Help!"

Digby whined and ran away, following the girl's voice to a very distant cave. Ned followed his brave dog, wondering what was happening. When he arrived at the hole in the ground that let to the cave, he saw a girl with a twisted ankle in it. But this was not just any girl. This was a girl Ned liked to call Chuck, the girl next door.
Young Chuck was seven years, five months, one week, four hours, and eight minutes old, and she was trapped in a cave.

"I'm trapped in a cave!" she said, scared.

Ned and Digby exchanged glances before Digby ran away, looking for help.

"Just stay put! We're going to get you out there!" Ned said.

"Thanks!" She smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I'm Ned." Ned introduced himself, even though he knew Chuck very well since they were neighbors. But he thought it would be polite to introduce himself since they'd never been formally introduced.

"I'm Charlotte."

"Nice to meet you, Charlotte."

They exchanged smiles until Digby came back with a rope in his mouth. Ned patted him before throwing the rope in the cave so Chuck could climb out. Ned and Digby used all their strength to pull Chuck of the cave as they finally pull her out who falls in Ned's arms making them bust into laughter.

"Thank you," Chuck said, as she planted a quick kiss on Ned's cheek. "You saved me! You're my hero!"

Digby barked to make them notice his presence.

Chuck chuckled and patted Digby on the head. "You are both my heroes!"

Ned smiled awkwardly and helped Chuck to walk back to her house where her father was worriedly waiting for his young daughter.

Ned found himself in love for the first time in his short life as he considered Chuck: the girl of his dreams, his soul mate, the girl he had been waiting for all his life.

As Ned was lost in his thoughts, Digby watched him stare at Chuck as she entered her house with her father and aunts Lilly and Vivian. He watched his master who was already under the spell of the girl named Chuck.

Present Day

As Young Ned grew into the Pie Maker, he remembered that winter, a year before he got his powers to bring dead things back to life. First touch, life. Second touch, death again, forever. That was the reason he couldn't touch Digby or Chuck anymore, and his heart ached every time he wanted to hold one of them but couldn't. The two people in the world he loved the most, and he couldn't even hug them.

But after they came back from the Cemetery, where they had talked about Chuck's father and how Ned wasn't really aware of his powers when he was young when he accidentally killed Chuck's father to bring his mother back. Finally, Chuck decided to forgive him and come to the Pie Hole and celebrate Christmas with him, Olive, and Emerson.

She was still sad that she couldn't spend the holiday with her aunts Lilly and Vivian, but she was happy they were back in the water as the Darling Mermaid Darlings.

Chuck was helping Olive Snook decorate the place for their Christmas party. Ned laughed as he noticed that Digby not pleased. The poor dog was wearing a reindeer costume with horns on his head, a red nose, and even fake paws.

"Did you put this reindeer costume on Digby?" he asked Chuck, who was decorating the tree, but Chuck's reply was interrupted when Emerson Cod arrived with great news.

"I have great news!" he announced, but nobody paid attention to him.

"No, it was Olive." Chuck explained when Olive approached the Pie Maker.

"I just thought Digby should look festive for our little party. That's all."

"I see." The Pie Maker and Digby exchanged glances.

"Ahem. I have great news!" Emerson said again, louder this time. "Can you stop the googly eyes with dead girl, or should I wait in line?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"We aren't…" Ned and Chuck said in unison.

Ned took over. "I'm sorry, Emerson," he said, a little shy. "What's the news?"

"My daughter's going to spend Christmas with me!" He announced with a smile they'd never seen before unless what was making him smile involved money.

"You have a daughter?" Chuck asked, confused.

"Yes, I do." Emerson nodded.

The facts were these; Emerson Cod had a young daughter named Clara Cod. Clara was ten years, seven months, three weeks, six days, seven hours, and ten seconds old. Emerson was fighting with his ex-wife Emily to gain full custody of Clara, and now he had finally gotten it and she could spend her Christmas with the private investigate this year.

"That's so neat!" Chuck said with a beaming smile. "I love happy endings!"

"Where is she?" Ned asked, looking around.

"She'll be here any minute." Emerson explained, and before he had even finished, they heard the Pie Hole's doorbell ring, announcing Clara's arrival.

"Daddy!" The young girl had pigtails and was wearing a red snowman sweater, a red skirt, green tights, and black boots, and she ran into Emerson's arms, hugging him tight.

"Clara, I want to introduce you my… huh… associates." He explained as Ned, Chuck and Olive gave him an offended look. "Fine. I mean friends. This is Ned, Olive and dea… Chuck."

"Nice to meet you." The girl politely shook hands with each one of them.

"Are you sure she's your daughter?" Olive teased him. "She is, well… unlike you."

"Shut up!" Emerson spat at her.

"It's very nice to meet you, too, Clara!" Chuck smiled, sympathetic. "Are you going to spend Christmas with us?"

"Yes, she will." Emerson nodded with a silly smile.

"Nice sweater." Ned pointed out, noticing Clara's snowman sweater.

"Thank you. My dad knitted it for me."

"Really?" Ned arched his eyebrow at Emerson, who rolled his eyes. "I thought you thought Christmas sweaters should only be worn on Christmas?"

"Well, I changed my mind," Emerson answered with a smirk. "Now, Olive, can you get us two apple pies, please?"

"You said please?" Olive Snook looked surprised. "It's the end of the world."
Emerson shot her an annoyed glance before she went to the kitchen. "Two apple pies on the way."

"Okay. We're going to change and come back here so the party can begin." Ned announced with a silly grin before he and Chuck left for his apartment.

Digby was lost in his dog dreams, dreaming about his master and the girl named Chuck.

Chuck was wearing a yellow silk dress with yellow gloves and her brown hair was up. Ned was wearing a very nice tux. He looked like Prince Charming and Chuck like a fairytale princess.

They were on the dance floor, dancing around the ball they were invited to. Olive and Alfredo were also there dancing.

Suddenly, during the dancing, Ned leaned closer to kiss Chuck….

When Ned's voiced echoing in Digby's ears brought him back to reality.

"Digby!" The Pie Maker called to the dog, who whined in frustration at being awakened. Digby was still waiting for Ned and Chuck to get ready, but Ned was having trouble picking out a tie to wear to the party. "Hey, buddy! What do you think Chuck will like best? The blue one, or the green one?" he asked the dog, anxious.

Digby barked once and wagged his tail.

"The blue one? Thank you!" Ned curved his mouth into a smile as he put the blue tie on. Then he took the reindeer costume off of Digby, and the dog jumped on him, licking his face in gratitude. "Hey! You're going to ruin my suit!" Ned complained as Digby whined. "But you welcome!"

There was a pause before Chuck arrived at his door, wearing a red silk dress with red shoes and her hair up. "Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yes."

They exchanged glances and happy smiles before left the apartment. "So, let's go."

"Let's."

Later, at the party, everything was perfect and magical. Ned couldn't want a more perfect Christmas party. The only downside was the fact he couldn't kiss Chuck when they were under the mistletoe, but everything else was great.

At midnight, after they said grace and opened the presents, everybody sat around, looking happy with their gifts. Emerson had given everybody a sweater, Olive had gotten some perfumes and a Cole Porter album, Chuck got some books, and Ned, some Christmas albums. Emerson got his favorite kind of gift, money in cash, as well as a few new pop up books.

When it was finally time, Ned and Chuck exchanged their gifts.

"I have a gift for you!" They said in unison, making them chuckle.

"You first!" Chuck said politely, smiling as Ned handed her a red package. "Thank you, Ned!"

"Merry Christmas, Chuck!" Ned said before shoving his hands on his pockets a little uneasily while Chuck was unwrapping the package.

To her surprise, it was a beautiful pair of red leather gloves, making Chuck smile before put them on. She and Ned shared an innocent grin before Chuck put her gloved hands into his bare ones to hold them.

"I loved my gift. Thank you."

They kept staring at each other in silence, making Emerson Cod roll his eyes more than once before he cleared his throat.

"Now it's my turn!" Chuck announced, excited. "But you need to close your eyes first," she explained, making Ned look at her, confused. "It's a surprise!"

"Okay." Ned nodded suspiciously, but he finally closed his eyes.

Suddenly, Ned felt Chuck's lips against his own as she give him a very passionate and forceful kiss, making Ned open his eyes quickly in terror, afraid that Chuck would die. But she was still alive, and her lips still warm and wet against his. She pulled his tie to bring Ned closer to her, caressing his face with her gloved hands. Ned fought the urge to caress her as well, still trying to understand how this was possible.

"You're still alive!" Ned said, startled and very confused as they ended the kiss.

"Yes, I am." Chuck nodded with an innocent smile.

"How?"

"Plastic Lips!" Chuck announced with a proud smirk.

"Plastic Lips?" Ned, Olive and Emerson asked in unison while Clara watched the whole scene, very confused.

"That's right!"

The facts were these; three nights ago, Chuck was watching TV in the Pie Maker's apartment, trying to figure out the best present she could give Ned since he already given her the best gift of all when he brought her back to life. Suddenly, during a TNT Batman movie marathon, Chuck came up with the idea of plastic lips.

"That's how I came up with the Plastic lips idea! I was watching that Batman movie…"

"Which one?" Emerson interrupted.

"The one with Poison Ivy." Chuck explained.

"Batman Returns?" Olive asked.

"That was with Catwoman." Chuck corrected her.

"Batman Forever?" Emerson asked.

"Two Face and The Riddler." Ned reminded him, amused.

"Batman and Robin?" Emerson tried again.

"That one!" Chuck said excited. "Anyway, there's a scene when Poison Ivy kisses Robin and he falls in the floor, lying still. She thinks he's dead before she notices him alive in front of her, and he explains that he was wearing…"

"Plastic Lips!" The four friends said at once.

"Clever!" Emerson Cod said, nodding with a smirk. "Dead girl got brains!"

"I thought so!" Chuck said proudly.

"That was dangerous, Chuck." Ned said blushing. "And If I had touched you thinking I could when I couldn't… I can't bear to thought what would happen if…"

"Hush." She said putting her gloved finger on his mouth. "Nothing happened, Ned. I'm still here and I won't go anywhere."

Ned sighed, still worried, but then smiled at her.

"Thank you. I loved my gift, too. Although it made my heart stop for a moment."

"Come here!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him under the mistletoe. "Now we can kiss under the mistletoe."

"That's true!"

Chuck pulled on his shirt collar to bring him closer to her before she gave him a very passionate kiss under the mistletoe.

"Merry Christmas, Ned."

"Merry Christmas, Chuck."

It was indeed a magical night, Ned thought, before they shared another kiss.

The End.