Author's Note: So, I've just finished watching Pushing Daisies – what a fantastic series! – and happened to think that, although done brilliantly and concluded satisfactorily, that there were a few things missing. Yes we don't find out what's happened to Ned and Chuck's respective fathers, but what if Olive finally found out of Ned's gift? HOW would she find out? Well, have a read at this slice of a FanFic to find out – and probably a few others out there now I think about it…
Disclaimer: Although I'd seriously want to, I don't own Pushing Daisies or any of the characters hereby associated with aforementioned show.
Additional Note: If you like what you read below, please visit my Pushing Daisies FanFic RP Forum, 'Tales from the Pie Hole': forum/Pushing-Daisies-Tales-from-the-Pie-Hole/130649/
Although her heart now belonged to someone else, Olive Snook's curiosity still lay firmly upon Ned the Pie Maker.
Long ago he had teamed up the Private Investigator Emerson Cod and ever since then the both of them had been raking in rewards like Ned baked Pies – and Ned could bake with speed! Olive had kept her curiosity deep within, overshadowed by her then-lust for the Pie Maker, but now after she had finally moved on, after she had accepted that his heart was for someone else, now her curiosity lied on the simple question of: How?
That was why she now stood, under the window of the door Ned himself had been directed to, along with Emerson Cod and Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles, within the morgue they so regularly visited. It was easy for her to sneak behind them, avoid the coroner and wait around the corner until the coast as clear – she was small enough anyway to get away with it – and now she was about to find out what her mind had desired while her heart had taken control.
She had been let in on many things over the years regarding Ned, Emerson and even Chuck, but none of that had even hinted towards what Olive was about to discover as she looked through the small window to the door, watching with intent as the three talked among themselves before Ned reached out and… touched the corpse laying upon the gurney.
Olive barely had time to react at the oddness of touching cold bodies without gloved protection when the dead man sat up, Olive stepping back in shock as her eyes remained on the scene. Although she couldn't hear what was being said, she had a very clear idea of what the P.I. and his silent partners were discovering.
Her mind was reeling as she shook her head in disbelief, finally moving away from the window altogether as she backed down the corridor. Turning on her heel suddenly, she ran, passing the coroner without comment as she left the building and sprinted down the street – fear and shock taking precedence as she didn't pay too much attention as to what she was running passed or into as her mind reeled with the image of a talking dead man.
She reached the Pie Hole in no time, unlocking the door before collapsing into the stool by the bar area overlooking the kitchen.
"Ned can wake the dead…" Olive muttered to herself in disbelief, her head in her hands as she began to wrap her brain about it, speaking aloud as things clicked into place; "Of course, it all makes sense now! The money, Emerson's neediness, Chuck herself – faking her death indeed! But does that mean she's got a skin condition against Ned? Maybe there's a clause… Obviously the dead don't stay dead or else there'd be no rewards to claim to, but what could it be? She stopped talking as suddenly as she had started, her mind going farther afield as more things began to slot into the mess of a jigsaw in her mind.
"Olive, are you alright?"
She didn't register the voice as she simply responded with, "Ned can wake the dead!" before turning on her barstool to see the man himself, along with Emerson and Chuck slightly behind as all three looked confused.
"Sorry doll, didn't quite catch that" Emerson muttered as he puffed upon his trademark cigar, Chuck grabbing it from his so as to put it out.
"I said" Olive got off her stool, moving over to Ned as she poked him in the chest, "Ned here can wake the dead!" She took a smug step back so as to look at their now-shocked expressions as she added with a triumphant grin; "Sorry bub, but the secret's out!"