Title: The Darling Mermaid's Little Darling
Author: moonswirl
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I own nothing, not a petal or a rotten strawberry. It all belongs to its creators and writers (come back! please?), I merely bask in the awesome and bow down to it.
Pairings/Characters: Lily, Olive, Lily/Little Chuck, Lily/Someone
Summary: Following the revelation at the end of Corpsicle, Olive visits Lily again, seeking answers.
Author's Note: I started working on this story promptly after first seeing the episode, I had to... Also, aware of the short time I had that didn't have to be devoted to homework, I focused on the story, in order to have it done before I ever began to post it, so I wouldn't have to keep waiting. Therefore... the story is complete! Look for new chapters once a week, every... well, Wednesdays, let's say. Daisies day... usually...
Author's Note: I always love to hear from lovely people... that'd be you, if you're reading this... It's my first PD fic, can you tell I'm excited?

CHAPTER 1 of 8
(AKA The Prologue)

Olive Snook approached the Pie Hole, hoping and praying like someone who held a secret and was known to burst on such occasions – which was what she was. She hoped and prayed a certain someone this secret concerned would not be around. The hope was that her current rift with the Pie Maker would raise the chances of her absence...

"Hey, Olive." She froze, just inside the door. There she was... There they both were, Chuck and Ned. Body language was enough to know...

"Oh, you two are talking again, that's... that's great," she spoke evenly then paused, starting to turn with "Just wanted to say... goodnight, so... Goodnight." She'd made it out on the threshold, when...

"Olive, wait," she heard Chuck call, and once more she froze. She turned to find the girl in question standing before her. Inside, she swore with panic. "Did you deliver the pie to my aunts?" Olive would have rather been anywhere but there in that instant. She wouldn't have believed it weeks ago, but it had nothing to do with Chuck and her ties with Ned. This sidestep was made by a friend, one who had not only Chuck's interest at heart, but her that of her aunts... aunt and...

"I did, yes. Big success," she intoned with a laugh. "Where do you get your vanilla?"

"I, uh... Nowhere special..."

"Yeah," Olive nodded and, after a small silence, "Well, good night..." With no further word, the two parted, and Olive finally took shelter in her home, alone with Lily's loopy revelation.

That night, curled up in bed, Olive tried to push the words away, to somehow discredit them as a misunderstanding. It couldn't be done. That had been as straightforward as an arrow with a target in sight. She'd tossed and turned aimlessly until finally exhaustion did its work and carried her off to dreamland. Only dreamland was nothing but a field of bursting questions that begged to be answered by fault of exploding.

The next morning it could barely be counted as free will as she dressed and went on her way back to the aunts' house. The drive was spent constantly in consideration of turning back, but each time something came and stopped her. Finally the car was pulling up in front of the familiar gated home. Olive stood in front of the gate, giving her brain one last chance to back out.

Ten seconds later she was on the doorstep, awaiting an answer. Seconds later, Vivian opened the door. She looked somewhat confused... and a little afraid. "Hi," Olive started.

"Hello," she murmured.

"Is everything alright?" Olive asked, concerned.

"It's been a rough night," her eyes grew wide. "I think there was something wrong with that pie."

"That's arguable. Is Lily okay?"

"She's particularly... It's been a rough night," she repeated. "Might be best not to disturb her."

"The thing is, I really need to ask her about something." Vivian looked at her like she was asking to be put in a cage with a famished lion. "Please?"

"She's in her room," Vivian finally nodded, guiding the brave Snook up the stairs, stopping at a closed door. She looked to Olive once more then knocked and opened the door. She stepped aside then, Olive taking the cue to walk in. Vivian didn't follow, shutting the door again instead.

Olive had never been in this room before. One thing was certain, it was very much Lily's room. The lady in question was seated up in her bed, eye barely open as it observed the very small television on her dresser. She didn't seem particularly focused on what was playing – much more on avoiding the person who had entered just then.

"Hi Lily," Olive started, still planted where her feet had taken her after walking in. Lily didn't reply. "You know, when I was a kid, I once ate a whole chocolate cake. It seemed like a good idea... at the time," Olive frowned.

"What do you want?" Lily finally said, still looking at the television. Olive finally tempted a few steps, up to the side of the bed. When Lily didn't seem to object – and Olive was sure she wasn't just in her blind spot – she sat.

"How much do you remember from last night?" Lily sighed, reaching for the remote, shutting up the increasingly shrill sounds of the girl on screen.

"Pie, apple, gruyere, and..." her voice halted. Olive could tell – Lily didn't remember exactly what she'd said, but she knew she'd said something she hadn't planned to.

"Nothing after that?" Olive prompted. Lily looked sideways. "Nothing about... snow angels?" Remembrance flashed across Lily's eyes. Olive's own eyes grew wide, and Lily crossed sight with her for a moment. "So it's true... you really are Charlotte's mother!"

"Was," Lily cut in briskly. "She's gone now."

"And she never knew?" The momentary flicker of sadness in her eyes told her – she didn't. "That must have really hurt, to know that?"

"She wouldn't have understood, it wouldn't have helped her one bit."

"What happened, Lily?" She remained quiet for a moment, pondering her options.

"You're not going to drop this until I tell you, will you?" Olive didn't dare speak. "Get me a drink first, then we'll see."

TBC