Chapter 1: The Day the Piemaker Died
The day the Piemaker died began like all his other days. He opened up his eyes slowly and turned onto his left side to see Chuck Charles turning onto her right side. He blinked a couple of times to make sure she wasn't dream, and each morning he found that she was, indeed, alive again in the bed next to his. The pair smiled sleepily at each other and continued to gaze at each other.
"Good morning." Ned said, grinning.
"Good morning." Chuck replied, grinning.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, I dreamt of my bees." She said warmly. She chuckled before asking, "And you?"
The Piemaker, in fear of sounding needy and too romantic, opted not to tell his childhood sweetheart that as long as she slept beside him he always slept, "Wonderfully."
Then like every morning, the Piemaker would put on his slippers with bells and start his daily routine. The couple decided not to do their small morning tasks together in fear of touching or being touched, and would only do one thing together, get dressed.
Not being able to be as intimate as other couples, Ned and Chuck always took pleasure in what they could. This morning Chuck slipped on her favorite red dress and Ned wore his usual button down and tie.
"Can you zip me up?" Ned grabbed the handiest of his gadgets, that just so happened to be a hand. He grabbed onto the zipper and pulled it up to the top. Chuck let her brown waves crash onto her shoulders and turned around and smiled, "Thank you."
"Can I tell you something?"
"Shoot."
Ned smiled sadly at the girl before him, "I've always wanted to touch your hair."
"I've always wanted to straighten your tie for you in the morning."
"My tie is crooked?" Chuck laughed, put on a glove, and traced her hand down his face tenderly.
He melted at her touch, even if it wasn't really her touch, but the touch of her glove. Even though it was the glove, Ned liked to imagine her smooth gentle hands touching his face. He could feel the heat emitting from the glove, and he supposed that that was better than nothing. Knowing that they were late and pies had to be made, Chuck removed her hand and the glove.
"We should go." She left the apartment and descened down the stairs, Ned followed a safe distance behind her down to the Pie Hole.
Ned put on his apron and went into the kitchen, Chuck went with him to fetch all the ingredients he would need and then leave to hand out the pies.
"Where's Olive?" Ned asked, putting two of the pies into the oven.
"At the beach. She's on a date with Alfredo." Chuck wiggled her eye brows and smirked at the man she loved.
"It's a good thing we're not busy."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Luckily for Ned, private investigator Emerson Cod walked into the Pie Hole at that precise moment. Forgetting what Ned had said, Chuck smiled warmly and greeted the private investigator. Emerson Cod smiled for a brief second and then let his face return to the snarl it was wearing when he walked in.
"Hello, Emerson." Ned said, wiping his hands on his apron, "What brings you here?"
"Business and apple pie."
"They're not ready yet, late start today." Ned said, checking the timer on the oven. They still had fifteen minutes. He felt a tingle in his chest, that was more of a nuisance than a pain, however it still made him pause. He closed his eyes for a moment and the feeling seemed to vanish. "Business, you said?" he asked, strained.
"Yeah. Some lady walked in to her house and all her goldfish were dead."
Chuck furrowed her brow, "Not that that isn't a tragedy or anything, but it doesn't really seem like-"
"They were dead because her husband's head cracked it the water leaked out."
"Oh."
"Mmhm. She says foul play, but has no idea who it could be. I was thinking a trip to the morgue. Probably a mistress or business partner. They were pretty wealthy." He paused and grinned, "Which means a big pay check."
Chuck rested her chin in her hand, "Probably won't be a problem. Business isn't exactly booming today. Probably because of the holiday weekend."
"Where's Blondie?"
"The beach." Chuck smiled, "It's so romantic. Her and Alfredo-"
"Another time. We should go while we can."
"Yeah. Ned-"
The duo turned to look at their other companion, but he was not standing where he was moments ago. In fact he wasn't even standing at all.
"Ned!" The Piemaker had fallen to the ground, clutching the material of his shirt tightly. His brow had a slight sweat and his eyes were closed in pain. Chuck went to check his pulse and swore quietly to herself.
Emerson was at her side, much calmer than the ever panicked Chuck. "He's alive."
"Ned! What is it?"
The Piemaker made a gesture to his heart. "A heart attack? You're not even thirty! Is that possible? Emerson call an ambulance!" Ned shook his head. "It's not too late, Ned. It's never too late and you taught me that!" Chuck Charles realized that she was crying, about to lose the man she loved and the man who brought her back to life. Ned used all his remaining strength to point to his sweetheart's pocket.
Chuck pulled out the glove and put it on. She intertwined her fingers with his. "Emerson, can we be alone?"
"Of course."
Once their friend had left, Charlotte Charles began to sob, something she had only done one other time, when he father died. "Ned, can you look at me?" He opened his eyes and saw his beautiful Chuck, "I love you. I love you more than a person has any business of loving someone. I love you, and you're leaving me. I should've made you walk more!"
The Piemaker did something resembling a laugh before closing his eyes in agony. "I love you." She said one final time.
Upon hearing that, the Piemaker squeezed his eyes shut, and died.
AN- Next chapter is much happier, I promise!
