A/N: So, this chapter's longer to make up for the last two short ones (my bad, just the way it happened). Oh, I haven't mentioned it yet, but I don't own "Pushing Daisies". But if it's for sale at a reasonable price, then....

"You have to go talk to him!" Olive said.

"No I don't!" Ned protested.

Olive put her hands on her hips. "Well, what are you gonna do, just leave him there until we close? 'Oh, excuse me there, sir, gotta mop under your feet, while Ned's still too busy making imaginary pies to talk to you!' You can't do that to him!"

"Please, Olive, I've told you about my father," Ned said. "I can't do this."

She sighed after a moment. "Fine, you pretend that you're busy. But you have to tell him. Say you're expecting a business call or something."

Ned looked at her blankly. "But I never get business calls."

Olive grabbed his arm and tugged him towards the door. "Yeah, but he doesn't have to know that. Now, go!"

With a shove, Ned stumbled out the doorway and slowly shuffled over to his father, grudgingly staring at the floor. He stood still for a moment in front of the booth, hands jammed in his pockets, before quickly asking, "What do you want?"

His father stood up and spread his arms wide for a hug. "Oh, Ned, don't be so harsh. Come here."

Ned stepped forward and silently allowed himself to be hugged, while not actually moving his own arms. "Why are you here?" he asked again, after the awkward half-hug ended.

"Can't a father just swing by to talk with his son? Come on, take a seat, Ned."

They sat down on opposite sides of the booth. Olive walked over with a pot of coffee and two menus, although Ned likely knew every item on it. "Ned, I know you don't drink coffee, but would you like some, Mr….?"

It suddenly occurred to her that she didn't know if Ned had his mother's or father's last name.

"You can call me Jack, honey." Ned's father said cheerfully. "And I would love some coffee."

"Alrighty, then." Olive poured the cup of coffee dutifully. "Well, I'll leave you two to your father-son bonding time." She scurried off to clean one of the tables, although Ned was sure she picked that table for its eavesdropping quality.

Before Ned and Jack could continue their conversation, Emerson and Chuck threw open the front doors. Chuck, realizing who the mysterious stranger was, flipped up the collar of her jacket and rushed into the kitchen, although Ned was sure she was also going to eavesdrop on them. Emerson, however, strolled on up to the booth and said gruffly, "I got us another…client…we need to talk with, Ned. Who's this?"

"I'm Jack, Ned's father," Jack said. "I was just having a conversation with Ned about…cliffdiving."

Ned looked up warily. "No, we weren't."

"Okay, I guess it wasn't about cliff-diving exactly, more like "being saved from plunging to your death down a steep cliff." Naturally, I got them confused." Jack calmly took a sip of his coffee, and looked expectantly at Ned. "What's your client for?"

"Why are you talking about cliffs?" Ned asked, trying and failing to hide his panic.

"I think you know very well what I'm talking about," he said. "Or do you not recognize me without the mask and the friendly hand pulling you to safety?"

Ned could hear Olive gasp at the other table. "It was you!" he murmured in shock.

"Yep." Jack took another drink of coffee. "I'm kind of surprised that you didn't try to track down this mysterious stranger."

"I almost plummeted to my death, I was kind of distracted at the moment!" Ned replied. "But, how did you even know we were there?" he asked, softer this time.

"Well, I've been tracking you for a while now. An old neighbor of ours said you might be up to something no good. Ned, you might remember him," Jack said with a false grin stretching across his face. "Mr. Charles Charles, from across the street?"

Although he phrased it like a question, his raised eyebrows showed that he already knew the answer, and the round of gasps he heard from Ned, Emerson, Olive and Chuck confirmed it.

"D—Dad," Ned stuttered. "I have to talk to Emerson about th-the client—"

"Not now, you don't," Jack said, sitting back in his seat. "I saved your life, the least you can give me is a conversation with some answers."

Emerson looked at Ned with some nervousness and frustration. "You know I can't talk with this client without you," he said, chuckling to hide how serious he was from Jack.

"Then do some interviews or something instead. Take Olive and—" Ned stopped.

"Chuck?" Jack prompted. "Was that her going into the kitchen just now?"

Ned felt like he couldn't breathe. His life-long secret was out in the open. He was going to become a medical mystery to poke and prod, just like the nightmares he had during his childhood. And if Jack knew about Charles Charles, he must also have known about Ned's mother, and Ned's failed attempt to keep her forever. And all these fears, the skeletons that were tumbling out of Ned's closet, were crushing him beneath their weight.

A/N: Whoo angst! There'll be more next chapter about the fathers' conversation, and the paleontologist case as well (but sorry if my criminal justice knowledge seems limited to what happens on "Law and Order", but it is what it is)