chapter6.

At this very moment two women lay in their beds alone, both thinking about the same man.

The one lay in her own bed in the Pie Maker's home, while she pondered the growing distance between herself and Ned. Chuck was greatly distressed by the fact that she no longer felt the same way she had about him and she knew that things between them were coming to an end, a possibility that had never even crossed her mind. Ned was her child hood sweet heart, weren't they supposed to be together like she had always imagined, even as a little girl. But Chuck guessed that dying had possibly changed that. Although she hated the idea she accepted that she would have to give up Ned to move on with her life, and possibly find some one a bit more… attainable, even touchable.

The other woman, lay in a strange bed listening to the silence of the strange house as she wondered if Ned was still awake, unable to sleep like her. She wondered about other things as well, of course. Mostly of the gap between herself and the Pie Maker, and how as of late it had been getting smaller and smaller. Was she imagining it? Or was Ned the one who seemed to be moving things along? He had always been the one who objected to Olive's advances, plus he was dating Chuck, her best friend. In a way she felt guilty for kissing Ned (again), but she also wanted to do it again, and again and again. It was just when she thought about Ned from the hall came a loud noise. She jumped out of bed and ran to see what had made such a noise.

Upon seeing nothing in the hallway that could have made the noise olive assumed that it had been something outside, and returned to her room, after noting that Ned was indeed asleep on the couch where had decided to sleep.

While sitting on the edge of her bed Olive decided that attempting sleep was pointless and that her mind would simply not turn off. So she stood up and went to see the man that was causing her insomnia.

"Ned?" She whispered from the doorway to the living room as she upped the light to a low dimness, bright enough for her to see that Ned's long body hardly fit on the couch he had chosen to sleep on. Olive resisted a giggle at the sight of his legs hanging over the end of the sofa and his arms dangling off the side. His grey sweat pants and white T-shirt twisted all around him, as if he had gone through great pains to get comfortable.

"Ned?" Olive said again this time a bit louder as she approached him slowly, not wanting to surprise him, she was glad when he stirred gently and opened his eyes.

"Olive?" he whispered hoarsely, his throat still dry with sleep.

"Yeah its me." He heard as his eyes adjusted to the dim light of the room and he saw a small black silhouette of Olive against the light of the hall. "You know you don't really fit on that couch?"

"Mhm… its better than the cold floor though." Ned said as he sat up and Olive came to stand in front of him. Olive reached out her hand to Ned's and was happily surprised when he did not recoil from her touch. She gave his arm a tug,

"Common…" she said as she pulled him up off the sofa "you don't have to sleep on the couch or the floor, I told you that earlier."

"Olive, I don't want you to have to sleep out here either, it's kinda cold, and uncomfortable." He finished as he rubbed his own back with his free hand.

"I don't have to sleep out here either Ned. Common." She said again as she pulled Ned closer to the door where he eventually gave up and let olive lead him into the bedroom. Where olive climbed onto the bed and patted a space next to her just for him.

When he finally did lay down next to her the two lay there for a moment awkwardly before Ned turned onto his side and reached out for Olive's hand which she happily gave him as she let herself be pulled against his chest in a warm embrace.

In the Pie Maker's arms all of Olive's worries about chuck disappeared and she felt that she knew this was right, and nothing could ever be more right. As Ned held Olive he marveled at the warmth her skin gave off, and just how perfectly she fit in his arms. He had not shared a bed with a women that he could touch for a very long time, and he felt that he could easily get used to this new type of comfort he had with Olive.

Eventually the two drifted into a comfortable sleep and neither awoke again until late the next morning.

***

"Olive?" Ned whispered the next morning when he woke up, Olive lying on his chest. When she didn't move, Ned sat up a little bit more, and ran his hands down her back, not wanting to surprise her. Eventually Olive stirred under his touch and sat up to look at him.

Had she really just spent the night with the Pie Maker? Was all she could think when she woke up in his arms, she had slept will, she observed silently.

"Morning sunshine!" she said sitting up and stretching.

"Good morning Olive."

"Hey, what time is it?" she questioned.

"Nine-thirty, we have until four today to get three pies on the table for judging." Ned stated checking his watch.

"Alrighty then…" Olive hopped out of bed and grabbed a robe from the dresser. "Breakfast?" she asked making her way to the door.

"Um, yeah." Ned stuttered rubbing his eyes. "Why do you have so much energy in the morning? You haven't even had any coffee yet."

"I guess I'm a morning person." Olive squeaked as she made her way to Ned's side of the bed. "Common…rise and shine sleepy head!" She said grabbing Ned's hands and attempting to pull him out of bed.

Finally she succeeded and the two of them made there way to the kitchen where they had a short breakfast of fruit salad. In less than an hour the male and female pie maker were in the kitchen and ready to make some beautiful pies for the judges.

"So make sure the two pies that you're making look extra good, better than usual. Okay?" Ned told olive from across the kitchen as he nervously pulled out supplies from the refrigerator.

"I know Ned, you already told me twice. Calm down please." Olive walked around the counter and stood next to Ned who seemed like he was about to start stress baking any minute.

"I know it's just that our pies have never been judged on how they looked, and today that's all they're being judged on, so I guess it really doesn't matter what they taste like, but the have to look really good, okay…?"

Olive reached out and took Ned's hand, "Calm down, our pies always look good Ned. You'll be fine, our pies will be fine, we will be fine. You are over reacting."

Ned sighed and gave Olive's hand a squeeze then turned to grab the flower from the counter.