R&R Appreciated! (PS: Thanks for all the great reviews you've written so far for the story. Glad you like it).

-disclaimer- This chapter contains slash. Please don't read if this offends you.

Chap. 4

Thoughts buzzed around Olive Snook's head. Thoughts she didn't even think were hers, for she had never had them before. Thoughts about the girl called Chuck -who was definitely more than just a girl at this point- would not leave her alone. As she lay in her bed with her blankets bunched up around her face and neck, Olive wondered if Chuck was also thinking about her. And what had compelled her to lean forward and kiss Olive? As she pondered this, Olive recalled vividly the kisses shared between them. Chuck's soft lips so warm under her own… her hands gently pulling Olive closer, forbidding her release. The sound of Chuck's breathing against her cheek as they gently tested different angles and pressures of the kiss, each finding satisfaction in the other's attempts to create the perfect movement.

The vivid memory overwhelmed Olive, who came crashing back to earth as Digby snorted lightly beside her. Guilty and ashamed, Olive squeezed her eyes shut tightly, burying her head under the covers. It was not until she heard the light voice beside her that she surfaced. Eyes wide and cheeks pink, Olive lowered the top of her sheets to see a distressed Chuck standing beside her bed. Attired only in her pink button up PJ's and bright red toenail polish, Chuck reminded Olive of a child just woken from a bad dream.

"Olive," Chuck spoke again. "I'm sorry if I woke you, but I saw your light still on…"

Olive shook her head. "You didn't wake me. Digby might; he sounds like a tractor some nights." Olive giggled lightly, but Chuck remained placid.

"Can we talk?" Chuck asked.

Olive nodded and patted at the bed, waking Digby. The golden-haired dog yawned, stretched his paws and put his head back down, only slightly noticing when Chuck hopped up on the bed beside him. Chuck patted him, clearly avoiding Olive's gaze.

Olive spoke first, "Chuck… Let's not pretend that nothing happened between us."

Chuck looked at her. "I don't plan to. I just wanted to know why you did it."

"Me? I wasn't the only one participating!" Olive protested. "You were the one that kissed me the second time!"

"You did it first!" Chuck shot back. "I just wanted to know what made you do it… It's not like something that happens every day…"

Olive was at a loss for words. "I--," she started, and then stopped. Chuck's eyes demanded an answer. "I wanted to know what it was like. Maybe it's my own obsession with Ned that made me do it. Subconsciously I might have thought that by kissing you I was somehow kissing him."

It sounded reasonable enough for Olive, but Chuck did not look convinced. She lowered her eyes to Digby and absently played with his fur. "That's why I did it too…" she said, barely audibly.

"What?" Olive heard perfectly, but needed it said again.

"I think that's why I kissed back," Chuck sighed. "I can't touch Ned. I can't even kiss him unless we have something between us. It just felt so good feeling your lips and your warmth; I thought maybe I could get something I've been missing through you."

Olive was simultaneously touched and devastated. She knew deep inside she fancied Chuck herself, and was not kissing her with Ned in mind. She had hoped perhaps Chuck felt the same way and that this would somehow validate her feelings and make her less abnormal. After hearing this, however, Olive was beginning to see herself as a pawn in a very dramatic triangular game. She loved Ned, Ned loved Chuck, and Chuck loved her, but only because she couldn't love Ned physically. It dizzied her mind and tired her soul. Hoping Chuck didn't see the inner-struggle she was overcoming, Olive unconsciously grabbed a pillow to hug.

"But after I did it…" Chuck continued, much to Olive's surprise. "I realized that you're my best friend. And I love you."

Olive's hurt broke into pieces, evaporating into a million emotions, most of them positive. "I love you too," she said quietly. This was true.

They sat a moment, exchanging smiles and nods. Olive felt relieved knowing Chuck still loved her as a best friend. As they sat together on the bed, Olive realized that in only a few short months, the brown-haired stranger from nowhere with a million secrets and only a few answers, had somehow become closer to her than any other person ever had, including The Pie Maker.

"I'm sure that's all it was…" Olive waved her hand. "We're just really close friends. Friends kiss all the time, we just got carried away."

Chuck nodded, playing along with Olive's argument. "And even if we really liked it, it was just because we were both thinking of Ned."

Olive nodded, acting completely sure of herself. Chuck's face grew serious again and she averted her eyes quickly when Olive looked at her. Olive knew something was still bothering her. Deciding not to say anything, Olive simply snuggled down in her sheets, offering Chuck part of the blanket. Chuck got under the covers too, her eyes still uneasy.

"Well, I guess its bedtime," Olive said simply, flipping off the light next to her bed.

The room grew quiet and dark, the only light coming from the reflection of a streetlamp in the window. Even Digby was silent, his familiar snoring having dwindled down to soft breathing. This would not be the first time Olive and Chuck shared a bed, and in fact would re-kindle a tradition the two had shared during Chuck's first few nights living with Olive. They would used to stay up late and watch scary movies, and then spend hours talking about them under the covers with a flashlight. It was the sleepover ritual Chuck had never experienced, and Olive had only briefly experienced and always at someone else's house. It was the thing that brought them together at first, and now would be the thing that neither would even think about as their minds puzzled over separate predicaments. Olive could only imagine that this would be a very long night indeed.

Sometime in the night, Digby left the bed. Olive could not remember much about how it came to be that Chuck's head ended up on her pillow, or how her arm now rested on Chuck's waist. It wasn't until Olive opened her eyes fully that she realized she was not dreaming. Afraid to move, lest she wake Chuck and reveal their intertwined position, Olive remained still. Chuck's breathing was soft next to her cheek, and Olive could not deny that the warmth of Chuck's body so close to her own was comforting. Cautiously, Olive twitched her fingers. Chuck did not stir. Olive slowly began to lift her arm off Chuck's waist, but stopped suddenly when Chuck shifted. Convinced she had woken her, Olive stared hesitantly into the darkness, waiting for Chuck's voice. Chuck did not wake however. Grunting lightly, she pushed herself up closer against Olive's body, burying her head under Olive's chin next to her neck and chest. Her arm squeezed Olive close, as if she were hugging a teddy bear or doll.

A shiver crept up Olive's spine. Chuck was closer to her than anyone had been in years, and it felt nice. Absently, Olive lowered her arm, letting it slide around Chuck's small waist. Curiously, she held Chuck, feeling a sense of comfort and satisfaction she never before experienced. Chuck's skin smelled sweet and her hair was soft. Her body felt so small beneath Olive's arm, despite the fact that Olive was only a little over half Chuck's size. Not used to being physically close to a woman in this way, Olive took a moment to savor Chuck's feminine presence. She could hear Chuck's heart beat, the sound muffled and small, but present.

A sudden feeling of guilt washed over Olive as she realized she was doing something Ned never had. She still had not gotten an answer out of Chuck regarding their inability to touch, but decided to accept it for what it was. Saddened and also fascinated by this bizarre but romantic peculiarity, Olive found herself hugging Chuck tighter. She held her close, not just for herself, but for the Pie Maker, whom she figured would never be able to have this. Olive closed her eyes, letting her thoughts finally rest as she held Chuck, and was held in return.

It took a moment for Olive to realize that Chuck was not entirely still. Something tickled at her chest, and as she opened her eyes she found Chuck's fingers gently caressing her neck. Leaning back to see her face, Olive was surprised to see Chuck's eyes wide open. Her mouth formed a simple smile, and in this smile, Olive suddenly knew. All the unsaid details, all the subtle nuances and all the chemistry began to weave it together, and she now understood. Quite sure of herself this time, Olive pushed her lips against Chuck's. Chuck did not protest, did not make a sound, and did not turn away, for in her shared expression with Olive she had communicated her desire, and Olive had read it perfectly.

Their hands found each other under the covers, and they held them together as they kissed. Olive gently pecked at Chuck's lower lip, finding her chin soft and sweet, so unlike any of the other lovers she'd had in the past. Her hands slowly moved through Chuck's long hair, enchanted at its softness. Chuck sat up, lying back against the headboard, and slowly began to unbutton her top. Olive watched with more anticipation than she ever thought she would have. As the pink fabric slowly parted and Chuck's smooth skin appeared in its place, Olive bit her lower lip, overcome by feelings of excitement. Chuck did not fully open her shirt, but looked apprehensively at Olive. Olive could tell she was nervous, and had to admit to being nervous herself. She knew however, that she wanted this.

With a small smile, Olive slowly moved her hands to Chuck's head, pulling her close for a kiss. Her hands moved slowly down Chuck's neck and shoulders, finally finding her bare skin. Her fingers gently slid over Chuck's breasts, finding her nipples already quite hard. Olive's face felt hot as she let her fingers explore further, her kisses moving down Chuck's neck. Chuck, meanwhile, had moved her hands to the hem of Olive's nightgown, gently inching it up her thigh. Olive felt Chuck's hands moving over her skin, raising goosebumps.

Slowly, Olive slid Chuck's shirt off her shoulders, her lips moving across her chest. Chuck slipped the shirt completely off, tossing it on the floor before returning her attention to Olive's nightgown, raising it up to her stomach. Olive sat up and let Chuck move it over her head, feeling the air nip at her bare skin. Chuck's eyes moved over Olive's body, her desire for it plain on her face. Olive felt proud and important being looked at, and couldn't help but giggle.

"What?" Chuck smiled back.

Olive shook her head and they met for another kiss. Chuck, not hesitating at all, cupped Olive's breasts. Olive marveled at how the other woman knew so well how to touch and caress her. This love was so different than anything she had known. Olive felt herself lying down on the bed, fully succumbing to Chuck. Chuck, who may have lied about never experiencing this before, kissed her way down Olive's body. Olive closed her eyes and imagined the Pie Maker. The thought was nice, but she didn't want to be there… She was exactly where she wanted to be at the moment, and that was with Chuck. She still didn't know if there was something wrong with her, but she knew she didn't care. Chuck's lips were soft as they expertly dotted her collarbone. Olive inhaled deeply, smelling Chuck's freshly-washed hair. Raspberries. She was certain now.