Single Parent Problems

"Ah hate ta be rude, Caramel but... Ah'm actually waitin on somepony. So...-" Applejack began.

"Yeah, me." Caramel said.

"Wait what?"

"I contacted Pinkie and asked her for a favor..." Applejack scratched her head at the thought. "Why not jes ask me outright?" she asked. Caramel's eyes looked right at her. "I... I was nervous you'd say no."

"Well ah ain't gonna lie, Caramel, yer a real sweet guy but... Why me? Ah been a straight bitch to ya fer years." Her statement wasn't wrong. The last two Winter Wrapups, for example, Caramel misplaced the grass seeds, causing Applejack to lose her temper at him.

"Well, you're smart, you're hard working, strong, beautiful. And you're great with kids, apparently." he chuckled.

"Yeah, 'bout that..." her head hung low, "There's another reason ah adopted Jackpot, one ah didn't tell'em..."

"Oh?"

"The doctors say... that... Ah'm infertile... that ah'll never have a baby o' mah own. So when ah started seeing Jacky as mah son... Ah saw it was an opportunity ta experience bein a momma..." Applejack sighed and rested her face in her hooves, "So ifen it's kids ya want one day, it ain't gonna be with me..." Applejack felt her hooves leave her face.

"Applejack, you think I see you as a baby factory? You're wrong. I see you as an awesome young mare. I'm not gonna lie, AJ... I've actually had it bad for you for a while..."

"Well don't get yer hopes up. Ah still ain't made up mah mind on this." she said. "That's fine," Caramel replied, "I just have to earn your trust."

"It ain't so much that, ya got mah trust already. It's mah son. Ah ain't gonna date nopony, not even Rainbow Dash were the rumors true, that Jacky don't approve of. He comes first." Applejack ordered. This was her one chance at being a mother. She wasn't going to let her hormones ruin it for her.

"That's fine, I understand. But for now, I don't see why we can't eat, maybe have a drink." Caramel smiled, sitting across from her. Applejack pulled off the metal domed lid over her plate to reveal barley risotto with fava beans, corn and mushrooms. Rarity had apparently also set up a bucket of ice. Knowing Applejack's style, where a bottle of wine would be were several cans of her favorite beer. She chuckled. "Ah swear, mah friends know me too well. So what's yer story, Caramel? Ah never bothered ta ask." she requested, cracking open a beer.

"Ladies first."

"A gentlecolt. Nice. Well, you basically know it all. Normal upbringin, mah folks died shortly after Applebloom was born. Big Mac dropped outta school ta take the farm. Then Twilight moved in and everything since then. Then ah meet mah son. Yer turn."

"Ok. Drunk dad, abused mom."

"This took a turn fer the dark."

"Same situation every other night. Dad gets drunk, beats mom and me then apologizes, promising to never do it again." Applejack suddenly felt bad about drinking in front of him and threw out her can.

"No, Applejack, it's fine. It doesn't bother me if you have a drink."

"Really? Cause ah don't wanna offend ya."

"It's fine. So anyway. One night in my mid teen years, he finally, totally goes nuts. He grabs a knife. I see this and jump into the fray. 'Get away from her, you bitch!' I scream. He just laughs. 'What's a little squirt like you gonna do?'" So I did the first thing that came to mind. As he's laughing drunk, I kick him in the balls. He goes down and I grab the knife. I pin him down and hold it to his throat." Caramel said.

Applejack couldn't believe her ears. The normally sweet and quiet Caramel had been pushed past his breaking point.

"I have the knife to his throat. 'You're not gonna hurt Mom anymore, you son of a bitch!" Caramel looked down at the table. Applejack could tell he was flashing back. She jumped when he slammed the table. She grabbed his hoof. "Caramel, come back to me. Yer fine, ah'm right here." she cooed to him.

"Then Mom pulls me off of him, the house phone in her hoof. She'd called the cops. Bastard is still locked up." Caramel's blue eyes looked full of pain. Applejack got up and pulled him into a hug. "Caramel, ah am so sorry..."

"For...?"

"Had ah known about yer past, ah'd never've laid inta ya as hard as ah had..."

"Y'know, it's weird..." He stepped back to look at Applejack, "When my dad yelled at me, I wanted to kill him. When you do, I don't mind it." Caramel held Applejack's hoof and began to dance with her to the music.

As they danced, Applejack rested her head against his chest. On his hindlegs, he was considerably taller than her. She had a perfect spot to listen to his heart and how fast it beat when he was with her. When the last song on the cd had played, Caramel had walked Applejack home. "Well... this is me..." she blushed.

"Can we go out again?" Caramel asked. A second date. Applejack never got this lucky with stallions! "Sure!" she smiled, kissing his cheek, "Jes pick a time and place!"

"Ok, I'll let you know, Aj. Goodnight." he smiled.

"Night, Caramel." she smiled back. When she closed the door, she squealed with excitement as her heart pounded ten miles a second. But her motherly duties kicked in as she went to see if Pinkie put Jackpot to bed.

"Eeyup, ya did, Pinks." she whispered to herself, smiling. She'd gone upstairs to check on Jackpot and found him in bed, snuggled up to a sleeping Pinkie Pie. She walked over and kissed her son's forehead then went to bed, herself. The next morning, she woke up first and started an eggs and tofu breakfast for the family.

"Mornin, y'alls!" Applejack sang. "Well, somepony's happy!" Pinkie noticed.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh also took note.

"The date went good?" Pinkie asked.

"We're meetin up again!"

"Awesome!"

"Eeyup! Oh, hey Jacky, ah need ta talk to ya..."

His ears perking up, he looked at his mom. "Yeah?"

"Ya remember mah friend Caramel? Real forgetful feller, yellow coat and brown hair?"

"Yeah?" Jackpot repeated.

"What if... what if he became Momma's special somepony?"

Jackpot stroked his chin for a second. "Go for it!" he said.

She hugged her son. "Thanks, Jacky!" she smiled, kissing her son's forehead, "This means ya get ta hang out with Aunt Pinkie more! Seein as how ah think ya got a little crush on her." she smirked at her son's blushing.

"I do not!"

"Then why was ya cuddlin her last night?"

"Jackpot like Pinkie? This is good!" Applebloom laughed.

"It's ok, Jackpot. I know I'm hot." Pinkie giggled.

"Not helping! Besides, Scoota-" He stuck his hoof in his mouth.

"Oooh, mah son likes Scootaloo, huh?" she laughed along side the Apples, "Nah, ah'm jes teasin ya, Jacky. But fer real. This means ya get ta hang out with Aunt Pinkie, or any of yer other aunts if she's busy."

"Awesome!"

As the day progressed, all she could think about was Caramel, then Jackpot, then yelling at herself for putting her date ahead of her son. Then repeat the process. She got so frustrated with herself, she bucked a tree too hard and cracked the trunk. "Uh... oops."

"You, ok, AJ? Ah ain't never seen ya this flustered." Big Mac walked up to her.

"No, yeah, ah'm fine. Ah'm jes... Ah'm beatin up on mahself fer thinkin o' Caramel 'afore Jackpot." She answered.

"Jackpot's fine. Ya need ta focus on you."

"What kinda mother would ah be if ah focused on mahself all  the damn time?" Applejack snapped. Big Mac sighed. "Well, what would Ma do?"

Applejack's eyes widened. "You did not jes play that card." she snarled. "Uh..." Big Mac backed up a bit, forgetting how touchy an issue their parents were with her.

"You did NOT jes play that card on me, dammit! You think ah know what Momma would do? NO! But ah'm tryin mah best here!"

"Applejack, ah didn't mean-"

"Stow it! Ya said enough!" she growled, storming off. She deposited her buckets and went to the school to pick up Jackpot since they'd be getting out soon. She needed to see her son's face.

"... Ok, Scootaloo, I'll see you later!" Jackpot said to his best friend as they parted ways, "Huh? Mom, are you ok?" Jackpot asked.

"Ah'm fine, Jacky. Yer uncle was jes a bonehead, is alls." she smiled, hugging Jackpot, "So what's on mah buddy's plan taday?" she asked. He thought for a second. "Well, Sweetie Belle was telling me that Aunt Rarity needs me to model for her again. Then I thought I'd visit Aunt Twilight or Aunt Fluttershy."

"After yer homework, right?"

"I don't have any."

"Huh? What, Twist help you out with it, already?" She had hired Twist to be Jackpot's tutor since he hadn't had a proper education before and the school work was proving to be hard for him. But he greatly improved with her help.

"Yeah, Twist and I finished it during recess."

"Well, ok, Jacky. Ah'm seein Caramel tonight so ifen ah ain't home or if Uncle Big Mac is still at Aunt Rainbow's, you stay with Aunt Fluttershy 'r Aunt Twilight. Or Aunt Rarity. Yer choice."

"Ok! Say, Mom? Why's Uncle Big Mac always with Aunt Dashie?"

"You didn't know? Uncle Mac and Aunt Dashie 'r datin."

"Wow... I had him pegged for Miss Cheerilee or something."

She walked Jackpot over to Rarity's and watched as Rarity hugged her nephew. "How's my little Jackykins, sweetie? Don't worry, Applejack, I shall make sure that he's fine. I promise, darling!" she smiled. "Ok, Rarity, ah trust ya. Ah'll see ya later, Jacky. Ah love you, buddy."

"Love you too, Mom!" he smiled.

"Go on, Applejack! You don't want to keep Caramel waiting!" Rarity winked. Taking the hint, she left for the train station.

"Howdy, Caramel." she smiled, kissing his cheek. "Hey, Applejack. You ready?" Applejack nodded. "When you are, big guy." she smiled as they intertwined their tails, boarding the train.