Single Parent Problems

Applejack had fallen asleep on the train. "Hey, wake up, AJ." Caramel nudged her awake. She opened her eyes, rubbed the sleep out and looked around. "Appleoosa?"

"Yeah, there's a festival here. I figured you'd like to come." Caramel answered, helping her up. "You figgered right, big boy." she chuckled and followed him off the train. Spotting the clock tower, she gasped. "Is it that late already?!" They had left Ponyville at three and gotten to Appleoosa at seven. "Ah need ta make a call!" She ran over to the clock tower's payphone and got a few bits from Caramel and dialed.

"Rarity?"

"I'll get her." The voice of Sweetie Belle answered, "RARITY, PHONE FOR YOU! IT'S APPLEJACK!" Applejack had to hold the receiver away from her from Sweetie Belle's yelling.

"Was that necessary?" Applejack asked.

"Quite... Anyway, Applejack, what's up?"

"Is Jackpot still there? Can ah talk to'em?" the concerned mother asked.

"I'm sorry, Applejack, he asked my permission to sleep with Pinkie Pie." Applejack rolled her eyes. "That boy really must have a crush on Pinkie. Ok, thanks, Rarity."

"Anytime, darling."

Applejack dialed Pinkie.

"Hello?"

"Pinkie, it's AJ. Is Jacky there?" Applejack waited a second before Jackpot answered. "Hello?" Applejack released a sigh of relief. "Oh thank Faust. Why'd ya leave Aunt Rarity's?"

"I like hanging out with Aunt Pinkie. Besides, I can never breathe at Aunt Rarity's. Too much perfume." Applejack burst out laughing at his answer. "You really are mah child. Listen, Caramel and me 'r prolly gonna stay here in Appleoosa fer a day 'r two. You ok with that, buddy?"

"Sure, Mom!" Jackpot answered.

"I don't mind watching him for two more days, Applejack! Besides, it's nice having a little snuggle buddy!" Pinkie giggle snorted, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Ok, we'll be stayin at Braeburn's ifen ya need us, Pinkie! Later. Love you, Jackpot!"

"Love you too, Mom!" Click.

"Ready to go?" Caramel asked.

"What's the rush? We could crash at Braeburns, get a fresh start tomorrow mornin."

"Good idea." he smiled as Applejack led the way to Braeburn's.

The next morning, the town was as lively as ever with the festival going on. "So what do you wanna do first?" Caramel asked. "Let's see how good yer aim is, pardner." Applejack smirked, leading him to the shooting gallery. "You're on." he grinned.

"Step on up, folks, shoot the targets win a prize!" the attendant called out.

"We want a private match. One on one." Applejack called out to the attendant.

"Very well, step on up and grab a gun!" he told her. Applejack grabbed her gun and examined it. "You ready, Caramel?" "Ready!"

Applejack was on fire with the rifle. Shot after shot landed! She'd only missed once, thus losing to Caramel. "And we have a winner, mares and stallions! Pick your prize, my boy!"

Caramel looked over at Applejack and asked for the dog. Applejack took a second to examine it. It was a border collie, like Winona. Brown fur, white socks and white tail tip. Caramel gave her the dog and she refused to let it go. "Ok ya won that one but how's about some food?" she asked.

"Why not pie?"

Applejack blushed. "Caramel! We're in public!"

He facehoofed and showed her the saloon. The saloon had a sign out front of it, advertising a pie eating contest. "Uh... Oh..."

"You have got a dirty mind."

Applejack rolled her eyes, her cheeks still red as she walked in.

"Howdy, folks! Mah name is Sundance. There's still room fer the couples' pie eatin contest!" Sundance said. She was an older mare, around Granny Smith's age, give or take a few years, her coat was an earthy brown, her eyes were amber and her curly mane had gone gray. She wore a burgundy sundress that went to her hindhooves.

"Well?"

"Well, what, Caramel?"

"Couples contest. We a couple?"

"Well o'course we are! We-" Applejack's words were cut off by the Appleoosa Pie Eating Wall of Fame. Her eyes widened at one particular picture.

"That's Pappy... And Granny Smith!" Applejack exclaimed. Sundance came over to examine the photo. "Granny? You mean Betty and Alderman Apple?" she asked. The picture in question was a black and white still of a mare who had her mane tied back in a braid and a smear of pie filling on her nose and an older gentlecolt wearing a stetson, Applejack identified it as the one on her head, and a little bit of pie crust sticking out of his mouth. Despite the messiness of each other, they were all smiles.

"Yeah, thems mah grandparents. Pappy died of a heart attack a few years ago but Granny? Shoot, she's still kickin."

"Yeah, Betty always was a feisty one. Ah'm surprised she became a grandma, though." Sundance said, thoughtfully.

"Why's that?" Applejack asked.

"Ol' Betty was a wildchild, sorta. Always restless, always on the move. Ah known her since we was kids. She never pegged me the type ta settle down." This caused Applejack to laugh. "Granny Smith? Settle? Please. Ifen it weren't fer her looks, ya'd think she was still a young mare. Say... ah wanna put a wager on."

"Shoot." Sundance said.

"Ifen we win, ah take that photo back ta Granny. She won't say it but her heart's been hurtin since Pappy died." Applejack looked back at the photo.

"No deal." Applejack's head snapped back to Sundance. "Why you no good-" Applejack started, her temper flaring. "Ah'll jes give it to ya." the older mare smiled. "Oh... Sorry, and thanks. Granny'll love it." she smiled and went along the table to take her seat next to Caramel.

"You ready?" Caramel asked.

"Boy, ah got five stomachs. Whatcha think?" she laughed.

"I think the food bills are going to be expensive as sin." he teased.

Applejack looked down the table to see the competition. The first three couples, she didn't recognize. The forth one was Derpy Hooves and Doctor Whooves. "Are the couples ready? Get set... EAT!"

Applejack took off like a bat out of Tartarus. She devoured the cherry pies left and right. By the time Caramel had finished his second, Applejack was putting away her fourth. She took a second to breathe, being so far ahead. When she was ready, she started on her fifth as Caramel finished his third.

"Aaaaand... Time!" Sundance called out at the end of ten minutes, "Count out your team's pie trays and the winner will be decided!" Between Applejack and Caramel, they had eleven empty trays, the majority of them being Applejacks. "Whoowee, we got us a landslide winner here! Applejack Apple and Caramel! Smile fer the photo!"

Applejack looked over to Caramel. He'd gone out of his way to provide the best possible mini vacation for her despite her treating him like dirt for years. "Oh buck it." Applejack said, pulling Caramel into a kiss, throwing her forelegs around his neck. Once he regained his senses, he returned the kiss, throwing his around her waist. All they saw was the camera flash.

"Well, ain't that the sweetest thing ever." Sundance said, admiring the photo. Applejack didn't realize how much of the cherry filling she was wearing. Her entire snout was covered, some of it landed on her chest and on her forehead while Caramel was relativity clean. "Wow, Applejack."

"Shuddup, Caramel."

"Didn't know you were such a messy eater." he smiled, looking at the picture of their first kiss as a couple. Applejack rolled her eyes and walked with him back to Braeburn's. "You wanna go back out after this? Ah jes need a shower somethin fierce."

"If you'd like." Caramel smiled.

"Hey, cuz! Sheesh, you had fun." Braeburn chuckled.

"Oh quit yer yammerin. Ah'm jes takin a shower then goin back out."

"Ok. Oh, hey, Jackpot called fer ya." That got her attention.

"He say what fer?"

"Jes checkin in." he answered. Applejack thanked him and went upstairs. She cleaned herself off, taking more care towards her appearance than normal. When she got out, she ran a brush through her mane and tail, taking slow, careful strokes. Once she was satisfied, she made sure to call her son.

"Hi, Sugarcube Corner. Where your sweet tooth comes to die!" Pinkie answered.

"Ya need to work on that slogan, Pinkie. Jackpot called fer me?" Applejack asked.

"Sure! Jacky! Mom's on the phone!" She called out. There was a solid fifteen seconds of silence before that soprano voice she loved hearing answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, sweetheart, you called earlier?" Applejack asked, "Ah'm sorry, Jacky, Ah was out with Caramel. What's up, buddy?"

"Nothing, just checking in. When are you coming back?" he asked.

"Day after tamarra, big guy. Ah promise." she smiled to herself, "Yer homework done?" she asked.

"Eeyup."

"Ok, smart guy," She chuckled, "Now it's gettin late. Go snuggle up with Aunt Pinkie." She teased, "Ah love you, Jackpot."

"Love you too, Mom." he said, before he hung up.

Caramel entered her room. "Hey, everything ok?" he asked.  Applejack nodded and followed him back out. When they got back to the festival, they went for the Ferris Wheel. Caramel held Applejack close to him as she watched Luna raise the moon.

"Caramel, can ah tell ya somethin?"

"Of course, Aj. Anything." he replied.

Applejack sat up and looked at him. "You asked me earlier ifen ah wanted ta be yer special somepony... and... mah answer really is yes. We been tagether a short while and yer all ah think about. What ah guess ah'm sayin, Caramel, is..." Applejack gulped in nerves, "Ah love you." Caramel gently pulled her into a kiss. "I love you too, Applejack. I want this... I want you... For as long as possible."

Applejack's eyes watered as she heard him talk. She laid back against him as the two began talking about their future.