It was a few weeks after Applejack had first gone into heat as Trouble joined her to Ponyville Hospital for 'official confirmation'. They'd bred many more times after the second time in his trailer, each time Applejack dragging him to his trailer again or to her bedroom, having him climb on top of her and fill her full once more. Each time was ecstasy, with her heated scent and pheromones making Trouble rut her at least thrice every day even after her heat had ended, no mercy given to or desired by her. Each time, he'd fill her fully but never again did he hilt her. That was one line she drew and kept.

Applejack claimed that she was likely already pregnant anyways, so what was the point of them not making the most of her added sensitivity from her heat, and the increased production Trouble had from the rutting state she'd put him in? Troubleshoes was reluctant each time but couldn't fight his instincts as she'd flagged her tail and so blatantly invited him, her scent all but a siren's call dragging him into her hot, wet depths again – and every time she'd flagged for him he'd mounted his mare, rutted her and filled her full of his cum once or twice more, satisfying her heat and his own rut. Her heat ended a couple days after the condom broke, with Applejack recognizing the less-then-subtle hints her body was already giving.

Her cycle usually lasted five days, not two.

~ ~ ~

As they'd arrived at the hospital and requested a pregnancy test, Applejack had gone into the restroom to use it while Troubleshoes sat outside in the waiting room as he awaited his fate, though already knowing it. He sat surprisingly calmly while he waited, actually holding a small smile on his face. He realized that he would be happy either way, the last few weeks he'd spent with Applejack an absolute delight; with him having had the most fun and feeling the most love from anypony then he'd ever had in his entire life on the dates they'd gone on, or just the time they'd spent together.

Five minutes later, Applejack came out of the restroom holding the test strip in her mouth, her expression blank. She looked to him with a thinly-veiled look of worry as she sat the test down next to Troubleshoes and let him get a good look at the result:

• / Pregnant

"Congratulations...daddy." Applejack said a few seconds after setting the positive test down before him and watching him stare at it, and upon seeing his small smile had not faded, she gave Trouble a bittersweet smile in return. She was still not quite sure how he'd react to her indeed carrying his foal, despite all of the discussions they'd had and how he'd promised to stay with her if she indeed turned out to be pregnant – but she did all she could at the moment, and that was hoping for the best and that he was as honest as she was.

~

As he looked upon the positive pregnancy test presented to him, Troubleshoes was only mildly surprised by the result shown given just how much of his seed he'd pumped into Applejack's fertile body throughout her heat and at her demand. He could only guess she'd intentionally wanted to get pregnant after their first romp when the condom broke – but if that was the case, it meant that she must have wanted this now. That she must have wanted his foal.

"Just mah lot in life, Ah suppose." Trouble sighed with resignation, then turned to Applejack; "Well mama, Ah think we should go. We got a lotta plannin' fer our future after all, and our...foal's." Trouble said nervously, but not glumly. For the first time, he actually felt eager for the future as he'd learned that Applejack carried his foal now, happy that his life may actually hold a purpose now, something beyond making others laugh at his clumsiness and living alone in an admittedly crappy trailer.

After booking an appointment for a checkup in a couple weeks, with the nurse congratulating Applejack on her new foal, Applejack gave Trouble a nod and they then turned and left the hospital. "Alrighty then mah stallion, let's get to it then. Toget'er" Applejack said with a smile, giving her stallion a soft kiss on the muzzle which was quickly reciprocated.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Uh big bro, we need t' talk." Applejack said, Troubleshoes laying beside her on the sofa and Big Mac sitting across in a chair. It was a few days after they'd gone to the hospital and found out she was definitely pregnant, just the three of them sitting in the family room after having a dinner of vegetable soup, salad, and fresh–baked sourdough bread. Granny Smith was out of town and Applejack had invited Troubleshoes to have dinner with her and Big Mac, thinking it would be a good idea to introduce Troubleshoes to him and to tell him the good news before she started to show in a few months.

"Is this 'bout what happened b'tween you 'n' this here stallion a couple weeks ago?" Big Mac asked, getting a nod from Applejack and seeing Trouble tense as it was revealed Mac knew about him breeding Applejack. Big Mac knew just what this likely entailed, having prepared himself for such a situation after he'd privately spoken with Applejack the day after. Big Mac simply nodded himself in reply, "Ahl–right, go on."

Troubles almost panicked as he saw Big Mac's blank expression, unsure if he was going to attack him after they told him or would remain calm. He did seem like the protective brother type after all, and despite Trouble being a head taller, Big Mac was definitely more fit and powerful–looking, no doubt able to easily do a lot of damage if he chose to.

"So, um...sir...Mister Apple sir. Ah...um..." Troubleshoes stammered, only getting a slight cock of the head from Big Mac at his word stew. Trouble tried to continue but found he couldn't, all that could escape his throat now being a small, nervous squeak as he saw that Big Mac's stern expression had remained unchanged since he'd entered the door a few hours ago, always catching him staring at him and admittedly highly intimidated by the rather powerful-looking, bulky farm pony.

Applejack stepped in as she saw her stallion's distress; "What Clyde here's tryin' t' say is...we're gonna have a foal together!" Applejack said with a happy tone to her voice, nuzzling up against Trouble's side and noticing how tense he'd gotten as she'd made the reveal instead of him.

When Big Mac stood up and approached the sofa, Trouble nearly bolted for the door—but he knew that he'd have to face this eventually, and that running away now would only show cowardice. As he winced and anticipated the hard buck to the jaw that was inevitably coming, Trouble was instead surprised to feel nothing at all. After a few seconds without a massive jolt of pain going through his head, Trouble dared to open an eye and look to where Big Mac was. All he saw was the large red stallion sitting a few feet in front of him, seemingly staring him down and holding that blank expression he always seemed to carry.

After a few more seconds of nervous bracing, Trouble turned to face Applejack's brother, seeing Mac's expression unchanged as he simply looked at him. After a second more, Big Mac finally spoke. "Clyde, Ah know what yer thinkin'. Yer thinkin' that Ahm gonna buck yer head off and send it into orbit fer gettin' mah sis knocked up, raght?" Big Mac asked, to which Troubles nodded. "Right, well ya can rest assured Ah ain't gonna. Ah initially wanted to af'er hearing ya had sex with mah sister while she was in heat, but Ahm over that." he said, and at that assurance Trouble visibly relaxed, letting out a subtle sigh of relief. Big Mac then turned to Applejack. "Sis, does this here stallion make ya happy?" he asked her, tilting his head towards Trouble.

Applejack nodded. "Bro, Ah ain't never been as happy a'fore Ah met him. He always makes me laugh, keeps mah spirits up, an' he's got an amazin' personality. An' despite him bein' a bit clumsy and mopey at times, he's got a good heart. Yes bro, he does make me happy."

"Do ya love him?" Mac then asked, getting another nod from Applejack and returning it. He then turning back to Trouble and made him tense slightly again, still feeling wary despite Mac telling him he wasn't gonna hurt him. "An' you, Clyde. Do ya love mah sister too? Does she make ya happy?" Mac asked, his expression and voice having taken on a lighter, much less neutral tone now.

Trouble nodded, then spoke. "Sir, since Ah met yer sister Ah've felt like mah life has purpose outside 'a' makin' people laugh as a clumsy rodeo clown, that Ah actually have a meanin' in life now, an' that meanin' is to keep her as mah mare and care for our foal with her. Ah feel like yer sister is an important part 'a' me now, even iffen we've only know each other fer a short while. Sir, she does make me happy an' Ah do love her with all a my heart."

Big Mac nodded at this, seeing in Trouble's eyes that he was being totally honest with him, and that his words were true. "Well alright, glad yer happy together. So, about the foal. What're ya gonna do? Clyde, do ya plan to make mah sister an honest mare and take her as yer own?" he asked, facing the named stallion.

Clyde looked to Applejack, seeing her nod softly, then turned to face Big Mac again. "Mister Apple, Ah will gladly take yer sister as mah mare — but only with yer blessin'." Trouble answered, getting another nod from Mac.

"Well alright then, y' have mah blessin' t' marry 'er Clyde – an' congratulations t' both of ya." Big Mac said, then got up and surprisingly wrapped Trouble in a massive bear hug, making him unable to breathe for a second from the tightness. He wasn't sure if it was actually intentional how tight he squeezed him, but he sure knew he was gonna be feeling it for the next few days.

~

As Trouble got ready to leave and head back to his trailer, Big Mac stopped him in the hallway with a hoof on the shoulder. Trouble felt his nervousness from earlier return now that they were together alone, still somewhat expecting a buck to the jaw even though he'd said he wouldn't and had even given him his blessing to marry Applejack.

"So, do y' really love mah sister?" Big Mac asked seriously, getting a prompt nod from Troubleshoes.

"Ah love her with all mah heart, sir." Trouble responded, knowing he spoke nothing but the truth, indeed loving Applejack as much as he claimed.

"OK," Big Mac said simply, moving to wrap his hoof around Troubleshoe's shoulders a little tighter than he'd have liked; "but ya better treat her right y'hear? Ah know she pursued you so she must like ya, and Ah also know my sister well enough t' safely say she'll always be loyal to you. As such, Ya better do th' same. If Ah ev'r hear of ya mistreatin' Applejack in any way or that you've betrayed her trust, then a buck to th' head's gonna be the least 'a' yer worries. Understood?" Big Mac finished with a fairly threatening tone, making Trouble pin his ears back and nod rapidly.

"Good. Now, mah sister's waitin' t' say goodbye t' ya. Y' best not keep 'er waitin' long." Mac said in a much lighter tone as he took his hoof from around Trouble's crest, watching him quickly retreat from him and make his way back to the family room and his mare.

As he watched Trouble turn the corner, Mac stood there for a moment, considering what today's revelations had started. "Ah just hope y' chose well sister." Mac said softly to himself, then headed upstairs to his room, leaving Trouble and his sister alone together. If she trusted him to be her loyal stallion, Mac supposed he could too.

Author's Note

They're having a baby and getting married!

Happy times indeed!