"I am so happy to be back in your arms again." Fluttershy sighed as she nuzzled my chest"

"Yep. I am sorry I wasn't much help though." My ears flopped down.

Basically after Jesse was knocked out, the rest of the rescue team some how saved everyone. Jesse woke up in bed with his wife petting his mane. he was glad to see the baby bump was back so he was sure it was really her. Everything pretty much went back to normal after that.

"You were fine. I heard Discord had fun using you as a club." The pregnant pony giggled.

"This just proves that I need to learn how to protect you and the baby. Can't have anyone hurting you two. I don't know what I'd do if I lost both of you."

"Probably go back to that tree you like to sit under when you're upset." She continued to nuzzle me. "If you are really set on training, which I don't like the idea of you doing, you should talk to AppleJack about it. I am sure she would be happy to help."

"That is a pretty good idea. Thanks sweet pea." I nuzzled back.

"You're welcome honey bun."

The next morning I was marching my way toward Sweet Apple Acres, determination in my eye, and slight indigestion in my belly. I make my way into the barn. Low and behold, an Apple farmer was there, but not the one I was looking for. "Oh. Hey Big Mac."

Said pony just nodded and continued to stack hay-bales.

"I was looking for Applejack. Do you know where she is?"

"She is on her way to Fillydelphia. She and Rarity got a friendship problem....Just me on the farm today." Mac stopped his work and took a piece of straw out of the bale and held it in his mouth. "Bloom is at school, and Granny is on a trip to visit some old friends in Las Pegasus. What are you needing my sister for?"

"I was wanting to train. I need to be able to protect my family and I don't think guns exist in Equestria, let alone being able to use one with hooves."

"Hmm... I don't know what an actual gun is, but i have heard about some of my cousins having a shotgun wedding." Mac started tinkering at a work bench.

"Not the same thing... Wait. You are a pretty tough pony."

"E'yep."

"Could you train me?"

"E'yep." Mac put his tools down and took off his work harness. He walked in-front of me and stood still. "Hit me."

"Excuse me?"

"Hit me. Let's see where you are at in terms of strength."

"Okay." I reeled back my hoof and punched him square in the chest. Mac didn't even flinch.

"Hmm... You aren't weak, but you aren't strong. You are kind of in between." Big Mac rubbed his jaw in thought. "The equipment would take a long time to work. I have an idea, but you aren't gonna like it."

"Whatever it takes." I begged at his hooves. "Please!"

Big Mac lifted me by the nape of my neck like I saw a mother carrying her foal. He carried me out to a far out area of the field then dropped me with a thud. "Here we are. This is the farthest acre from the barn. Your job," He pointed to me then pointed to the dense trees and then to a cart with buckets in it. "is to buck this whole acre and carry each load to the barn and come back and finish the rest of them till every apple is off these trees." He went to a large tree and pointed his back end to it. "It is simple. Just lift the legs, and kick." The tree shook hard and a ton of apples fell to the ground. "Now go at it."

"Okay..." I walked to the nearest tree and placed some buckets under it. "Okay. looking good." I aimed myself and kicked. The next think I felt was hot searing pain that felt way too familiar. "CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAMP!!! OW! OW! OW!" I held onto my legs in the fetal position.

Big Mac chuckled. "Should have stretched first."

After an hour of pain and stretching, I moved back to the task at hand. It was a grueling process. I was surprised that I even made it to the halfway point. I apparently collapsed and Big mac carried me on his back home. At least that's what Fluttershy told me.

"You really weren't ready for that. Big mac should have been gentler. My poor baby..." The buttercream mare rubbed some muscle relaxer on my back, which is now thrown out. "You are going to be sore for a month."

"I'm okay, sweat pea. I still have the wheel chair from the time I fell out of that tree in the Everfree." I somehow found out that ponies can kind of whiny purr because that was what I was doing.

"You always seem to hurt yourself about once a month." She nuzzled my cheek

"Fluttershy, I have stubbed my toes on a ceiling on two separate occasions. (True story.) I am just clumsy."

"Please try to be more careful. I don't know what I would do without you. The baby needs her father."

"I know, sweetie. I will try. No promises though." I nuzzled her plump belly and I felt many kicks hit my cheek. "My my. she sure is shuffling in there."

"That's would be a cute name. Shuffle." Fluttershy giggled.

"Sure we can name her shuffle. Jest so long as it its the middle name."

"Okay, honeybun." She gets up from the bed. "Come on it's bath time. She helped me stand and limp my way upstairs.

"Yes ma'am!" I smiled and say ow with each step.

Author's Note

Sweatpea is what I call my actual girlfriend. She calls me honeybun.