You awoke to the crisp cool air of morning, your head throbbing as light invaded your vision from the windows around the bar. Slowly, your eyes adjusted to the overwhelming light, and you began to dizzily stand up, staggering a few times as you did so. You looked around the bar, gauging how you ended up on the floor of the bar. The sight that greeted you was not so welcoming.

It was a mess.

Small stains were dotted around the room and along the floor, several glasses had been shattered and you swear you could see claw marks on the floor. "Just what the fuck happened last night?" you thought to yourself. Slowly the previous events that had transpired began to come back to you. You remembered closing the bar, going to clean up when...... "BERRY!!!!" Quickly coming to your senses, you battled the pain in your head and set about finding the mare in question. Begining your search in the back, where your kitchen was. Racing inside you saw hat the room was empty, nothing more than a small cup of coffee brewed on the side, which has since gone cold. Whether she had brewed it for you or herself, it was a clear indication that she had been in here at some point, and the state she was in, she couldn't have long woken up. Once again your head throbbed, forcing you to massage it with one of your hands. You looked again at the coffee, the creme starting to separate on the top. You've had worse. You let Berry drug you after all. Downing the liquid, you resumed your search deciding to try upstairs.

Darting up the stairs, you began to approach your own bedroom, the door slightly ajar. You remember locking it before opening up yesterday evening, so you'd bet your wine stocks she was in there. Slowly approaching the room, you began to think. What would you say to her anyway? Hello? No that's a stupid idea. You just fucked her for Christ's sake. You okay? No that sounds like I didn't enjoy it, maybe.... *sob* You heard a sound from behind the door. Leaning closer you listened through the gap. And what you heard nearly broke your heart.

She was crying.

Your Berry Punch. Your best friend in Equestria; was crying. Without hesitation, you started towards her determined to cease her sorrowful tears. As you reached her, however, her trembling frame shied away, tucking her head into her body. The tears continued, Berry still refusing to acknowledge you. Every sob causing you further anguish. Why weren' you helping her? The human she knew wouldn't sit there, his friend in tears, and do nothing.

Your resolve found; you grabbed Berry's shoulder, forcing her to look at you. However as soon as you did, she tried her hardest to look away, her head dropping the floor, the waterworks in her eyes still operating. Your grip tightening and your temper waning, you raised your voice, piercing her sensitive pony ears. "Berry Punch!" you ordered. "Look at me this instant!" Slowly, her bloodshot eyes opened and focused directly on you. Their once beautiful radiance had vanished to be replaced by sorrow and pain. It hurt you to see her like this. Were you to blame? Does she feel like she betrayed Gold Grafter? Should...should you have stopped her when you could have?

Suddenly, Berry pulled you close, resting her head on your shoulder. Her cries now reduced to small sniffles. You were surprised at the sudden movement but still returned the hug, rubbing your hands gently through her main.

"He left me," she croaked, her voice hoarse. "What?" you internally yelled, your gears slowly grinding to a halt. Pulling away from the hug, you stood up, eyes locked firmly on Berry as she sighed, clearly regretting what she just said.

"What was that?" you ordered knowing full well what she had said. Your voice cold, void of any emotion. Sensing your slowly growing rage, Berry complied. Her eyes slowly started to well up again as she elaborated.

"Gold left me, he just walked in, took the business and ran," she explained. "Then yesterday I got a message from the bank telling me I had a week to move out the house and that 'Berry's blast cider' was no longer my legal business." Berry's voice had gone from upset to fully hysterical, tears forming small puddles on the bed beneath her. "And to make matters worse Pinchy keeps asking me when daddy is going to come home; how can I tell a five-year-old her dads decided to cut us out of his life." "I just..." her voice had quietened down again as she spoke through small sobs. "I just don't get why, he had no reason to leave; he wasn't having an affair, I wasn't cheating. So why?" She looked up at you, her eyes on the verge of exploding into a sea of tears. "We were just about to expand the business, we were going to live our dream." she continued, slumping back onto the bed. "Instead I don't have a home, a job and I spent the last of my bits in some cheap ass bar!" She then threw her arms above her head, her body stretched out across the bed. "Mother of the year fillies and gentlecolts." With that phrase, she resumed her tears.

You stood there, trying to process the information you had just been given. You've known Gold Grafter for a long time, almost as long as you'd known Berry. They were very happy together. He had no reason to leave her, let alone cut Pinchy out of his life. Why would he take the house, leave her destitute, he loved her. You knew that better than anyone. While all this new information still didn't add up, one thing was clear to you. No magic in Equestria will fix what you do to Gold when you next see him.

Looking down at Berry, you nearly began crying yourself. A mare as wonderful as her shouldn't suffer through something like this. You needed to do something for her. That's when you remembered. A small smile crept onto your face.

You needed a barmaid.

"Berry," you said, finally breaking yourself out of thought. "Work for me," you said sternly. Looking down at the sombre mare, you saw her ears perk up. Her crying died down as she responded.

"Huh?" she said, picking herself up to face you.

Smiling warmly at her, you continued. "Work for me Berry, I'll give you a place to stay, good food and I'm even looking forward to taking care of pinchy when you need some time for yourself." You offered her a hand to help her off the bed.

Berry's eyes went wide, however, hers did not meet yours. "Anon, i.....i...." you didn't give her chance to finish, grabbing her hand holding it warmly.

"Berry, when I first arrived in Equestria you gave me everything to help me stand on my own two feet, I won't let you fall off yours now. Come work for me Berry, please." You slowly looked to the floor, before returning your gaze to her. "It hurts me when I see you like this,"

Berry sat still for a few seconds, her eyes slowly starting to fill with tears once more. But this was different, these weren't tears of sadness, these were ones of hope, of happiness. This time Berry took your hand, pulling you into a tight embrace as she locked you in. Her tears flooded down your back and legs as you gently patted her head.

"Thank you....." Berry whispered.

The bar was busier than usual tonight, the once faint sounds of idle chatter replaced by the howls and laughter of ponies and gryphons alike. You'd become quite popular these past few weeks, due in no small part to the imaginative mind of a certain business partner ( and nothing else) you were acquainted with. Who also happened to be serving people in the room beneath you.

"Can we pway again tomowwow, pwese?" a small filly asked, tucking herself into the bed you sat on. Smiling down at her adorable form, you stroked her mane as she let out a small giggle.

"Of course Pinchy, we'll go to the park the second you come home from school, the three of us," you replied.

"You pwomise," she pleaded, looking up at you with adorable puppy eyes, holding out her pinky finger. Understanding the gesture, you locked your own pinky finger with hers.

"Yeah, I promise," Pulling the duvet over her, you kissed the top of her head affectionately before heading for the door.

"Goodnight Daddy," she whispered. The words digging deep into your heart. Smiling, you turned the light off.

"Goodnight Pinchy," you said before shutting the door and heading downstairs.

The bar was still busy, with many ponies sharing stories at tables or dancing horribly on the new disco floor you had built. Either way, it was nice. Everyone looked happy. But nowhere near as happy as Berry looked. She was smiling wider than you had seen her smile in a long time, and that smile grew even bigger when she saw you approach.

"How's my favourite employee doing?" you asked her, moving behind the bar to rest on the counter.

"Not too bad, though I guess there's this one guy I work with who can be a real ass sometimes" she responded playfully.

Laughing you playfully groped Berrys' behind, which was amplified greatly by the frilly maid outfit she had decided to wear.
"I don't think anyone can be more of an 'ass' than you Berry," you replied lustily. Berry's cheeks flushed as she batted your hand away. However, she soon found herself rubbing her hand along your thighs.

"I think we'll have to have a 'sit down' on this matter, don't you think so, boss?" she said hungrily. Berry began to grind her hips into you, her attention now away from the patrons and set solely on you. It wasn't until you heard a glass shatter that you looked back. Nearly the entire bar was looking at you with mixed expressions. Some were of disgust, some were of jealousy while most were of general confusion. The room was silent until it was broken by an old grey stallion halfway on his way out.

"Just buck already!" he yelled out.

The entire bar descended into laughter, with you and Berry stood there, deep blushes on your faces. you both looked at each other, before laughing yourselves. After a while, the laughter had died down and people had gone back to their drinks. You were off duty now, sitting at the bar with Big Mac who arrived sometime after the fiasco. You were telling him the story of how you ended up in Ponyville, until Berry leant over the bar, her melons dangling in front of you.

"Well then, what can I get you, Boss?" Berry giggled, leaning back again so she could see your flushed face.

"I'll take a Maretini" you smiled "Shaken, not stirred."

Author's Note

Well, that's it. Kind of embarrassing that I can write all this in a few days, but the others in a few months.

A mare has been satisfied and her heart repaired.

I do appreciate peoples opinions btw. It really helps when writing in the future.

Might make a series of shorts next depends on ideas.