Author's Note

And here you go, everypony. Another chapter ready for you to read and remember to follow NineTailBeastBall for lending me a helping hand and coming up with the chapter names. Anyways, thanks for your support, remember to stay tuned and keep on bronying on.

A Generous Potluck and a Loving Picnic

As you promised, when the time came for the charity potluck, you didn’t fail to show up. And you even brought along a dish or two for the hungry folks. One of your dishes was a delicious loaf of gingerbread, just like the ones that were made at Starbucks. You owed the recipe to Johanna for teaching you how to bake it. As for your other dish, you made some delicious homemade Western spaghetti. There was a bowl of chips, which went well with the bowl of guacamole you had prepared.

So far, a few townsfolk, such as Pinkie Pie and Frosty had arrived and were helping set up the decorations for the potluck. They also set up banners that said “Help the poor sickly foals.”

There was a blank banner set up and you decided to write something down on it. But first, you approached Pinkie Pie and Frosty. “Excuse me, Pinkie?” you asked.

“Yup-yup?” the party mare asked with a childish tone.

“Do you have a marker I can use?” you asked.

“Yup-a-roonie, let me just check the old Pinkie inventory,” she said before reaching into her poofy pink mane and pulling out a blue marker. You weren’t even going to ask.why or how she keeps things tucked in her mane.

“Thank you, Pinkie,” you said as she hands you the marker. You brought it with you back to the blank banner and wrote on it saying “Everypony deserves to be happy, even poor sick foals.”

“I’m sure they won’t be sick much longer,” the bubbly mare beside you said. “But that is really really sweet of you.”

“Children are the future after all. They deserve to grow up and have a childhood, pursue their dreams and make a difference in this world,” you said. You gave PInkie the marker back after you finished with the banner. Pretty soon, Pinkie set it up just as a few more ponies were showing up and brought their food to the table.

“Everything looks great,” Johanna said, walking up to you. “Oh and I like what you did with the banner, it was quite thoughtful.” At that moment, you showed how modest you could be.

“It was nothing Johanna, I’m just trying to contribute, that’s all,” you said. “Oh yeah, thanks for teaching me how to bake the gingerbread loaf, it took me a while to make, but it was worth the the hassle.”

“Think nothing of it,” Johanna said putting her hand over your own. One week had passed since that marvelous dinner at the mayor’s house and since then, you’ve even closer to her than you ever thought you would. It came as a surprise to you after developing these feelings for the lovely mare.

You can recall the day after your dinner with Johanna that she wanted to speak to you in private during your lunch break. It was your first time seeing her blush. It came as a shock to you that once you were in her office, she told you that she was really growing attached to you, romantically speaking. She feared you were going to reject her, but those fears were cast aside when you acknowledged and returned her affections.

She was overjoyed when you accepted her as your marefriend. Deep down, you couldn’t find it in your heart to reject the one who gave you so much.

Whatever light teasing you got at work was somewhat justified since the relationship was now considered official. The employees really should consider Johanna could deduct their pay if they continued acting so immature. Johanna didn’t have to tell them directly because she let her stern expression do the talking.

Anyways, back to the potluck, crowds were starting to form. Everyone in Ponyville had shown up and even some of the parents brought their children with them. Like any kid would do at a special get-together, they would either eat first and play after or vice versa. Some of the kids even asked if you could play hide and seek with them. Though you declined, you used a nice and gentle tone so you wouldn’t hurt their feelings.

Pinkie Pie on the other hand wasn’t one to turn down entertaining someone and before you knew it, she had already joined the game and went off to hide. When it comes to Pinkie Pie’s randomness, it slightly disturbed you at first, but in due time you found yourself laughing because of how silly she was. Noticing she was no longer by your side, you shook your head with a chuckle.

“There she goes again. It makes me wonder how she even pulls off the impossible,” you said.

“As they all say, it’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie,” Johanna added with a giggle. “But never mind that, we’ve still got a long ways to go before the donation box is full. Would you be so kind as to keep an eye on the box for a while, make sure no pony steals it? I’ll cover for you in an hour after I grab a bite to eat.”

“Of course, an hour doesn’t sound so bad,” you said gently grabbing her hand before kissing it. “You go on ahead.” Acknowledging your words with a small blush, Johanna went on her way.

As promised, you kept a good eye on the box full of donated bits. Of course, your eyes constantly switch from the party to the box ever so often just to see everyone having such a good time. Then all of a sudden...

“Hi!” Pinkie said, popping out of nowhere. You jumped back, placing your hand against your chest, panting heavily.

“Pinkie Pie, are you trying to give me a heart attack?” you asked barely managing to keep yourself from yelling. Of course even if you had, there was no way a gentleman like you would use any vulgar language. The silly mare snorted and giggled, eventually laying down and rolling on the floor.

“”I couldn’t help myself, I just wanted to surprise you. Aaaand... I wanted to know something that I was hoping you could tell me,” Pinkie replied after calming down. “You see, I’m curious. What do you really think about Mayor Mare?” she asked grabbing your shoulders and staring at you with those sparkly, blue eyes. “And be honest with me.”

“Johanna,” you corrected. “And why the sudden interest of my relationship with her?” you asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“It’s obvious to everypony that she likes you, but I want to know how you feel about her! Come on! Come on! Come on!” she begged and you covered her mouth as she began making a scene in front of everyone.

“Okay, okay, but not so loud, please,” you whispered. She nodded furiously with a big smile and eyes sparkling like that of a child on Christmas morning. You sighed and saw you pretty much had no choice, especially since you never went back on your word. “At first, she was no different than the chief prosecutor I worked for back home. Understanding, cool, calm and collected. However, as I got to know Johanna, I felt something deep within me starting to grow. I like her, but at the same time, I’m a little nervous to take our relationship further.”

“Why so nervous?” Pinkie asked.

“I’m not sure if it’s a silly reason, or if it’s a serious one, but... if she and I ever got married and we had children of our own, I’m a little scared that I might turn out like my...” you stopped yourself, not feeling comfortable with wanting to bring up that man.

“You know, it’s never healthy to keep your emotions bottled up. So spit it out so you can turn that frown upside down!” she playfully demanded grabbing your cheeks and rubbing them vigorously before letting them go.

“A-Alright, but remember, it’s not gonna sound pretty,” you replied before telling her the truth. “If Johanna and I were to get married one day and have children, I’m scared that I might turn out like my good-for-nothing father. He walked out on me and my mom when I was just a kid and married this other woman and had a daughter. When I had grown up, I took on a career as a prosecutor in order to put my father in jail. And good thing I did, because he was being charged with a few crimes that ultimately landed him a life in prison: he abused and tried to kill his wife and my half-sister.”

Feeling sympathetic, Pinkie wrapped her arms around you and her usual, poofy mane deflated into a straight style. “I... I’m so sorry. I had no idea your past would be that jaded. What about your mom, was she at least nice to you?” she asked with her sad puppy-dog eyes.

“If anything, she was an ideal mother. She was kind, loving and supportive of me. Though, I was always putting myself through a lot of trials to become a prosecutor and it always worried her that I was pushing myself too hard. But after the trial with my father, my spark had diminished, even though I kept doing my previous job. So, I decided to make up for lost time and spend some more quality time alone with my mom. I also got to meet my half-sister, Lindy. Surprisingly, she was an ace defense attorney She and her sweetheart, Miles, were engaged to be married and they already had two children. Their oldest was Viola, my niece and there’s my little nephew, Phoenix,” you replied.

Right when she heard about this, her mane poofed back up and her smile came back and her hug tightened around you. “That’s so WONDERFUL!!!”

“Hnngh!!! Pinkie... can’t breathe… ribs collapsing!” you grunted. Holding you for a couple more seconds, the happy go lucky mare released you before anything broke.

“Okay I’m done! Please tell me more about Mayor- I mean Johanna,” Pinkie said.

“Very well then. Back on the subject of Johanna, I’ve come to like her to the point where... I want to spend my life with her. However, I’m not sure if it’s a good idea for me to start a family with her one day. What if what happens to our child is the same thing that’s happened to me? I can’t seem to get rid of the doubt and I really love her,” you said.

“Aww, that’s so sweet,” Pinkie said. “And I think I know how you can conquer this problem.”

“Conquer it? How?” you asked.

“Easy! All you have to do is answer these questions and you’ll know if it’s a good idea. First question: Do you love children?” Pinkie asked.

“Yes, of course,” you replied.

“Do you want to make children happy?” she asked.

“Absolutely,” you said.

“If you were to have a child and he wanted nothing more than for you to always be there for them, would you do it?” Pinkie asked.

“Yes.”

“Are you absolutely sure you would do that for your child?”

“Yes,” you repeated a little louder this time.

“Then that’s your answer! See? Now you just have to prove it to Johanna. It’s one thing to say it, but it’s another to prove your love to the mare who stole your heart! So when she comes over, tell her how you feel and when this charity potluck is over, show her how much you really love her with no regrets,” Pinkie encouraged and gave you one more hug, far more gentle than the last one.

“I... I understand, Pinkie,” you said. After flashing each other some nice smiles, Pinkie hopped away before any of the kids found her. After all, their game of hide and seek was still going on.

An hour had passed and just like Johanna had promised, she returned. “Thanks for holding down the fort,” she said with a giggle. Figuring you would be hungry by the time she got back, she offered you a fish filet sandwich with some diced carrots and a bottle of water. You kissed her cheek to show your gratitude and took the food and water.

“So did anything interesting in particular happen while I was gone?” she asked looking at the box, satisfied that not a single bit was stolen.

“I just had a friendly chat with Pinkie Pie earlier. She nearly gave me a heart attack when she popped out of nowhere,” you explained. Once again, the mayor couldn’t contain a short laugh. “But she did end up giving me some good advice about... you and me.”

“Beg your pardon?” she asked, not quite following yet.

“Johanna, there’s something I want to tell you and I really need you to hear this,” you said.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, a little worried.

“Quite the opposite, actually. You see… I’ve been having a lot of self-doubts about myself. I’ve been too afraid of the fact that I wanted-” Things got awkward when at that moment, you were interrupted by your growling stomach.

“Looks like I made the right choice to pick something up for you,” Johanna said amused. “You can tell me later, go ahead and eat for now.”

You chuckled nervously, scratching the back of your head, embarrassed. Still, you did what your marefriend said and took your first bite of your fish fillet sandwich. Turns out what Johanna told you about allowing meat to be eaten was true. Rather than be disgusted, she just watched with a smile as you ate your lunch at a steady pace like always.

Once your sandwich was finished and your bottle of water empty, you threw the trash away and went back to gaze at the mayor’s lovely eyes. Looking at them, you were reminded of the good times you’ve had, including the secrets Johanna has shared with you. Such included: her mane not being naturally gray and how despite being the mayor now, in her teen years she was quite a delinquent and a flirtatious one at that. Few ponies knew about these things and you certainly weren’t going to betray Johanna’s trust by spreading the word.

“Now honey, what did you want to say?” she asked.

“Right, as I was saying before, I had some self-doubts about myself because I was too afraid to one day start a family. The reason behind that is because... I’ve been afraid because I might end up like my father. He was a lousy man who walked out on my mother and me when I was very young. He eventually married another woman and had a daughter and in the near future, he almost killed them and I… I was in charge of his trial and I threw him in prison for life,” you explained, getting out of character by clenching your fist.

“Oh dear... is that what you’ve been hiding deep inside you all this time?” she asked.

“Yes... I was afraid that I’d make the same mistake he did, but it’s thanks to Pinkie Pie that I realized something: To see the whole “starting a family thing” from my own perspective and not let the ghosts of my own past get in the way of what matters most. It’s no argument that I love you Johanna, and that’s one thing that’ll never change,” you confessed.

“Aw, I love you too... Edgeworth,” she replied.

“Edgeworth?” you asked before arching an eyebrow. She responded simply with a good kiss on your lips.

“It’s a nickname I decided to give you. I thought it’d suit you better because of two reasons. One, you seem to have an edge when it comes to your work and being social towards the citizens. And two, whenever you put your heart and soul into everything, you make it seem like it was worth it, not just you, but to everypony. Hence why I decided to name you Edgeworth.”

“Hmm... I like it,” you decided. “I guess this is as good a time as any,” you said much to your lover’s confusion. Reaching into your suit pocket, you pulled out a small, wrapped box and handed it to her. “Go ahead, open it.”

Johanna opened up the little box and gasped at what she saw inside. What she sees is a shiny, silver necklace with her cutie mark in the center. The said cutie mark happened to be crafted from rubies.

“Oh my... you shouldn’t have,” Johanna breathed as she gazed at your thoughtful gift.

“I wanted to. It’s my way of saying “thank you for everything,” you said and walked behind her so you could help put the necklace on. Johanna placed both hands over the part with her ruby-crafted cutie mark. As she looked at the jewel, you could tell she felt a sense of happiness with the addition of her heart skyrocketing. In her eyes and her heart, she was given what she considers... “a part of you” that she will hold dear.

“Come here you,” she said before once again kissing you. Unfortunately, your tender moment was cut short when you heard someone clear their throat to get your attention. Blushing, you pulled away from Johanna and turned around to stare at some amused Town Hall employees.

“Aww, isn’t that sweet,” one of the employees said.

“I’ll say. Our mayor has finally found someone special, but I think we should give them some time alone. Come on, before she gets mad at us and docs our paychecks,” employee #2 said, noticing how Johanna was getting annoyed at them for eavesdrop and took off like rockets.

After your little moment with Johanna, you went to over and poured yourself a cup of apple cider, which was provided by the Apple family and then cleared your throat to prepare for your speech. You were barely able to keep yourself from downing the delicious drink first, as the Apples know how to make some of the best cider in Equestria.

“Attention everypony,” you called out, gathering everyone’s attention. “I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you all how grateful we are to you for contributing to this charity. Without your help, it wouldn’t be possible to help the good foals who are being treated for their illnesses. It’s thanks to you all that they’ll receive the medicine they need to get them back on their hooves. And so, with that being said... cheers!” you exclaimed, raising your cup.

“Cheers!” everyone else shouted as they raised their cups at the same time before taking a sip of their drinks. You now gave into the temptation and guzzled down your cup of apple cider. As always, you admired the taste that the Apples worked so hard to make. Johanna clearly didn’t have any doubts about your capabilities as you saw her looking at you with a proud smile.

“You know Johanna, a necklace is fine, but what do you say we go out and have our own private picnic together. Just you and me, a bottle of wine and just watch the stars under the gazebo later on tonight?” Johanna’s eyes seemed to sparkle at your ideas and she responded with a warm hug, followed by a kiss on the lips.

“I’d be glad to, Edgeworth,” Johanna replied and went back to kissing you. This time, neither of you cared whether or not someone was watching.

You had a feeling that as you changed into a nice, fresh pair of clothes, that you wouldn’t be living in this house for much longer. Since you and Johanna seemed to be growing closer each day, you thought it was only a matter of time before she asks you to move in with her. Despite your calm exterior, the idea of living with your lover thrilled you quite a bit.

A potluck didn’t mean that the rest of the day would be free, which worked to your advantage as you wanted your picnic to be at night so you could see the stars. As always, by the time it was time to lock up Town Hall, it was already dark and you had immediately returned home to get cleaned up and changed. You already saw how beautiful Johanna was that night she invited you for dinner, so you had no doubts she would look amazing again for tonight’s picnic.

Since she was responsible for the food last time, it was only fair for you to take responsibility to bring the food this time. Besides a nice bottle of wine, some mashed potatoes, and a bowl of garden salad seemed like a pretty luxurious meal if you do say so yourself. You made sure to be careful with packing the food, since you didn’t want to arrive with anything ruined. Once everything was nice and wrapped, you put it away in a basket that you bought earlier.

Gazing in the mirror one last time, you noticed the only problem was that your tie. It didn’t seem like a good match-up with the rest of your suit. You took it off and went through your clothes to see which tie would be more suitable. Reaching into one of your drawers, you pulled out a cyan colored necktie and nodded in approval. With that small issue out of the way, you grabbed the basket and made your way outside.

Humming a little bit, you admired the pleasant nighttime scenery. To your good fortune, you’ve heard from Rainbow Dash and the weather patrol ponies that they’ve postponed the rain that was supposed to occur tonight and changed it to tomorrow. In fact, this change in their schedule was the reason you asked Johanna out tonight.

When you arrived at her house, you checked your basket to make sure everything was okay before knocking on the door. The door opens up slowly and your heart raced when you saw Johanna in a beautiful, silver sleeveless dress with gold trims around the dress collar. Of course, she was also wearing that lovely necklace you got for her.

“You’re looking as beautiful as ever, my dear,” you praised before kissing her hand. She didn’t blush this time, rather she giggled at your chivalry.

“And you look as handsome as ever, Edgey-honey,” she giggled. After the complimenting was done, the beautiful mayor allowed you to wrap your around her back and lead her away from her house and off to your destination.

Walking to the gazebo took just a little bit longer than walking to Johanna’s house, so it was nothing to complain about. The moment you arrived, you took out a blanket which with great consideration you managed to fit in your basket. Once that was taken care of, you smiled as your marefriend made herself comfortable before taking out the food. It was a good thing you made sure to bring some utensils and some plates.

“I guess we’re even now Edgeworth,” Johanna said. You easily recalled how she invited you over to her house for dinner last week. Even if this wasn’t your house, you still asked to spend time with her and provided dinner as well.

“Yup, it looks like it,” you chuckled and looked up at the dark, night sky. With no clouds in the way, you and Johanna could easily spot the millions of stars that were shining from above.

“It certainly is. With all the paperwork we both have to put up with, it’s nice to take a break to just sit, relax and enjoy the scenery. Especially now that I have you...” Setting her plate aside for a moment, Johanna moved closer to you and nuzzled under your chin.

“Has anyone ever told you how cute you are when you nuzzle like that?” you asked, playfully stroking her cheek and booping her on the nose. She giggled and nuzzled into your chin again. That was until she processed what you just said.

“M-Me? A mare who’s almost 40 is cute?” she asked shocked.

“Of course, if not cute, then beautiful,” you said before lifting her chin so you could admire her. The stars were reflecting off of her eyes was mesmerizing. You didn’t care about her age, you only questioned how a beautiful mare like her could stay single for so long. Getting bored with just staring at her, you leaned down to kiss her once again. She closed her eyes and leaned in, deepening the kiss. With no annoying employees around, you could kiss to your heart’s content.

You both pulled away and started eating while gazing up at the stars. Princess Luna’s night truly was a sight to behold. Next thing you knew, a shooting star passed through the skies.

“Oh, look! Make a wish, Johanna!” you exclaimed.

“My wish is... to one day get married and have a big, beautiful wedding,” she replied, leaning into you.

“R-Really?” you asked a little shocked at how straightforward she was being.

“It’s always been my dream to one day have a big wedding with my beloved husband, all the stallions who were around my age were already married and I was even desperate to find a young stallion, but they didn’t see me that way. For a long time now, I thought I would have to give up on that dream. But ever since you came along, I felt like I got my chance once again,” Johanna confessed.

“Do you think I should’ve bought a ring or should I get down on one knee and just propose?”

“I’m sure you’ll get the chance again whenever you got time. But for now, I want us to enjoy our picnic, as well as each other’s company.” With a nod, you went back to eating.

Neither one of you rushed your eating, since there was nowhere important to go after this picnic. Even when you there was nothing left to eat, you weren’t quite ready to leave just yet. With Johanna snuggling against your arm, you went back to watching the stars with almost no concern for what would be another busy day tomorrow.