A Place To Lay My Head

"Applejack? Can I talk to you?" Big Mac's voice boomed across the kitchen even though he spoke quietly. Applejack, who was mid laugh at Pinkie's story, nodded and excused herself like a proper mare. Big Mac went into the kitchen proper, within a few seconds his sister came in.

"What seems to be the problem, Big Mac?" Applejack picked a toothpick up between her teeth and got to work removing any stubborn foodstuff.

"Why's Pinkie here? Ah thought she was in the hospital." Big Mac cast a glance at the door, where a raucous laughter boomed from. Even Granny Smith's laugh could be heard coming from the dining room.

"Shoot, ah missed the punchline..." His sister grumbled and kicked the ground. Then her gaze met his once again. "Pinkie is here 'cuz she needs somewhere ta stay." Big Mac shot a glare at Applejack.

"We're tight on money as it is AJ, an' with winter comin' and profits dwindilin' it's gonna be tough enough without another pony bein' here." It was true, the Apple family always had a tough time during winter since their crops were dead, Cider season had passed and they stocked up bits as best they could, but that well was already starting to run dry.

"Ah know Mac, ah know. Trust me, ah ain't no foal. Ah figured with some of our savin's we can buy some flour and baking things of the such and Pinkie can pull her own weight by sellin' some of her baked goods and earn us some bits..." Applejack smiled at him, tipping her hat back. "Ya gotta trust me this one time, Macintosh. Ah know what ah'm doin."

"AJ, ya know yer supposed to run stuff like this by me first. Ma and Pa gave me the farm, not you. Ah'm the one who runs this place, ya don't have the liberty to decide things like this." Big Mac had the best interest of the farm and family in his mind, that's all he ever wanted.

"Consarnit, Macintosh! Just because yer mah big brother doesn't mean ya know everythin', alright? Fer once, ah know what ah'm doin'! Fer once, ah know what needs to be done!' She pushed open the door to the kitchen just enough to show Pinkie Pie wearing her empty bowl on her head like a helmet. "Ah know that mare needs someplace ta stay and someponies ta take care of her." She let the door swing shut. "If y'all wanna be the one ta go out there and throw her out on the streets, be mah guest. Cuz it's not gonna be me." Applejack huffed and started to trot out, but turned when she was halfway out the door and glared at her brother. "And Pa may have given' you the farm...but he gave me the hat." With that, she left.

Big Mac fell on his haunches, stunned at what she had just said. He respected her commitment to her friend's well-being, sure..but that hat comment. That was a low blow. That hat, the family hat, had been passed from Apple patriarch to Apple Patriarch since Granny Smith's great grandpa. For Applejack to get the hat instead of him, well it's always been a point of contention in the family..and it served as a very, very low blow.

--

"Pinkie, can y'all take the CMC up to Bloom's room? Ah've gotta talk to Granny Smith alone..." Pinkie looked at the fillies, who all had a bright smiles on their faces at the thought of playing some more with Pinkie Pie. Then the pink mare nodded and hobbled out of the room, the CMC bouncing after her.

"What seems ta be the problem, deary?" Granny Smith gave AJ her knowing and kind smile that reminded the stetson wearing pony so much of her own mother.

"Ah just....well, do ya think it's right to help Pinkie?" Applejack sat down, took her prized hat on, and sat it on the table. "Big Mac says that we don't need the extra load on the family..." Applejack's emerald eyes focused on the hat, mostly it's intricate hoof stitching. It was comforting, the smooth lines and contours of the hat were calming to just stare at.

"Hmm..." Granny leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to think. "Ah reckon that it's always good ta help a friend in need...no matter the situation. Ah know winters are rough..but we got through worse winters with more ponies in the past..." The old mare simply nodded with her own statement.

"True..." Applejack still remembered some winters when she was young...they were rougher back then. Ma and Pa Apple had to take care of two little ponies, a newborn foal, and Granny Smith. Now had become easier since all members save Granny could work. "Ah just don't want this to cause a rift in the family..."

"Jackie..." That finally made Applejack look up. Very few ponies ever called her that. In fact, the two ponies who did call her that were about six feet under the oak tree out back. "Nothin'....y'hear me. Nothin' will ever come between Apples. Not this, not some silly relationship of Big Mac's." Applejack smiled and nodded, then stopped when she caught the full extent of Granny's words.

"Wait...what about Big Mac and Fluttershy?" Granny waved a hoof dismissively.

"Your brother wants to have that frail little pegasissy move in here. Ah reckon that's why he's upset about your friend being here, it means his mare can't be here..." Applejack's eyes narrowed at that, he got mad at her for bringing in somepony unannounced, but he wanted to do the exact same thing!

"If ah get mah hooves on that no good snake..." An old green hoof rested on her shoulder. She looked up into her Granny's eyes, the only eyes she really trusted. Then the old mare smiled, and Applejack knew what to do.....relax.

--

"So! What do you girls wanna talk about?" Pinkie pulled a bright pink sleeping bag out of her mane and unrolled it near the other ones on the floor. After it was fully unfurled, she plopped down on it. To her left was Applebloom, who had an old looking apple themed sleeping bag. On her left was Scootaloo who had a rainbow sleeping bag, and Sweetiebelle completed the circle with a white sleeping bag adorned with a music note on it.

"Ooh! How about boys~?" Sweetie's squeaky voice made each of the ponies in the room cringe. Especially Pinkie Pie.

"Ah dunno Sweetie...ah'm not really....comfortable talking about that." Applebloom looked down and fiddled with her hooves nervously. Scootaloo was doing something similar, except that she had a visible blush and her little wings were flared out. Pinkie took that cue, she'd hung around enough pegasi to know what that meant.

"C'mon Applebloom, I saw the way you looked at Pipsqueak the other day." The little earth pony blushed deeply. "And Scoots, you've been hanging around Rumble a lot." scoots only looked down and grumbled something inaudible. Y'know who I like?" Pinkie, not wanting to share in the awkwardness of the other two, decided to indulge Sweetie.

"Ooh~ Who?"

"Well...I knida just started noticing him. He doesn't go to our school..but he is kind of like our age..." Sweetie blushed brightly and looked down at her fuzzy white hooves. "It's Spike." All three pairs of eyes widened and looked at the unicorn. "We sorta hit it off at the wedding...he was just so nice and sweet...but I don't think he likes me." Her eyes narrowed. "Stupid Rarity..."

A spell of silence washed over the ponies, until Pinkie Pie decided to speak up.

"You know who I like..?" All eyes then fell on the only adult in the room. "Rainbow Dash..." A blush came across Pinkie's face at the thought of her crush.

"Well duh you like her, she's your friend...plus she's just plain awesome!" Scootaloo said that of course.

"No, no, no." Pinkie shook her head at the naivety of the filly. "Not like that...like...I really like her." No response. "I...I like like her..." A chorus of 'Oh's came from the three fillies, then Applebloom spoke up.

"Ya mean ya can like girls like that? Ah thought girls were supposed ta like colts..." Pinkie had some stuff to explain.