Fic: Sometimes all you need is a change of prespective 5/? | Pushing Daisies - Olive/Chuck | PG
Author: Shadower
Title: Sometimes all you need is a change of perspective
Disclaimer: ABC owns it all. I own nothing.
Fandom: Pushing Daisies - Olive / Chuck
Rating: sort of R - for the series.
Archiving: I keep forgetting to add this line... Ralst can have all the chapters for P&P, anyone else needs to ask.
Summary: Olive's attempt to put thoughts of the pie-maker behind her have unexpected results
Spoilers: Up until ep.8 of the season.
Authors Notes: I actually did a big "no-no" in here regarding Olive and the horse. As far as I know people don't actually ride the horse into it's stall, but I wanted the over dramaticness of the tiny Olive on a big horse rearing in a closed structure. If I have offended anyone who actually rides / takes care of horses with this bit of dramatic license, I apologize. Oh, and if anyone of those people live by me - could I come over and ride? I haven't done that in years...
Italics still means she's thinking.
A/N2: I want to thank two people who helped out with this chapter: as always: my wonderful beta -
llyfrgell, and also my friend Alina who helped name the horse.
Previously on Pushing Daisies: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4
The facts were these: it was one week, two days, five hours, and 26 minutes since Olive Snook had woken up from a dream that startled her to her very core. Her days seemed longer, though the work hours felt shorter, as time continued its steady progress. Her routine had changed dramatically ever since that morning: she was no longer the first to arrive and the last to leave each day, but rather had turned to arriving just a few moments before her shift and leaving shortly after. Her interactions with both the pie-maker and his girlfriend Charlotte Charles were also limited to the minimal amount that would get her through her shifts without letting the customers be aware of the discomfort? that Olive felt whenever she saw the two together.
But it wasn't the moments when the pie-maker and the girl named Chuck spent time together that made Olive uncomfortable. No, Olive Snook feared the moments when she would be left alone with the brunette, and even more than that she feared the moments before her mind slipped into the unconsciousness of sleep. Olive feared the dream would return.
And so, in an attempt to tire herself so that all that she could do at night was to collapse on her bed and have a dreamless sleep, she began to return to her old hobby and love: horses. Every day after her shift was over, Olive headed for the stables. It was her safe house, her sanctuary. This more than anything made her happy that the case with John Joseph Jacobs ended the way it had. He was now back in the city stables, working as a teacher and a trainer, and he always let her lend a helping hand. There was only one downside to horse grooming: it let her mind wander.
It was there, on a stool beside a tall, dark Arabian horse that it dawned on her that her dream was not merely projecting, but that she actually felt an attraction to the pie-maker’s girlfriend. John Joseph Jacobs, who happened by a few moments after this realization found her clinging to the mare's neck for support.
"It might not be so bad, Olive," he told her softly as she later hung her arms around his neck. He hugged her back, putting his arms around her waist, wishing he had something smarter to say. The petite blonde's answer was to burrow her head in his shoulder and cling tighter to the now tall man.
Currently, Olive was just stepping back into the stables after taking said Arabian on a run. The tall horse and her rider stopped abruptly when they caught sight of the doors. Ned, Chuck, and Digby were standing right beside the entrance with John Joseph Jacobs, who was smiling softly at her. Swallowing hard, she decided to sit a little straighter atop the tall horse and do what she had done all week: keep things short. Gently clicking her tongue, she set the horse into motion again, actually ducking a bit as they passed through the stable doors, a confident smile accompanying her hello.
"You did good, didn't you, Querida Mia?" Olive cooed as she bent down to pat the horse's neck before attempting to dismount, but the horse, seeing the people rushing her way, got frightened and reared. At first, Olive’s eyes widened in shock, but it only took milliseconds for years of training to kick in and she tightened her hold on the reins and brought her thighs closer, holding the horse's body tighter with her own. John Joseph Jacobs motioned for them to stay where they were and started advancing slowly, ready to assist if needed. The other two just froze, gasping with astonishment and fear for their co-worker and friend, as the small woman went up and down on the agitated horse, talking to it in soothing tones while keeping a firm hand on the reins. It was only after the third rear that the horse stopped bucking.
"Don’t worry, John. I'll take her to her stall. She just isn't used to keeping calm with many people around." She turned her head to address the horse "Are you Querida?" The horse tossed her head and neighed and Olive turned them and headed for the horse's stable, deciding that it might be better to get herself away from the others as soon as possible. I'll brush her first. I don't think I want to... From her seat on the tall horse's back she could not see the three sets of eyes that watched her as she headed for the horse's stall. Each person looked at her with a different gleam in their eyes: one proud of her for intuitively being able to do what he had spent weeks re-teaching his body, and another with surprise because in the time they had known each other he had never seen her assert herself in such a manner. The third set of eyes looked at her in breath-taken awe.
"Olive?" Chuck's voice came from the door just as Olive's feet touched the ground, making the smaller woman jump, then rush to the large mare trying to calm her down. In the attempt to control her still jittering nerves, more from seeing the trio in her chosen refuge than from the horse acting up, Olive failed to notice how small the voice from the doorway sounded.
"Please don't sneak up on me like that!" she exclaimed, turning to see the woman who plagued her thoughts standing in the doorway, the pie-maker mere steps behind her. This is where she belongs, Olive. She had told herself that so many times it was beginning to sound like a mantra, even in her own ears. If it were a mantra, I would start believing in its meaning, wouldn't I? asked the small voice in her head. Don't go there.
"I'm sorry." Jade eyes looked down as Olive purposely went about her post-riding routine, trying to ignore the need to erase the frown that had formed on Chuck's lips by any means necessary.
"Olive, I'll finish up here. You go with your friends." Forcing her eyes not to grow wide at the statement from John Joseph Jacobs, now standing behind Chuck's left shoulder, and edging closer, she leveled a look at him.
"John, I rode her, so I should be the one to brush her down. You really don't have to take care of my chores." Her voice was stern, but she looked at him almost pleadingly. Please don't make me leave. Not now, not with them... Smiling a small smile, he replied:
"Nonsense. I owe you one from last week when one of the kids came in early. You go, and I will get Querida prepared for the night." He can't be doing this... Why is he doing this? She looked from him to the pie-maker, his hands stuffed deep in his pockets, and to Chuck, standing there and looking at her. I can't leave with them. I... I came here with my car! Olive huffed.
"Does this make us even?" He nodded. "Good. I will see you tomorrow. Excuse me," she added as she brushed by the two standing at the door, trying to keep her distance from Chuck. Her only clothes now were a set of red lacey underwear. Fighting hard to keep her trembling under control, Olive raised her hand to Chuck's stomach, watching fascinated as the muscles tightened in breath and even more so because of her touch. Shaking her head to clear it from the image that flooded it, she sat down on the bench beside the exit. Her riding boots still needed to be changed back to the more comfortable pair of heels.
"Olive, we need to talk." A gasp escaped Olive’s lips as she looked up at the beautiful brunette, scenes from her dream once again flashing in the recesses of her mind. "You have been acting weird all week. Is everything all right?" We're in the stables. John's here, Ned's here. She loves him. She is not going to pounce. Just relax. Breathe, and relax.
"Why shouldn't it be?" She braved a glance into Chuck's eyes as she lied through her teeth. Mama would be appalled. "I just realized how much I missed this and decided to come back, even if only for a little while." OK, that wasn't a lie, that's good. Now keep quiet. The pie-maker seemed content, as though he accepted the version of truth she told. Chuck on the other hand, didn't.
"And that's all?"
"Was my answer not good enough?" The content look melted from the pie-maker’s face. Chuck huffed.
"What's wrong, Olive?" She turned to look at him, trying to think of the best way to answer his question..
"Why do you think something is wrong? Am I so hard to believe that when I say things are all right, you need to double check?"
"Olive!" Thoroughly surprised by the miniature outburst, Chuck tried to reclaim the blonde's attention. "We are just worried about you." We, Olive noted. "You haven't been acting the same all week and we grew concerned. You know you can tell us if something is on your mind, don't you?" As she looked into those impossibly green eyes, Olive's emotions battled with what her brain knew was true. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before opening them again, she looked at the pie-maker, standing not further than five feet away, and then at Chuck, sitting so close they were practically touching.
"Of course I know that. Don't you worry about me."
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That's it for now. I am currently working on the next chapter, but my muse and I have a slight disagreement about who is going to make that eventful first move, so it might take a while...