A Hop, a Skip, and a Jump. P 2

Fluttershy stared at Applejack a moment as the latter pony worked about her room, trying to clean up a bit and set up the bed. "I, um, don't think you need to go to that much work for me, Applejack." She mentioned, but the other pony wouldn't hear of it.

"Nonsense, Fluttershy. My bed's along the corner, an' that's no good fer multiple ponies. Been meanin' to do that fer awhile now, anywho." Applejack muttered, putting her forehead against the bed and sliding it out. Fluttershy nodded briefly before pausing.

"Um, why?" She asked, thinking it over. Applejack paused, as if considering it herself. She didn't answer, however, and set to work pushing the bed away from the wall. In this, Fluttershy couldn't see her face anymore, and couldn't tell that the orange filly in front of her was actually turning a little red in the face. Regardless, the silence threatened Fluttershy, who followed up with a quick, "Um, not that it's... um, any of my business asking." She mumbled, her cheeks pink with embarrassment.

Seeing Fluttershy's reaction, Applejack looked up and smiled. "Now don't you worry about that. Sometimes Applebloom has a bad dream and comes to sleep in my bed with me. Silly filly, it just makes it easier for me if I need to get up the followin' mornin' without jostlin' her awake." She explained. Sure it happened sometimes, so she was happy when Fluttershy merely smiled and nodded. Walking over to the bed, Fluttershy worked along with Applejack. Not in any big way, but she kept the sheets neat and tidy while the hard-working applebucker made the last few adjustments. "There! Ah reckon that'll hold my interest for a couple seasons." She said, nodding in approval of her new room setup.

"I'm glad to have helped. Some." Fluttershy mentioned, straightening out the last corner on Applejack's bed. As she pulled, she took a small whiff, enjoying the smells of the sheets. She closed her eyes unconsciously, letting go of the sheet and holding a content smile. Opening her eyes, she caught a look from Applejack which caused her to slink down and blush. "Um. A little." She mumbled.

Smiling and shaking her head, Applejack placed a hoof around Fluttershy. "Ya sure did. Ah've probably would of kept putting it off if not fer you." She smiled, before realizing how close she was. She paused briefly, the constantly reddening Fluttershy looked away, and the Earth Pony put her hoof down. "Er, sorry 'bout that. You gonna be alright tonight, sugarcube? Ah can sleep on the floor if that makes ya more comfortable."

Shaking her head at the prospect, Fluttershy declined. "Oh, no! I um. I mean." She mentally berated herself for making Applejack second guess her overflowing hospitality, and for almost ruining a bit of a dream come true for her. "I kinda liked it. You're, um. Warm." She tried, giving a small smile.

The compliment caused Applejack to merely smile sweetly, "Hold on, Fluttershy, I gotta go wash up a little." Applejack mentioned, needing an outlet before the blood flooded her cheeks on how adorable Fluttershy could get. "You can look through my closet over there for something to occupy yer time with, I shouldn't be too long." Trotting out of the room, Applejack closed the door behind her with her back hoof, and headed downstairs to the washroom. Fluttershy looked toward the windows, the storm raging on, and took note - it hadn't really stopped thundering, but she hadn't noticed at all.

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"Okay sugarcube, just hold it together. You're doing great so far." Applejack muttered to herself in the mirror. The water had hit that magical temperature that just felt right as she splashed some in her face, getting some of the more prominent dirt off of her. "This ain't no big thing. No need ta be awkward. Don't rush things..." She sighed, her hooves hitting the floor as she leaned against the bathtub. She smiled as she took note that Applebloom finished her chores today, as the tub looked very white. Sighing, she looked down, and compulsively moved her hoof to straighten her hat, which she realized wasn't there.

Applejack couldn't help but think of the pony in her room. She could barely remember when she started having these feelings for the pale yellow mare. Applejack stared into her reflection, looking at the pony who stared back. She knew why. The caring, the kindness... closing her eyes she pinpointed the exact moment she fell for the girl upstairs. She defended them - she defended them all. She stared down that dragon when all the others had been rebuked, and saved Ponyville - maybe even a large part of all of Equestria. And she did it not by fighting, or tricking... She told the honest truth. Appealed to the dragon's heart. It was only by accident that she also appealed to Applejack's, albeit in a very different way.

Sighing, she turned away from the mirror, her steps heavy as she exited the washroom. There wasn't much she felt she could do. "Ah reckon it's just a slumber party fer her." She whispered, shaking her mane.

"Not often we have a guest. Tonight we have two, hm?" A voice called from the kitchen. Applejack looked up to see Granny Smith in one of the many rockers strewn about the Apple Family house, enjoying what was left of the plate of apple slices the girls had forgotten to finish.

"Er.. uh. Yep! Both of them needed a place to stay... 'Parrently." Applejack muttered, kicking a hoof along the ground as she spoke. "My friend Fluttershy and one of our workers who was plum clumsy and ended up hurting himself on the way home."

"Caramel?"

"Caramel."

"Boy's just like his father." Granny sighed, her eyes becoming half moons. Applejack was about to head back upstairs when she was halted by her grandmother's voice. "You aren't foolin' me, Applejack." She said, causing the younger pony to freeze dead in her tracks.

"Uh... heh heh, whaddya mean?"

Sighing, Granny moved the plate unto the a nearby counter. "Your friend up there. I can tell." She mumbled, moving off her chair and unto her walker. Moving slowly towards her, the orange Earth Pony's eyes darting from side to side.

"Ah don't know whatcha mean, Granny. Ah'm just feedin' her and housin' her from the storm." Applejack mentioned, giving an obviously forced smile.

"Applejack, you know you're a horrid liar." The elder mare said, completely deadpan. This caused Applejack's head the fall, looking away from her granny. "I can tell when you're smitten, one way or another." Granny Smith sniffed the air, before shaking her mane a bit. "But you made no way of hidin' it this time."

Applejack paused, looking about before raising an eyebrow. "Now just how is that?" She'd been the perfect host so far, she imagined.

The old mare laughed. "I raise you from a filly to the mare you are now and don't expect me to pick up on a few things?" She pointed to the plate, where two last apple slices remained. "Cutten up apples, movin' furniture, washin' up." Applejack blushed and again reached for her hat, which, again,  wasn't there. "And of course, you're lookin' for your pappy's hat for comfort in your nervousness" Rolling over to the stand, Granny took the hat off and threw it over to Applejack, who deftly caught it in her mouth and flipped it up upon her head. "This mare's got you doin' every trick under the sun I've seen you do for all those colts back in Gradeschool you were crushing on." Granny Smith sighed wistfully, remembering all those years ago. Sure it wasn't much to her age, but she could get around without this confounded walker back then.

"Granny, Ah..." Applejack started. She felt embarrassed, and even a little shameful in front of her grandmother like this. "Ah'm sorry... if this isn't what you want fer me." She admitted, her hoof kicking the ground again.

Granny Smith tutted a moment, wheeling herself close to Applejack. "Now listen here, AJ. I was against many things in my hayday." She started. Clearing her throat, however, she continued. "But I was for so much more. And love, little Apple of my eye, was one of them." Applejack looked up, fighting back a couple tears which threatened to come loose. "I can tell this one's special to you, and ain't nopony's gonna take that special away."

"But... what about the others? All my friends?" Applejack breathed, revealing her fear. "What if I'm rejected?"

Standing as straight as she could, Granny Smith looked surprised at how Applejack responded. "You mean yer friends? Twilight and all them?" She asked, getting a simple nod from Applejack in response. "Well if you ask me you have no problems from yer little party friend, or Twilight. And something tells me you ain't got much to worry about offended that Rainbow Dash. Perhaps it'll coax her to come out of her own shell. Ain't healthy keepin' who you are inside like that."

Applejack smiled softly. Everyone seemed to have the same opinion about Rainbow. "Granny... yer startin' to ramble a little." She let on, sniffing a little to hold back her emotions.

Stopping, the old mare smiled as she stopped. "Er. Right, sorry dear. I'm saying you don't have anything to worry your pretty little head about. They'll accept you no matter what. And don't you worry about the townsfolk either - I'm sure between that Lyra and Bon-Bon they're all pretty fine with the idea."

"Lyra and Bon-Bon?" Applejack echoed, before suddenly the gears in her head clicked into place. "Oh." She gave a few blank blinks as realizations dawned. "Well that does answer a few questions, Ah reckon."

Laughing softly, Granny Smith put a hoof on Applejack's shoulder. "I'm surprised you didn't know. You have to stop working so hard everyday and start takin notice of what's around you a bit more. There's a lot of beauty out there." Taking a moment, Granny wiped a tear that had just rolled down Applejack's cheek. "Just like you are."

Applejack gently hugged her grandmother, a couple tears loosening from her eyes, which she wiped away as quick as possible. "Thank you, Granny. Yer a right old mare and Ah'm proud to call you mah grandmother."

"And I could never be disappointed in you, AJ. Now go on up there and tell her how you feel." Granny motioned with her free hoof for Applejack to get along, and the mare smiled back, before hoofing it upstairs. The older mare sighed again, this one contently. Rolling down the hallway to her room, Granny smirked to herself. "Guess I gotta count on Big MacIntosh to give me little fillies and colts to play with and spoil." She said to herself, relishing in the idea of a few more great grandponies before she finally kicked the bucket. A flash of lightning illuminated the room before her, causing the old mare to merely turn her head towards the window.