Cutie Apple Pie

((Warning, this piece will have plenty of time jumps.))

It was late for a pony to be up, pacing her room, worrying a rut into the floor with her hooves. The fact of the matter was Applejack was stressed. She'd had a test done and just that day received a letter with the results. Now she was pacing, and thinking, lost in her mind as she tried desperately to find a solution. What was she supposed to do or say? She couldn't keep this a secret.

Down the hall, a little filly shifted out of sleep thanks to the echoing sounds of her sister's worry as Applejack muttered to herself and fiddled with things around the room. Tiredly, little Applebloom made her way to her big sister's room, about to enquire as to what was wrong when the stressful mare hurled the fateful letter in anger. It landed before Applebloom, who uncrumpled it and read it, mouth hanging open. "Applejack...are you having a baby?!"

-----

The night was dark and cold, just a few short months ago. It felt like mere days ago. Two colts waded through thick mud, shivering despite the coats they wore, trying to hold onto their hats in the rain. These brothers stayed huddled together, speaking in hushed tones, speaking of their current poor fortune. They walked, looking for somewhere to rest their aching muscles or something to feed their empty bellies. The younger dreamt of delicious apples and warm bedding while the elder bitterly glared up at the sky as though he could stop the rain. They stumbled forth, the noise from behind barely registering in their minds. Rustle, scrape, groan. Barely heard over the ruckus in their heads made by their troubled thoughts. It wasn't until he felt the breath on the back of their necks that they froze, daring to look behind them. The creature roared. The younger only needed to see the vicious chainsaw of teeth in that mouth, just big enough to gobble a pony whole, before he was running as fast as his tired legs could carry him. Within seconds his brother was by his side, but there was one fateful difference. Flim was at the edge of the path, where the walkway was crumbling a little and loose rock caused him to stumble, take a tumble over the edge, and his dear twin brother never noticed a thing until it was far too late.

-----

Applejack shushed her little sister, scowling, making her promise not to tell a single soul until she was ready. Curious little Applebloom had questions. "Do you know who the father is?"
"I'd rather not say."
"You mean you don't?"
"I do, but I'd rather not say."
"Are ya gonna keep it? It's an Apple, after all."
She thought for a moment, crossing over her front legs. Apples were a strong breed, spread all over Equestria. There were illegitimate children. Heck, Applejack's mother was born out of wedlock. But what if everyone was ashamed of her? And what use was a pregnant mare on the apple farm? But was that really the issue for her? Others being ashamed? Would it not be more shameful to give away a child simply because it did not suit or because she was on unfriendly terms with the father? Sighing, she gave a slight nod. Deep down she knew from the start she would keep it. It was hardly the baby's fault.

The next day, Applebloom was with her friends, and Applejack with hers. Topic of conversation? Rarity's upcoming wedding to her 'perfect gentlecolt'. She was sharing out the designs for her elegant do, with flowers in her mane and the most gorgeous dress. Applejack was struggling to pay attention to everything around her, lost in her own stresses. Her friends were concerned, but they couldn't get any sense out of her.

Applebloom however, quickly grew tired of Sweetie Belle talking about all the pretty things being shipped in for the wedding and boasting how she gets to be a bridesmaid. "You should see the dress I'm wearing! It's this really comfy material and really pretty and shimmery, and light purple."
"Applejack's pregnant!" Applebloom blurted, drawing the attention of the others. Silence fell for a moment.
"Really?" Asked Sweetie Belle.
"I didn't know she had a coltfriend." Scootaloo muttered.
"She doesn't. That's the thing! She doesn't know who the father is!"
"No way!"
"I thought she would be more careful than that..."

-----

Groaning, he came to, finding himself in a puddle. Somewhere on the way down from that height, that path, he had lost his hat and coat. At least the rain had stopped, although that didn't change the fact that he was still cold and wet. Slowly, he picked himself up, only to feel a harsh pain in his back left. Still, the fact was he couldn't stay there. He was injured and vulnerable, and nopony knew anyone was out there. He had to pick a direction and go, because looking up and calling told him Flam was long gone. Eventually he would limp to civilisation. He was sure of it.

After what seemed like forever, the sun began to rise. The early morning light shone over him as he limped forth, catching sight of an apple orchard in the distance. A sweet smell drifted to him as he got closer, setting his stomach growling again. They wouldn't miss a couple of apples, he decided, using his magic to pick a few. In the distance he heard the odd thump of hooves against tree trunk followed by a shower of apples. Ah, the owners were awake already. Well, he just had to eat now and make his presence known later. A dropped core rolled off without him noticing, but he did notice the hoofsteps. He took a quick step back.
"Who's there?" The mare called before stepping through to find Flim surrounded by half-eaten apples.

-----

Gossip spreads like wildfire. Everypony knows that. And that is exactly what it did. 'Applejack's having a baby'. It spread through all the foals in the school, to all their parents and siblings, to all their friends and family, so on and so forth. And there poor Applejack was in the middle of it all, completely oblivious. As far as she was concerned, her sister had kept good by her promise and told nopony. It wasn't until Rarity's wedding night a few nights later when the beans spilled.

She was there, with her friends, the formal dress she wore a little too tight. She was squirming in discomfort, hoping this wouldn't take long, and there came Rainbow Dash. "Hey AJ, how's tricks?"
She looked over and gave an awkward smile. She hadn't spoken to her friends properly since finding out about her extra passenger. She had just had so much stress on her mind, and not even the concern her friends had for her had broken through. "Hey Rainbow."
"How've you two been lately?"
"Y'mean me and Applebloom? Yeah, fine..."
"No, I mean...never mind...you've seen pretty down lately."
"Yeah, I guess I have...sorry."
"What for?"
"Well, I've been in this foul mood and been brushin' you all off and I haven't even told y'all why."
"It's not because of the whole baby thing is it?"
"What now?" Applejack froze up, eyes widening.
"That's what everyone's saying. You're having a baby with some mystery stallion. Why didn't you tell us before making it public?"
"Who...who knows about this?"
There was a moment of silence. "I don't know...Rarity said Sweetie Belle asked about it..."
"...Applebloom..." She started off, ignoring the indignant calls of her friends, suddenly very aware of all the stares. She picked up the pace, getting home in record time, and Granny Smith awoke with a start. AJ did her best to sneak past, but with one call of 'who's there?' there quickly followed the most awkward conversation of her life.

-----

"And what in the hay do you think you're doin' here?"
"This is Ponyville?" He asked, looking around with a frown. "In that case I can find my way out to Mareazona and talk to my uncle and maybe get a line out to Flam if we can find out where he ran off to." He spoke to himself, pacing around the apple cores. Applejack cleared her throat.
"Excuse me?"
"I don't think I owe you an explanation considering you and your precious princess managed to convince the entire world that my brother and I are con ponies. I'll have you know that our tonic had physical antibiotic and anti-inflammation qualities we'd taken from a recipe given to us by a zebra in the Everfree Forest."
"But Silver Shill said-"
"Silver Shill was involved in the mixing for the taste alone. All he did was take apples and puree them like we taught him."
Her eyes were now drawn to his injured leg. "What happened to you?"
He turned away. "None of your business."
"It looks real bad is all. Are you shiverin'?"
He tried to move around her then, pretend everything was fine, but he put his bad leg down and ended up on his bottom, biting his tongue to keep himself from crying out. Applejack moved to help him up but he jerked away, slumping against one of the trees. "Look, I've had a very bad night, that's all."
"Well come on in and I'll get a doctor. The sooner you get your leg seen to, the sooner you can leave and never darken my doorstep again."

-----

Knock knock knock on the door.
"Applejack?"
Applejack herself lay on her bed, door locked. She would leave the room now and then for basic needs and maybe a few chores, but mostly she wanted to stay out of the public eye. After a moment, she raised her head.
"Fluttershy?"
"Um, yeah, just, I was wondering if you might like to maybe come spend time with us perhaps?"
Another voice came then. Rainbow Dash. "I was thinking we could help you catch up on all those chores you've been falling behind on, awesome style. Imagine us just whipping through, wind in our manes, followed by a rain of apples!"
Sighing, she lay back down. "Gimme a minute to think." Guilt washed over her. How could she just shut out her friends the way she did? Her eyes were drawn to the pillow beside her, a single strand from a filthy, red mane still hanging on it. Memories came rushing on in before she could slam the door on them. She let her eyes close, and when they opened she was in the past.

-----

The doctor came and went, bandaging up Flim's leg and telling him to get some rest. He refused to go along to the Ponyville hospital, instead requesting to contact his uncle from Sweet Apple Acres. He was clearly worried about his brother as well, even trying to insist on looking for him until it was made clear to him he absolutely couldn't. By the looks of it he would be staying over night, so, begrudgingly, the Apples gave him a little food and let him spend the night in the barn.

That night, a killer storm started up again. The wind howled, rain thumped harshly against the window. Applejack awoke to the distant sound of the barn doors being slammed open and shut. She sat up, eyes drawn through the window, to the barn. It would be freezing in there, and there was no way Flim would get the rest he needed...he would get better faster if there were less problems. The faster he got better, the sooner he could leave...and out there he would just get a whole lot worse. Heaving a sigh, she threw back the covers and headed out.

Flim was curled up in the barn, huddled amongst the hay. He was staring at the wall tiredly, shivering, ears flicking to every slam. The rain was coming in, puddles forming over the floor and water in his grubby mane.
"Flim?"
He raised his head a little, looking over.
Applejack heaved a sigh. "You ought to come in, you'll get real sick out here."
Nodding, he managed to force himself to his feet. The mare had to help him into the house and even brought him up to her room instead of leaving him on the sofa. Against her better judgement, she helped the stallion into her own bed. He lay atop the covers and fell asleep almost instantly. Applejack sat and watched him, almost curious. Suddenly he seemed like a sleeping foal, curled up with his tail draped  across his  waist, hoof by his mouth, which was slightly open. Suddenly there was something so childlike and sweet about him.

He awoke shortly after, having to shift off his bad leg. They spoke about various things. Mainly their love for their siblings and happy memories. Childhood. Things they had in common. He reluctantly admitted he and his twin were homeless after their machine broke, and they were penniless for the time being with nothing to sell. Applejack shifted closer to him over time. He was cold and sick, and by the sounds of things, what little he'd had at the farm was the only food he'd had for a long while. Annoyingly, she felt sorry for him.

And when morning came, she woke up in his arms, cuddled up to him, and Flim's bright green eyes flickered open. At once, he jerked away.
"Oh my..."
"Did we...?" She shuffled to the other end of the bed, staring as the stallion scrambled to his feet, limping away.
"I...we...loathe as I would to appear to take advantage of such a lovely filly as yourself..." Everyone there hated him. Whether he liked her or not, it would never be safe for him to stay.
"You're leaving?"
"I have to find my brother. Anything could have happened to him. You heard what I said last night, about how much I care for him, we were in grave danger when we were separated...and there's the fact that your brother already wanted me dead and if he finds out about this..." Funny. The concern for Flam hadn't been there until he said that and suddenly realised how much trouble he could really be in. Part of him wanted to stay, but with Flam out there in grave danger and with him surrounded by hatred there, he couldn't possibly stay.

-----

Applejack plodded down the stairs sadly. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash followed, and as she reached the bottom, the party blowers went. "Surprise!"

Before her was a baby shower, all her friends and family and many loyal Apple Acres customers stood before her, with gifts for the little ones in her belly. There were even gifts from others unable to be there piled high on a table. It was overwhelming, the amount of people there. They all loved and appreciated Applejack and her life in Ponyville. Everyone gave their blessings and best wishes, and her friends gathered around her, doing their best to keep her spirits up. There was even a few towels on the table, with no label. A gift from Flim.

Slowly, she became more social. "I'm sorry I ignored y'all like that..."
"You were going through a tough time." Twilight replied softly. "We understand. We just wish we could have done more to help you."
"And we are sooooooo excited for your kids!" Pinkie squealed.
"You should see how excited to meet her niece or nephew Apple Bloom is." Rainbow interjected.
Applejack smiled. "I shouldn't have locked myself away like that..." It was a couple more months before her twins were due. Things were going back to normal, although Applejack wasn't allowed to buck apples or stress herself too much. Instead she busied herself arranging everything she had gotten for the baby into the right place for her and for the coming of the child. When she wasn't doing that, she was with her friends. One evening Rainbow Dash announced she and her partner were expecting, and she seemed none too pleased about it. Nothing much changed, really. She was back in quiet, uneventful Ponyville, right up until the end of those months that passed all to quickly.

It was a quiet night. A light shower drifted across Ponyville. Waters to quench the thirst of all the crops. She stared out the window, mind buzzing. Somewhere out there were Flim and Flam, and she had no way of knowing if they'd picked themselves back up again or not. They could be lying in a puddle in that storm, half-starved and desperate...

She shook her head quickly. There was no point thinking about it. He had probably lied about it all anyway. Besides, after all he'd done, he didn't deserve her pity. She moved, trying to get into a more comfortable position, but after a moment she couldn't ignore the pains in her belly. Quietly, she made her way over to Big Mac's room and shook him awake. "Mac? I need ya to take me to the hospital..." She wanted to keep it quiet.

In seconds, the entire family was rushing around, getting everything ready. As they rushed through the town, carting the pregnant Applejack behind her, they undoubtedly awoke the entire town. Well, aside from being in pain and having to give birth to the children of a sleazebag unicorn and then care for them as a single mother, everything was perfect. Her friends came to see her and help support her and all.

And then there they were, looking at golden brown fillies with ruby red manes and unicorn horns.
"Are they my nieces?" Apple Bloom asked excitedly.
"Eeyup."
Applejack sat beside her daughters. "These here are Apple Candy and Caramel Apple Cheesecake. My precious girls."
"Did you know they'd be unicorns?"
"I had a hunch..."
Rainbow Dash pitched the next question. "So did you know who the father was?"
Applejack hesitated a moment. "Eeyup."
"And he just left you?" Asked Rarity.
"Actually, I told him to go...his brother was missin' and I thought the rest of the town'd be none too pleasant..."

-----

"You have to go. I understand that."
"Applejack?"
"Flim."
"You're an absolutely wonderful mare. I'm sorry. For everything."
"I know. The others may not be so forgivin'. I don't want you gettin' hurt is all...you really ought'a go."
"Okay. There's a man you can always contact me through if you need to. Snappy Skimmer. He's an aquapony down in Mareazona. Somehow he always knows where to find my brother and I...if you ever need to find me..."
"I will. I got it."