=BiE 46=

>The sun was low as the two of you walked home.
>Well, you were walking home. Lotus was on your back.
>She had become addicted to piggy back rides, it seemed.
>You didn't mind.
>"Are we recording Gossip Mare?" 
>Lotus shifts on your back. "We better be. Tonight Silver Lining confesses to Ironhoof."
>You laugh.
>Silly mare.
>Silver Lining obviously liked Crimson Wind better.
>You continue on your way until you hear something from behind you "Mous! Wait up!"
>You turn around. Derpy was flying towards you with Dinky on her back.
>You stop walking as Derpy catches up and lands. She's panting.
Okay, this could be important.
>"Well, if it isn't my second favorite mares in the world."
>Derpy and Dinky both smile at the compliment.
>"What's up?"
>Derpy takes a deep breath and regains her composure. "I've been looking all over for you, I tried to catch you at the spa."
>Oh?
>"What'cha need?"
>"A favor." she says.
>"Shoot."
>Dinky steps out from behind her mother. "I'm going on a trip for a week and everp0ny I've asked can't watch my little muffin. Do you think you could...?"
DUDE.
>HELL.
FUCKING.
>"YES."
DID WE SAY THAT OUT LOUD?
>DOESN'T MATTER.
>Reel it back.
>"Yes I will watch Dinky while you are gone."
>Dinky is beaming as much on the outside as you are on the inside. Derpy looks relieved.
>"Should I steal her away now? Or some other time?"
>Derpy smiles. "Just stop by my house tomorrow. House number 404."
Waitwhat?
>Shut up.

>You head out at around noon.
>It was your day off, you gave no fucks about how late you slept.
>Lotus had been a bit annoyed, Dinky being over meant she couldn't spend the night for the week.
>You made it up to her. 
>Never got the chance to watch Gossip Mare though... 
>You dropped Lotus off at her place before you made for Derpy's.
>"Have fun on your little play date." she had said.
>Cheeky mare.
>You knock on the door to Derpy's house. Your little friend answers.
>"DINKY!"
>"MOUS!" she cries as she jumps up to you.
>You wrestle with the squirming filly and eventually get her on top of your head.
>She liked your head.
>You step inside. Derpy walks out of the kitchen...followed by a brown colt. "Hey, Mous!" she calls.
>Him.
>"Hey Derpy..."
>You start to put the pieces together in your head. You didn't like the picture it made.
>"So...you two going on a trip together?" 
>Derpy looks back towards her colt-friend. "Yep. He said that he knew of some wonderful places and that he wanted to show me..." she said with a smile.
>Sweet. If it went as planned.
>"How nice...Hey, why don't you and Dinky go get her ready?" 
>Derpy nods and leads Dinky upstairs.
And...they're gone.
>"Okay, Listen Time Lord."
>He doesn't stumble, Just looks at you.
>"I'll be brief, I know your deal and the mortality rate involved."
>You crouch down to eye level.
>"If you bring her back dead, or some cyborg, or with the contents of your little box dumped into her brain, or heaven help you, don't bring her back at all; I will find you and break you apart atom, by atom, by atom." 
>He doesn't falter. "I think I can do that."

>You carry Dinky and her backpack back to your house, Dinky under one arm and her bag under the other.
>Your mind is elsewhere, however.
>If he was traveling again...
>"So...Dinks..."
>She looks up at you.
>"What do you think of Mr. Whooves? Is he a good guy?"
>Dinky smiles and nods. "Yeah, he's really nice! He's fun, and silly, and he helps me with my homework!"
>"Does he ever talk about himself?"
>Dinky slouches a bit. "Not a lot...He says that he came from far away and had to do some bad things. He says that some of those bad things happened to people he cared about and that he came here to get away...he gets really sad when he talks about that."
>Well...damn.
>Things must have happened differently.
>"But still, he likes you and your mom, right?"
>There's that smile. "A-huh! He says that mom and me remind him of why he started traveling in the first place!" 
>That sounded ominous...
>Still. If this colt is who you think, you can trust him.
Haha...
>What?
"Who we think."
>Dammit brain, now we have to put money in the Pun Jar.

>You and Dinky spent the day on your couch, doing whatever mischief the two of you could find.
>Anon would probably get annoyed at that garlic you put under his bed.
>Dinky levitated the paintbrush up to the tiny man she held, gingerly painting his shoulders.
>You glanced down to the collection she had already finished.
>Each of them was grey with yellow highlights.
>"Making your mom an army, are we?"
>"I figure these guys can help her with the mail on rainy days." she says as she rotates the model under her brush.
>"Atta girl."
>You get back to your own model and glance at the T.V.
>"You might like this part."
>Dinky watches as a lanky man in a suit jumps through a wall on a horse before giving a speech to some clockwork robots. "Hehe. This guy reminds me of Mr. Whooves." she says.
>"Well how bout that..."
>Dinky got you in a mood, so what?
>The universe hadn't imploded on itself yet, so you figured you're in the clear.
>The door unlatches Anon and Rainbow walk in. "You would not believe what I'm working on wi-"
>He pauses as he catches sight of the two of you on the couch. "There is a filly on our couch."
>"Dinky is staying here for the week while her mom is away."
>Dinky is still paying attention to her model.
>"Oh. Cool. What's for dinner?" Anon asks.
>"Whatever you want, just know that we ate all the ice cream."
>Dinky lets out a small burp in approval.
>Atta girl.

>You put Dinky to sleep on the couch and tell Anon and Rainbow to keep it down before you turn in yourself.
>It takes you some time to drift off, this is the first time in a while that Lotus wasn't here.
>You'd gotten used to the extra weight in the bed, the presence of somep0ny else.
>Your years of bachelordom kick in however, and you fall asleep.
>At least until you hear your door open.
>Your hand flies over to the desk and grabs David as you lurch up.
>"...Mous? Are you awake?" you hear from the darkness.
>"Dinky?"
>You reach over and turn on the lamp.
>Dinky is standing in the doorway, her eyes are watery.
>"What's up?"
>Dinky shuffles her hooves. "I um...I had a nightmare."
Oh boy.
>Big Bro Mode: Engaged. 
>"Come on, shut the door, let's talk about it." 
>Dinky hops up on the end of the bed.
>"All right, spill."
>Dinky sighs. "I had a dream about my dad..."
>You heard the story. "I dreamt he came and said that he wanted me back, and then he took me away from my mom, and Everyp0ny I asked for help said I was better off with him then my mom."
>You sigh. "Dinky, everyp0ny here loves your mom. No way we'd let her lose you."
>Dinky doesn't cheer up. "But, what if she does?"
>You shrug.
>"Then, I guess I'd have to come and get you."
>That gets a smile. "What if my dad tried to stop you?"
>"I'd feed him his horn."
>Dinky laughs at your joke.
>You aren't joking.
>You lie back down in your bed.
>"Alright poozer, lights out. You can crash with me tonight."
>Dinky gets a big smile and plops down on your chest as you turn out the light.