//------------------------------//
// Chapter 12 
// Story: A Mare, A Muffin, and a Time Lord 
// by Creativa-Artly01 
//------------------------------//

Four weeks later, Derpy's muffin store finally opens. As it's Derpy, she names the muffin shop: Derpy and Doc's Muffin Palace. The news soon gets around Ponyville and soon everypony in town floods to the store. It's filled up by noon and the muffins go fast. "Who knew ponies loved my baking this much?" giggles Derpy.

"I did," responds Doctor Whooves as he gives her a kiss on the cheek before getting back to bagging muffins for the customers. 

A few minutes later, Derpy pops several more trays of muffins into the oven to bake. Two hours later, they pop out fresh and hop and Derpy puts them on the shelves. By the end of the first day, the two sell out of all the muffins. Once they close up shop for the night, Derpy spends some time in the back working on new flavors. Doc, on the other hand, goes and picks up the children from Derpy's mother and takes them home. 

Back at home, Doc and the foals sit down on the couch and watch a movie together. "Where's mom?" asks Dinky curiously.

"She's still at the muffin shop," responds Doc. 

"How long do you think she'll be there?" Dinky then asks. 

"I don't know. Could be three hours, five hours, maybe seven, eight, or nine," responds Doctor Whooves. He then picks up the remote and turns off the TV then walks over and embraces Dinky in his hooves and holds her close to him. 

Seven and a half hours later, Derpy returns home but goes right up to bed, not even recognizing or realizing that Doc and the children are there. A few minutes later, Doctor Whooves tucks in the children and goes in and plops down beside Derpy. "Derpy, honey," said Doctor Whooves, "you need to spend more time with your family. Dinky missed you tonight. You missed family movie night and that hurt her feelings." 

"And I'm really sorry for that, I just had to perfect some new recipes," responds Derpy. "I'll do better next time. I promise. For Dinky." She then turns over and falls fast asleep. Doc then turns off the light and falls asleep himself. He just hopes she sticks to her word and spends more time with their children.