//------------------------------// // I'm not a Liar // Story: Thanks for Listening // by AlextheBordercollie //------------------------------// BigMacintosh awoke to a loud knocking. He groggily lifted his head and rubbed some of the sleep from his eyes. He was lying on the sofa. The fire had died in the night but the morning sun shown through the parlor window lighting the room. He went to move for a moment as the knocking continued only to notice the weight on his chest. He looked down to see Rarity cuddled up asleep. She had a small smile on her face and her white coat glittered in the morning light. The knocking came again followed by a loud bang. Rarity shot up. "I'm up, I'm up!" Before either one of them could could gather themselves BigMac turned his head to see MarblePie standing in the doorway. She just stood there, face distorted with rage. She was flushed red and soaked with tears. BigMac and Rarity were still intertwined on the sofa... Rarity was still wearing that little red babydoll. "I swear this isn't what it looks like" Rarity gasped and she jumped up from the sofa and tied her bathrobe tight around her waist. Marble simply shoved Rarity aside as she made her way to the bassinet. ApplePie was crying now having been woken by her mothers frantic knocking. "My baby thank Celestia you're ok" She sighed as she scooped up the wailing filly in her arms. BigMac sat there dumbfounded. He looked at Rarity as if she might give him some direction but she simply returned a panicked expression as if to say "Don't look at me, she's your wife" Gathering his courage he walked over to his wife and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" she shrieked, smacking his hoof away, fresh tears streaming down her furious face. "I've been looking for you and ApplePie all night and this is where I find you!" BigMac tried to speak but couldn't summon the words. "I't's bad enough you felt the need to run to, her! but you had to drag the baby along with!" "EXCUSE ME!" Rarity gasped. Marble didn't respond, she simply glared at her husband before turning to leave. The door slammed shut and BigMac and Rarity were left standing in the parlor. The room was deathly silent. BigMac slumped down on the sofa in utter defeat. Rarity was about to speak when another knock came at the door. She went to open it to see a gray Pegasus. "Hey Rarity have you seen BigMac the whole towns been..." Derpy stopped as she spotted BigMac on the sofa, he looked up at her with tear stains running down his cheeks. Derpy seemed to get the hint and backed her head out of the door. "I'll see you guys later then... I guess." With that Derpy fluttered off to join a group of ponies at the corner. Rarity gave a deep sigh as she closed the door. She tilted her head to face BigMac. "Well What are you waiting for you can't very well hide here forever and sulk. Go talk to her!" "Nope," he replied, turning away from her and curling up again. "BigMacintosh!" Rarity reprimanded as tried to pull him up from the sofa. He was awful heavy though and terribly stubborn. It seemed to run in the family. "Nope, Nope, Nope..." "BigMacintosh!" Rarity shouted. He looked up at her shame faced. "You can't avoid this! You need to talk to her!" Rarity scolded. BigMac reluctantly nodded. "I'll go get you're clothes." It had been a couple hours since he woke up that morning. Rarity had given him a bite to eat and sent him on his way. He now stood in front of the family home. His hooves shook no matter how hard he tried to steady them. He knew he messed up, He just wanted this to all be over and go back to being one big happy family. Taking a deep breath to steady himself he lifted a hoof to knock on the front door. AppleJack opened the door. SMACK! A hard buck to the face nearly broke his mussel. "Aw now you decide to come home!" AJ spat. "What the hay's gotten into you?!" Containing his own anger BigMac grabbed AppleJacks hooves and held them down, "You ain't even heard mah side a things. When have Ah ever been anythin' but honest?" AppleJack calmed down a bit. They were siblings after all, she wanted to trust him. "Why'd you run off last night then if ya ain't got nothin' to hide?" BigMac hung his head. "Needed some space to think?" "Eyup" "Well get in here and we'll sort out this mess together." AppleJack said as she brought him inside. BigMac told his sister what really happened and AJ listened intently. BigMac left out the part about Rarity's night gown or their little cuddle session. AJ seemed to take him on his word. "You've never lied to me before I'm not tempted to believe you'd start now," AppleJack said finally as she sat in the armchair across from her brother. She hung her head as she thought for a moment before looking up at him with confusion. "Ya really don't know what's been eaten er'?" "Nope," BigMac replied. "Mac, ol' Igneous is sick, he has been for a while," AppleJack replied. BigMac simply stared at her. Nopony ever mentioned this to him. Why hadn't Marble said anything? "Did she never tell you?" AppleJack seemed to mirror his thoughts. "Nope" BigMac replied unsurely. The news hit him like a brick. Why hadn't he been told. "Pinkie told be about it months ago, it's been rough on the whole family." AJ turned her eyes down to the floor. "Ah been given er attitude a lot a slack lately because of it," she looked back up at him, "you need to talk to her." BigMac nodded in agreement. He found Marble on the bed nursing ApplePie. He stood in the doorway looking for the words. "Marble" he called out. "M-hm" came her soft reply. BigMac fought back the lump in his throat. "Ahm sorry, fer scarin' you like that." "M-hm" she replied again. She wouldn't turn to face him, just kept on as if he wasn't there. "As fer Rarity, I swear nothin happened..." He watched her carefully, hopping for the slightest hint of warmth. she said nothing. "Rarity's just a good friend is all." He said as he walked over and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "look Ah love you. You know that don't ya?" She turned her head to peek at him from behind her mane. Her eyes were red and puffy. "M-hm" BigMac couldn't bear to see the pain in her eyes. Rarity had always been like a diamond, unbreakable. But Marble was so fragile, he had almost forgotten that. He knelt on the ground and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Ah love you," he said again. He meant it. At least he wanted too... so bad. "M-hm."