well, here is the final chapter.. (i think i might write a sequel but no promises.)

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"And first place! The winners of the first annual Food-off are…" The announcer paused for dramatic effect as an anxious silence fell over the entire room. Ned and olive made eye contact as Olive squeezed his hand tighter.

"The Pie Hole!" Olive squealed loudly and jumped up and down as the roar of applause grew louder and Ned pulled her up onto the stage. She stood hand in hand with Ned as they were given bright red sashes, and a large golden trophy engraved with both Ned and Olive's names.

Once both team members had been given their sashes, Ned did something completely out of character. Caught up in the excitement of the moment, and feeling perfectly at ease with Olive Ned pulled her into him and kissed her before the entire crowd, a large cheer went up from the crowd when they broke away from each other, both red-faced and smiling. With that the band began to play and the pair wade their way to the dance floor where other couples had already began to dance.

"Well, partner…wanna dance?" olive asked Ned blushing as she turned to face him.

He nodded and closed the space between himself and her as he took her tiny waste in his hands. At first the dance was slow and awkward but the more comfortable the got, the more fun they began to have. Soon the music sped up and the dancing became livelier.

Ned spun Olive under his arm as she laughed, "Well, I guess counting your chickens paid off after all olive." He stated as she spun into his chest.

Olive looked up at him from her low vantage point. "I guess so, even though they still aren't chickens Ned, they're pies." She laughed again.

The couple continued dancing until the others began to make their way home. Soon the hall was filled with no more than six couples dancing and the band that now was now playing a soft melody, perfect for the slow dance Olive and Ned were now sharing. Olive stretched up onto her toes to look at Ned again.

"Do you wanna get going Ned? I'm actually really tired."

"Sure Olive, the end of this song we'll get going." Ned agreed pulling her back into him and enjoying the rest of this final dance.

Soon the song ended and both olive and Ned began to make their way to the stage were they collected their trophy as they were congratulated by each of the couples they passed and the on lonely looking drunk man who sat on the stage.

***

At the door to the cabin Ned handed Olive the heavy trophy while he unlocked the door and stood aside to let Olive in before him. He shut the door again and re-locked it but when he turned to face Olive again she was holding a yellow envelope in her hand.

Her face was that of confusion and shock, "Chuck?" she whispered as she sat down at the counter. "It says that it's from Chuck on the envelope."

Ned came to sit next to Olive just as surprised as she was. "Are you going to open it?"

"I think it might be just for you…" her voiced faded as she handed the letter to Ned, he opened it and read the heading aloud,

"To my friends Olive and Ned." He looked up to Olive, "It's for both of us."

"Will you read it?" she asked her head in her hands.

Ned nodded and continued, " To my friends Olive and Ned, Congratulations on another win for the pie hole, and you really both are very skilled at what you do. I came today to see you Ned, I needed to know if I still felt the same love for you as I did when we were first reunited." Ned paused nervously, but with a glace at Olive was reassured and continued reading,

"At first I felt terrible knowing that doubted out relationship, I never wanted to hurt you, but tonight when I saw how comfortable you were with olive I knew that if I left you would be alright." Ned took Olive's hand that was now lying on the counter before continuing,

"Olive, at first I was jealous of the time you would be spending with Ned this weekend, the more I thought about it the more I realized how un-realistic Ned's and my relationship really was. Olive I have always known that you loved Ned, but when I saw you with him tonight, I realized how much you loved him, and how much he loved you in return." Ned felt Olive squeeze his hand at this, but did not pause in his reading…

"Most of all I want to let you both know that I think what you guys have is great, Yes I do wish that I could have had it with you Ned, but we both knew from the start that it was unrealistic. I'm going to try and find my dad, but I'll be back eventually, I hope to hear from you both, I want you to know that I love both of you, you're the best friends I have ever had… Love Chuck." As Ned finished both realized that there were tears in the other's eyes, but a smile on the other's face.

"I do, you know." Olive said as she felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"What?" Ned asked taking her face in both of his hands.

"Love you." She stated plainly, trying to avoid his eyes.

"Olive, hey look at me." He cooed softly. Ned pulled her face a little closer to his own, and eventually made eye contact with her. "I love you too you know." He said smiling before pulling her in again and kissing her.

***

Ten hours later Olive and Ned arrived back at the pie hole where they were greeted by Emerson Cod, who desperately wanted a piece of the award winning pie.

"You two really aren't allowed to leave any more. I need a certain amount of pie in my life and when that amount isn't met, I…" He stopped talking when he noticed Ned's hand intertwined with Olive's.

Deciding to ignore the strange romantic workings of the pie hole staff Emerson continued talking, " So what are you going to make me?" he asked as Ned through on an apron, and Olive flipped over the now open for business sign. Things were back to normal at the pie hole. Kind of.