"Me? Settled down with a woman? Can you imagine?" Pony laughed and shook his head. "I think the sky will fall if such a thing happened. But hey, you find a woman who can keep up, you let me know." He chuckled and finally got up to share some of her lemonade and sat down at the other side of the table. He watched her devour the scotch eggs and shrugged. "I asked around to make sure I got you the best. Nothing less would do, and god forbid I get some from a side shop and it makes you ill. I'd never forgive myself."

She popped open the jar of pickles and began to munch casually. "I know, I was tryin' very hard not to piss me pants laughin' at the very thought." She snickered. She gestured with her pickle hand, "These are magnificent pickles too." Crunch. She drank of the lemonade and sighed. The pickles helped with the richness of the eggs, and the lemonade did too. "Only thing missin' is ice cream to dip the pickles in, but I can do without. I'll get some ice cream tomorrow on a walk. Blame the babe for that one, that craving. I've never wanted strange things until now, though ye'll still never get me ta eat liver. Yuck."

Pony looked like he was about to puke into his boots by the way she spoke. "Yes.. get your pickles and ice cream tomorrow.. when I'm not there. I'll get you the more normal stuff otherwise."

"I hate to tell ya this, brother mine. Pregnant women rarely eat normal foods." She snorted and closed the crock of pickles and set that aside, wrapping up the rest of her eggs for later since they were so filling. "We do a lot of odd things." She yawned and flopped back on her bed, "I doubt pickles and ice cream is the worst combination that could happen." Indeed, she had craved some weird things since becoming pregnant. Scotch Eggs were probably her normal things, but she did indulge in watering down and adding sugar to pickle juice every once in a while.

"Good thing I never am going to get a girl pregnant then! I will barely be able to tolerate you, I don't know how I'd ever tolerate some woman wanting me to actually be there for her while she is devouring stuff that any normal man would wretch after the first bite!"

He shook his head as he drank his lemonade. "I would rather rub your feet at their stinkiest then watch you eat those abominations . So be kind to warn me before you do so I can turn away ..."

"Oh, what... so ye don't want any little Ponies prancing about?" She snorted a little, "I bet ye if the right lass comes along, ye'll want that and more, and ye'll rub her feet and back when she is pregnant." She then covered her mouth and giggled, "But she is going ta have to put up with ye at yer meanest. Ye're gonna stick stinky shoes in her face." She dissolved into real laughter, laughter she hadn't given in months.

Pony chuckled and shook his head at her. "If she is my kind of girl she will like the smell of my stinky boots and she will rub my feet at the end of a hard day!" He clearly wasn't serious but grinned running a hand through his hair.

"She will probably do that, aye," she said in agreement. "But ye might miss her if ye blink." She grinned, "Ye're not very observant when it comes to the lasses mooning over ye." She was clearly teasing. And then she gave a great yawn and rolled to her side. Her expression softened and grew a little more serious, and she said softly, "I love ye, Pony. I'm glad to be home again." Whatever that meant. She reached out and squeezed a hand before snuggling into her pillow.

"Ah I'm not blind at all! I know they love me, but I am not one to settle down. If they are looking for more than a little charm and perhaps a little fun, then they are looking in the wrong direction.." He grinned but his expression softened when she took his hand. He smiled and squeezed hers then kissed the top of her head. "I love you too, Karen. Glad to have you back. Get some rest, you have been through a lot." To keep her company, he laid on his bed and stared up at the ceiling for a while since he wasn't sleepy.

Karen woke up the next morning bright and early, put on her widows weeds, and then her bonnet. She felt queasy and needed some air, which she soon got. The little town was a charming little place, she thought, and she began to ask around about work and any houses for rent. Living in an inn was not good for her when she really wanted to nest. She found the perfect little cottage that Pony an she could stay in for the time being, it was well within her means. When she returned, she waited until he either woke up (if he was there) or came back home before telling him the news.

"I found us a little house... it's not permanent, it's just someplace to call home for now. I... don't feel up to traveling for a while. I found an easy job that will take care of the rent and food, I'll be mendin' clothes for now. Which means I can sit down ta work. I'll also do your books when ye need me to."