A Very Baking (And Waking) Christmas, a "Pushing Daisies" fan-fiction

Chapter 6- Emersons Lie

Now, right in this moment across the city, Kenneth Branson was 28 years, 11 months and 6 days old as he prepared himself to go home after a long day making children smile during the holiday season. 

So far, our Kenneth was the cleanest, nicest guy we have talked about. Sadly we won't be talking about him long. 

For in the short moments when Kenneth turned to grab his crossbody that he claimed was not a purse but was most certainly a purse, Kenneth was knocked out by a blunt force to the head. Shortly after the assaulter left, Kenneth was wrapped in tinsel and covered with small shiny ornaments with a bow superglued to his head for the policemen to find.

"A bow? wait, wasn't there a star last time?" 

The Piemaker asked Emerson Cod, as he now stood cleaning the counter at The Pie hole,

"Yes, we've established this, keep up Pie boy."

"Pieman really but continue."

Emerson glared at Ned but continued anyway

"Kenneth was found as so, in the workers break room at the shopping mall on South Street," Cod said holding up several pictures,

"Oh yeah, I definitely like the star better..."

Ned added to Emersons frustration

"Shut up, anyway, they found him like this after his shift as mall Santa... that's how many now? 4? 5?"

"3 actually."

"right whatever, the point is, if when we go to question this guy and he claims to be done in by the fictional father of the north, I will possibly lose my mind."

"oh don't tell me you don't believe in Santa Claus?"

Ned asked surprised,

before gasping quietly,

"you don't do you?"

"Emerson doesn't what?"

Olive asked popping onto the chair beside Emerson cod at the counter with a curious smile.

"Ooh pretty bow! ... I liked the star better." She added pointing to the picture.

"Oh me too! see the star lit up so it had a better presence to i-"

"Will you two quit your yappin'!"

Emerson cut in and stuffed the pictures back into their file

"Right sorry, oh Emerson doesn't believe in Santa."

Ned said to Olive as if delivering the worst news a person could hear, and Olive responded appropriately with a large inhale that made Emerson Cod flinch,

"who hurt you..."
she whispered, with a hand on her heart, and a shake of her head.

Emerson stood having had enough of this nonsense

"Oh shut up both of you. You both know he's not real... and besides, my mother told me years ago. I never believed in Santa." he said with a slight tone of sadness but instantly covered it up with a glare.

"Again, he ain't real and he ain't never gonna be!"

"Oh please, honey we know he isn't... but we don't say that out loud" olive said in a hushed voice

"Yeah just in case y'know."

Ned added as he leaned his elbows against the counter.

Chuck making her appearance on olives side now

"Yeah, just in case we get a little extra gift each year."

Charlotte Charles said cheerily

"Ok one, where did you come from, and Two, there's no extra little gifts because THERE'S NO SANTA CLAUS!"

Cod was getting rather upset with his friends.

"Oh come on Emerson you know I'm always lurking somewhere," Chuck said with a playful wink and a smile

"And you cant act like you've never received an unmarked gift, you didn't ask for but it strangely was just perfect for you?" 

she asked and olive piped in

"Yeah, and its far back under the tree, where no one would find it!"

ned smiled and nodded

"And you couldn't figure out who sent it because you never told anyone you wanted those specific oven mitts right?"

He said excited to add a comment but as his friends just sat quietly shaking their heads at this comment ned shrunk back a little 

"oh right course not... gift was specific to me... hehe... yeah ok anyway! You cant say it never happened because it happens to everyone."

The piemaker said smiling again

Cod was done talking about this,

"I am done talking about this! There is no Santa, no Jolly Big Man, no King of The Northpole! and there are no special magic presents!"

and with that Emerson left for the door, but had told a lie.

Emerson had indeed received one of these unmarked packages with a bright bow on top but never said anything. He had told himself when he was young this gift was from his father. and he refused to let an imaginary man take that away from him

"Meet me at the morgue tomorrow at 2 PM." Emerson said at the door

"wait no I have a lunch break at 2.."

"too bad." and with that Emerson Cod, walked out.

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A/N:

HEY! ok so I'm getting back into the groove and I just wanted to let yall know I will most likely be updated in the afternoon or nighttime because I have access to a better computer and connection then. So sorry it most likely won't update in the middle of the day but if it does, hey that's fun! so yeah! Thanks so much for reading this chapter and if you could please vote and leave a comment stating any typos or things I could improve on!

love you guys! XxOOxX