Here's chapter 3, after a more than long enough wait.

Once more, Cheerilee found herself pacing back and forth outside the gate into Sweet Apple Acres, biting her lip as she tried to formulate what she was going to say. Her mind was a muddled mess as the images from last night continued to dance in her head, the visions of being cared for by Big Mac, his strong hooves lifting her up carrying her to the changing table to change her diaper, before feeding her a warm bottle and carrying her towards her crib for a nap–

A fierce shake of her head dispelled those thoughts back to the recesses of her mind for a time as she tried desperately to find the right words to–

“Hello?”

Cheerilee yelped as she wheeled around to find a certain pink unicorn standing behind her. “Oh, hello, Miss Sugar Belle! Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

Sugar Belle frowned as she looked over the clearly nervous mare. “Is everything alright, miss…”

“Cheerilee. I’m a teacher at the schoolhouse in Ponyville.”

“Cheerilee… Cheerilee…” Sugar Belle repeated the name for a moment before recognition flash across her face. “Ah, Cheerilee! How wonderful it is to finally meet you. Big Mac’s told me so much about you.”

“Oh… has he?” Cheerilee replied with a nervous chuckle as she rubbed the back of her neck.

“Yep! He’s told me all about how wonderful a teacher you are to sweet Apple Bloom and how she simply adores you!”

Cheerilee relaxed slightly. Good, it looks like he hasn’t told her about–

“He also mentioned the… ‘adventure’ you two had with something called a Love Poison?”

Cheerilee froze. “Oh… he told you about that, did he? It doesn’t mean I still have feelings for him, if that’s what—“

“Don’t worry, I understand,” Sugar Belle said with a warm smile. “Just from listening to how he talks about you and all the help you’ve been to Apple Bloom, it’s clear to me how such good friends you two are.”

Cheerilee finally let herself breath a sigh of relief. Good, she doesn’t think I’m trying to steal her stallion. It could of made things super awkward if she got the wrong idea about all this... “Well, it was very nice meeting you, Sugar Belle, but I should get going.”

“Going? But you just got here!”

“No, no, it’s fine. I’ll come back later.” Cheerilee had barely taken four steps before she heard Sugar Belle respond behind her.

“You’re here to see Big Mac, aren’t you? Is this about his offer to join us at the cottage?”

Cheerilee froze in mid-stride, her throat becoming as dry as sandpaper as she slowly turned around to face Sugar Belle again, a knowing look in the unicorn’s eyes. “I… I…”

Walking up to the stunned mare, Sugar Belle placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Come, I’ll take you to Big Mac. He’s usually covering the south-west part of the orchard by now, so it shouldn’t e too hard to find him.”

“Re-really, y-you don’t have t-too—“

“No, I insist. There’s something I would like to talk with you about, and it’d be easier if we talk while we walk.”

Realizing that Sugar Belle wasn’t about to take no for an answer, Cheerilee reluctantly followed in stride behind Sugar Belle as they walked past the farmhouse and into the orchard proper. Even after passing the tree line, they continued to walk in silence for some time before Sugar Belle finally spoke again.

“I heard from Big Mac about what he saw that day… when he walked in on you at home.”

Cheerilee hung her head in shame, staring at the ground as she muttered, “You mean when he walked in to see me wearing… [size=0.75em]diapers[/size]…”

Sugar Belle nodded. “I’ve been in your horseshoes before, so I know how nervous and embarrassing you must feel right now, but I just want you to know that it’s okay to do what you did. As long as no one is hurt and it makes you as happy as it does me, then it can’t be bad, right?”

“I guess…” Cheerilee replied, feeling a little better to be having someone who could empathize with her. After a moment, Cheerilee finally said the one thing that had been weighing heavily on her shoulders for the past week or so. “I know Big Mac said I could join you two, but I… I just don’t know. Won’t I just be intruding? I mean, I don’t want to get in the way of something special between you two, so maybe I should just continue to keep to myself about all this.”

Instead of arguing with her, Sugar Belle just glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Cheerilee. “Whatever you decide to do, we’ll stick by you no matter what. We would never think to force you into something you weren’t comfortable with!”

“Thanks,” Cheerilee said, finally managing to smile as she continued to follow behind Sugar Belle.

After several more minutes of walking, Sugar Belle gasped and pointed into the distance. “There he is! I’d recognize that apple red coat anywhere! Hey, Big Mac!” Taking off at a gallop, Cheerilee was left behind as she watched Sugar Belle run up and hug Big Mac, nuzzling her face against his cheek.

As Cheerilee watched from a distance, she felt an almost jealous longing in her heart. She wasn’t jealous of their love, that much was sure, but of the clear affection shared between them. What they had was something special, and no matter how much she tried to deny it, Cheerilee wished more than anything that she could share in even the smallest amount of that affection.

Big Mac spotted Cheerilee walking up to them out of the corner of his eye and reluctantly pulled away from his marefriend. “Good day, Cheerilee. I wasn’t expect y’all to show up–“

“I want to go.”

Big Mac blinked, taken aback by Cheerilee’s bold response. “Par-pardon?”

“To the cottage, with you and Sugar Belle,” Cheerilee continued, her nerves screaming at her to run away and never look back, but she pressed on. “Even if it’s just this once, I… I want to know what that feels like. Having someone you trust to care and look after you… So, please… let me come with you.”

Smiling, Big Mac walked over and hugged the still shaking mare. “Of course ya can come. Me and Sugar Belle would be happy to have ya.”

Cheerilee sighed with relief as she relaxed in Big Mac’s arms, feeling his loving warmth wash over her.

Nearby, Sugar Belle watched all this with a beaming smile on her face. Yay, I get a new playmate! This is going to be so much fun!