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Pacifica hesitantly stepped out of the Sheriff’s car and into the Oregon night. She shivered slightly, but it wasn’t because of the cool mountain air.
“You’re sure you don’t need anything else, missy?” Sherriff Blubs asked, scratching his head in confusion.
“Yup! Just needed a ride,” Pacifica answered casually. Sheriff Blubs wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but something about the situation didn’t sit right with him. “I have to say, it’s mighty strange to see you on this road so late by yourself. Especially since you’re a Northwest! Don’t you have some fancy limo to drive you? Where are your parents?”
Pacifica felt her stomach tighten. Why is this guy suddenly doing his job? Just play it cool, Pacifica. She brushed a strand of blond hair from her eyes, and waved a hand at him. “They’re just busy at some party. I was supposed to meet some friends to hang out, but the limo broke down! Pretty weird, right? I’m running late to meet them.”
Sherriff Blubs adjusted his sunglasses (Pacifica still wasn’t sure why he wore them at night, or how he could see. Small town quirks) and he shrugged. “Well, if you say so missy. Have fun with your friends!” Pacifica let out an internal sigh of relief. That was a close one. Blubs slammed the door closed and the car winded back down Gopher Road, small dust clouds in its wake.
Pacifica watched until the red tail-lights receded completely into the night. Then she swallowed and adjusted her purple book bag, turning toward her destination. The Mystery Shack’s interior glowed with a warm yellow light. ‘Welcoming’ was never something she thought she would consider the run-down tourist trap. But right now, it seemed more inviting than the cold mansion she grew up in. Still, she wavered. The hesitation stretched on until she heard an owl hoot somewhere nearby.
“You got this, Pacifica,” she breathed out. “Mabel and Dipper sort of like you now… right?”
With that somewhat encouraging thought, she walked toward the yellow glow spilling out from the Shack’s windows. Stepping onto the porch, she paused for one more moment, then knocked briefly on the door. There was a sudden scramble of activity inside. There was a loud thump, and a myriad of shouting voices. Still seems the Pines are as weird as ever…
Then the door creaked open, and Dipper’s suspicious face peered into the night. Pacifica suddenly felt all the false bravado she built up for herself rush out of her. What the heck am I doing here!? I don’t have the right to intrude on their lives like this! It was too late to turn back now.
“Hello? Who’s… Pacifica?” It looked like Dipper expected to see Bigfoot rather than Pacifica at the door.
“Yeah, it’s me! Umm… surprise?” Dipper didn’t answer, and raised a confused eyebrow at her. Pacifica could feel her heart beginning to sink. Why did she ever think that the Pines would like her now?
“Uh, no offense but what are you doing here so late?” Dipper asked uncertainly. “There’s no more ghosts running around, are there?”
“Dipper!” Mabel’s voice cut in, and Pacifica felt even more nervous . The pajama clad girl butted her way into the doorframe to stand next to her brother. “Is that Pacifica? Don’t be so rude!"
Mabel flashed a bright smile at Pacifica (literally, the light reflected off her braces) and she yelped at the Mabel pulled her into the house.
"Wow, Pacifica, are you secretly a vampire or something? Why are you out so late?”
“I was trying to ask her that,” Dipper said, rolling his eyes. Pacifica looked down, her hands unconsciously squeezing the straps of the book bag around her arms.
“My parents kicked me out,” she blurted. Her face went red, and she could have smacked herself. Why did I say that!? You idiot, you weren’t supposed to just say it like that!
“They what?” Dipper and Mabel exclaimed, both of their eyes going wide in shock. Pacifica gave a small nod, her face still red. “A-After that ghost fiasco they claimed the family name was dragged through the mud. Bad publicity and stuff. They blamed it on me, and said I wasn’t welcome in their house. That I couldn’t be a Northwest.”
“Pacifica… that’s terrible. I’m sorry,” Mabel said after a silence, her eyes glistening. Dipper nodded in agreement with his sister. “If you need anything…”
“Well, that’s kind of why I’m here. I…I didn’t know where else to go…” Pacifica explained lamely. The stupid blush hadn’t receded from her face. She must have seemed so pathetic, showing up on their doorstep. God, shehated asking people for any sort of help, but she swallowed and asked the question despite her dry throat. “I was wondering… If I can just stay here for the night… maybe?”
“WHAT? Of course you can!” Pacifica jumped at Mabel’s enthusiastic exclamation and found herself enveloped in a hug by the other girl. “You can stay her for a billion years if you have to, Pacifica!” Pacifica stood rigid for a moment, then a small smiled tugged at her mouth. “Thanks, Mabel,” she answered quietly.
Dipper rubbed his arm awkwardly. “I’d let you stay here too, but I think we should clear this with Grunkle Stan…”
“I’m sure he’ll be okay with it,” Mabel said brightly. Pacifica wasn’t so sure. She and the old man had their beef in the past, and he didn’t seem like the type to forgive and forget. “All we have to do is tell him-”
“Oh, I heard.” They all spun around to see the man in question standing at the foot of the stairs. One hand was still on the banister, the other was clenched at his side. Pacifica’s heart pounded when she realized he must have overheard her confession to Dipper and Mabel. And she had never seen the man look so… angry before. Stan Pines was a man she never considered intimidating, not by a long shot. He was gross, old and annoying (and fun to mess with when it came down to it). But now she noticed how large he was in comparison to the doorframe, and the way his fist was white-knuckled at his side. Her feet took an automatic step backward toward the front door.
“Oh, um… M-Mr. Pines, it’s fine…I’ll be one my way…”
“Huh? Pacifica, where are you going? He never said you couldn’t stay!” Mabel protested, grabbing her arm. “She can stay here, right Grunkle Stan?”
Pacifica winced, bracing herself for the barked answer of “NO”, but it never came.
“Yeah, 'course she can,” he answered gruffly. Pacifica blinked. What? The answer he gave was in direct contrast to his body language, which gave off the impression that he wanted to punch something.
Then Mabel surprised Pacifica by darting forward and hugging him around his middle. Isn’t she afraid that he’ll… But his reaction to the girl was immediate. His muscles relaxed and he placed a gentle hand on her head. They stayed like that for a moment, some sort of unspoken comfort going between them. Then Mabel broke away, and scurried back toward Pacifica, who stood rooted to the spot in bewilderment.
It was the same type of interactions she had witnessed between Mabel and Dipper. The sort of family dynamic that she had grown up envying. Watching children on playgrounds being pushed on swings by their parents, or watching families laughing together at a picnic. And when she saw them she would feel a million miles away, on another planet.
Mabel tugging on her arm brought her back from her thoughts. “Yay, perpetual sleepover! Fun, 24/7!”
“Mabel, don’t describe it like that,” Dipper shuddered.
Stan scratched the back of his neck, and raised an eyebrow. “Unfortunately, I gave the last mothy old mattress to my brother. If you want you can use Soos’ break room… can’t promise it won’t be a complete pigsty though. Probably not what you’re use to.”
That’s strange I didn’t know he had a brother. I don’t remember seeing him around town, Pacifica thought. Out loud she said, “That’s fine, Mr. Pines. Right now I just want to pass out. I’m completely wiped.”
“Ooh,ooh she can sleep in my bed,” Mabel suddenly piped up. “It’s big enough for two, that way you don’t need to deal with Soos’ musky stench. Plus, I can show you where I keep my secret candy stash!”
“No candy, Mabel,” Stan said sternly. “Pacifica has been through a lot tonight, I want you all to go to your room and get some rest, kapeesh?”
“Yes, Grunkle Stan,” Dipper and Mabel chorused. Pacifica looked between the older man and the twins, still uncertain of the vibe she had picked up in the room earlier. Was Stan still angry? He seemed okay with her staying there now but…
She allowed herself to be led up the stairs by the twins, who were chatting animatedly to her, although she wasn’t paying much attention. Glancing over her shoulder one more time, she noticed Stan standing motionless in the same spot. He wasn’t looking at them, and he seemed zoned out somehow. Just staring at the still open front door. Pacifica chewed on her lip nervously.
“Uh, is your great uncle angry at me?”
Dipper and Mabel suddenly ceased their chatter. They looked at each other with sad expressions and seemed to be psychically debating whether to tell her something.
“No… he’s not angry at you Pacifica,” Dipper reassured. “He’s just… well, I think he’s angry on your behalf, honestly.”
“Yeah,” Mabel chimed in. “He’s probably remembering some not so nice things that are making him angry. But it’s not at you. Don’t worry.”
“Oh… um, okay.” Pacifica wasn’t sure what to make of their answers, but at least she knew the anger she had seen from Stan wasn’t meant for her. They reached the twins room, and she looked around, taking in Dipper’s scattered board games, Mabel’s stuffed animals. A few weeks before she might have sneered, and commented how childish their items were. Now it felt almost welcoming. She spotted a familiar poster on the wall. “Hey, I like Several Timez too!” Pacifica exclaimed.
“Really? Awesome, check it out!” Mabel pointed at the signatures on the poster. Dipper rolled his eyes and mumbled something about 'girl stuff’.
“Wow, that’s so cool! I wanted to go see them when they were playing in a few towns over, I even had my ticket and everything. But there was some stupid party for a dumb diplomat, and my parents made me stay…” Her voice trailed off and she suddenly felt extremely self-conscious.
The twins were silent until Mabel spoke up in a somewhat forced cheerful tone. “If you really want to see them perform, we still might be able too! It’ll just require us to go into the forest and maybe leave out a few traps with their favorite foods…”
“That’s a weird joke, but thanks,” Pacifica answered, smiling despite herself.
“We should follow Grunkle Stan’s advice and get some rest,” Dipper yawned. “Bathroom’s across the hall.”
Pacifica began to unpack her bag. She tried not to think about the look on her parents face when she was shoved out the door. Uncaring, unemotional, she was just another “commoner” to them now. No longer a Northwest in their eyes. Dipper and Mabel were getting ready for bed too but she noticed they kept glancing at her. She cleared her throat to try and make conversation to make it less awkward.
“So, is your uncle’s brother visiting or something?”
Somehow her question made things more awkward if that were possible.
“Um, well,” Dipper raised his hands in a shrug. “He’s kinda visiting here permanently I guess you can say.”
“Okaaay,” Pacifica answered, raising an eyebrow. So much for making conversation. Everything is so cryptic with these guys.
Once they had brushed their teeth and changed into pajamas, Pacifica settled down on the bed next to Mabel. The girl grinned broadly at her and held up a stuffed purple hippo. “Stuffed animal?” she offered.
“Ah, no thanks.”
“Okay then, night Pacifica. Sweet dreams,” Mabel yawned. Pacifica heard a muffled 'goodnight’ across the room from Dipper, who was asleep moments later. Pacifica rolled to her back and stared up at the ceiling, listening to the twins soft breathing. Despite the exhaustion she felt from the day, her mind raced with thoughts and an increasing anxiety about her future. It took her a while to sleep after that.
-
The Mystery Shack was a road trip destination for tourists, for locals it was a beloved town jewel. For Stanley Pines it was home. And he did not take kindly to his brother telling him what he could or could not do in his own home. Or who could stay there. Stan and his brother sat at the kitchen table, two coffee mugs between them that neither of them were really drinking.
“Stanley, we can’t have another person living here! The last few days have been fine, but she can’t stay here forever. There are certain protocols one must follow in these situations…”
“I don’t want to hear another word, Ford,” Stan growled, currently not in the mood to argue any further. “I already told you, none of her extended family took her in. I sure as hell don’t want to hand her over to the police, she’ll just get lost in the system. At least she has Dipper and Mabel here.”
Ford sighed, running a hand over his face in exasperation. The brothers had been arguing about the situation for the last hour that morning, and neither of them had come up with another reasonable solution.
“Stanley,” his brother began in a surprisingly soft tone. “You don’t have to feel responsible for this girl because of… what happened to you.”
Stanley stood up from the table so fast that the coffee mugs rattled dangerously, slooshing liquid over the top. Ford looked startled at his aggressive reaction, but Stan didn’t care. His brother had pushed him too far. “What happened to me, doesn’t matter” Stan answered in a barely repressed shout, “What matters is there’s a little girl who was kicked out on the streets by her parents, and she has nowhere to go! You gonna leave her back on the streets Ford?!”
“What? No, of course not,” Ford said in alarm, eyes wide. “That’s not what I meant ,Stanley. I’m just trying to think of practical solutions to our situation.”
Stanley grimaced, and took a breath, trying to come down off his frustration. A part of him knew Ford was right, that raising Pacifica here would be a momentous task that would probably be best suited for someone else. And Dipper and Mabel would only be here for the summer, and then Pacifica would have no one. Ford was trying to help, but he was completely dense to what Pacifica was going through right now.
“She’s not a…situation,” Stanley muttered, his eyes fixed on the puddle of spilled coffee. “She’s a kid who doesn’t have anywhere to go.”
There was a silence from his brother. “Why don’t we continue talking about this another time.”
“Yeah, okay,” Stan grunted. For some reason he couldn’t tear his eyes off the spilled coffee, now dripping off the table. Stan jumped slightly when he felt Ford’s hand on his shoulder. He hadn’t even realized his brother had gotten out of his seat.
“Stan, are you…” Ford started. The he stopped and sighed. “I’m going back down to the basement. Let me know if you need something.” Stan just grumbled an acknowledgement. Ford wavered, watching him a moment longer before exiting the kitchen.
Stan sighed and stood up to get a paper towel for the mess. He distantly heard the television droning on in the background, and Mabel laughing the antics that were happening on it. Stan smiled to himself and began to mop up the spilled coffee. Probably that show she liked about those sparkly unicorns and ponies and whatnot. He wondered if Pacifica was watching with her. Didn’t seem like the kind of show she’d watch but the girl had surprised him the last few days of her stay. Stan had been observing her and it was painfully obvious that Pacifica was trying hard to fit in, and attempting to make up for treating the twins poorly before.
Pacifica wasn’t accommodated to living in such close corners, or in less than affluent conditions, that was for sure. But she never truly complained about anything in the Shack, which is what Stan was surprised about. Whenever he used to run across her in town, she would go out of her way to point out something that was less than perfect about her surroundings, the people. Now that she was living with them, she didn’t complain. The closest she came was suspiciously poking at the meat he would cook up for dinner (although to be fair, Mabel and Dipper did the same thing), or wipe down a chair before sitting on it. The other day she had asked if there was another television they could watch, Dipper pointed out that was the only one Stan had. The girl had gone completely red, and mumbled an apology. She actually appreciated what the Pines were doing for her.
Pacifica never really spoke about her parents, which was understandable. If Stan was honest with himself, he was worried about the girl. She had just been through something traumatic, and dodged any question about the topic when it came up. Not that he blamed her.
Stan sighed and tossed the soggy paper towels into the trash. Maybe Ford was right. Maybe he did feel responsible for Pacifica, because thinking about himself as a terrified and completely alone teenager could still open a deep old wound on his heart.
And god, she was twelve, the same age as Mabel and Dipper. She shouldn’t have to deal with this shit. She should just be worrying about playing on her fancy phone, sending out her texts and emoticons or whatever kids did nowadays. When Stan had been kicked out, he was at least old enough todrive. He had the instincts to struggle and claw against the world every day of his damn life. It was the only way he made it, the only way he scraped by with a living. Pacifica didn’t come from a rough neighborhood of New Jersey like he did. If she tried to make it on her own, the world could eat her alive. It wasn’t fair and it wasn’t right. She was still a child.
Stan broke out of his thoughts when the Pacifica walked into the kitchen. She looked worse for wear, with bags under her eyes, her hair frazzled. She still managed to put on her mascara though.
“Yeesh, you don’t look so good, kid,” Stan commented and crossed his arms.
“Oh, uh, Mabel was kicking me in her sleep,” Pacifica responded a little too quickly.
“Uh huh. Sure.”
“Look, I just want to get some cereal. I haven’t had breakfast yet, Dipper was hogging the shower. I think I heard him singing in there?”
“Yup, he’ll do that.” Stan fetched a bowl and a spoon for her, setting them on the table. "Let’s see… we got Brand Num-Num Cornflakes… Overly Sensitive Owl O’s… Honey Sweetened Goobers… Yikes, never realized that cereal had such bizarre names.“
"Uh, I’ll just have the first one.”
Stan poured some milk in the bowl and handed it to Pacifica. She took it with a mumbled 'thank you’ and scooted a chair over to the table.
“Welp, enjoy your cereal,” Stan said awkwardly, clasping his hands together. Pacifica didn’t answer, just nodded and stuck her spoon in the bowl. Stan observed her for a few moments. Her tired gaze didn’t leave the swirling milk and cereal, and her expression was vacant.
“Hey, uh, Pacifica?”
His voice seemed to have startled her. She jumped and looked up from her cornflakes, which she had been listlessly prodding with her spoon. God, this behavior too close for comfort, Stan thought worriedly.
“What do you want?” she snapped. Immediately her expression became mortified. “Sorry… I shouldn’t be acting this way. Especially since you were nice enough to take me in.”
“Eh, that’s okay.” Stan shrugged and sat down at the kitchen table with her. “How’s everything going with Mabel and Dipper? They drivin’ you crazy?”
Pacifica seemed to brighten up. “It’s good! Today me and Mabel might play some mini-golf together. We have some techniques we want to show each other. Mine are probably cooler though.”
“Wow, it’s good to see you two gettin’ along. Especially after that mini-golf feud you guys had a while back.”
Pacifica made a face and rolled her eyes. “Ugh, don’t remind me. That whole ordeal was a disaster. I was such a jerk to her.”
“Yeah, ya did give me a reason to want to punch you.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. Stan shrugged and smirked at her. “You Northwests always got my goat.”
Pacifica looked back down at her now soggy cereal. “Well…lucky for you I’m apparently not a Northwest anymore.”
Beneath her blatant sarcasm, Stan detected a deep sadness that resonated from the girl. “Ah, geeze, I’m sorry, kid. Jammed my foot right in my mouth there."
Pacifica didn’t answer, and fell silent again. Stan sighed and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Look… I know this is a weird situation and all… we don’t know each other very well. But if ya ever need to talk or somethin’…” Stan trailed off. He really wasn’t good at this sort of touchy-feely thing, but Pacifica probably needed someone to talk to who understood. Although she had Dipper and Mabel, she was still isolated from them in certain ways. They couldn’t comprehend what it was like to be abandoned by their parents.
Pacifica narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Then she crossed her arms and scoffed. “Really? How could you possibly know what I’m going through?”
Then she swallowed and turned away from him. Stan saw angry tears pricking her eyes. “You don’t know what it’s like to have your own family not want you anymore.”
“…I went through somethin’ similar when I was kid,” Stan admitted after a tense pause. “ My Pops just up and kicked me out of my house. No warning. No nothin’. Told me to make millions before he would want me back. So, yeah Pacifica.” He gave her a level gaze. “I do know a little somethin’ about being abandoned by my own family.”
The girl stared at him in shock, then her lip quivered slightly. “I-I’m sorry, Mr. Pines… I didn’t mean… ”
“It’s okay, kid. Ya didn’t know, ” Stan answered quietly. He carefully watched her face. Pacifica was actively fighting back her emotions A tear splashed from her eye onto the table, causing her mascara to run. Oh geeze… she really needs someone to talk to, Stan thought with concern.
“G-God… I hate this. I was just trying to do the right thing, Mr. Pines,” Pacifica whispered, wiping her face and smearing the makeup further.
“Yeah, Mabel and Dipper were tellin’ me about how you saved everyone from that ghostie. That’s really somethin’, Pacifica.”
“Not to my parents,” she sniffed. "According to them, I 'betrayed the family trust’.“
"You saved my niece and nephew’s lives,” Stan said firmly. “Your parents can shove it.”
Pacifica gave him a watery smile, and another tear splashed down her face. “You know…they always treated me terribly. I couldn’t talk back to them… they always had to control everything I did…” Pacifica buried her face in her hands, her words now slightly muffled. “They had this s-stupid bell… trained me like I was a dog or something to follow their orders…”
That tore it for Stan. He leaned forward and wrapped his arm around Pacifica’s shoulders. She froze for a moment, then leaned on him, beginning to tremble. Stan hadn’t felt this much sheer rage at someone in a long time. How dare her parents treat this girl in such a way? Like she was one of their possessions, that they could doll up and pretend everything was fine?
A memory of Pacifica came to mind, standing alone in the parking lot, no one there to pick her up. He had felt bad for her, which is why he didn’t mind driving the girl home that night, even if she was a bit of a thorn in his family’s side. Now the same girl who he had written off as an annoying twerp, was a shaking lost child in his kitchen.
“You know what’s funny,” she asked, a mirthless choked laugh escaping her. Stan shook his head. “I had everything I could want… other kids would always want to be my friend because of how rich my family was. But all I could think of when I looked at them was… I bet their parents don’t train them with a bell…. I-I bet… they have fun with their family…” Pacifica let out a sob. “I had everything but I would have traded it all to have parents like those… .”
It was funny, Stan agreed silently. But for a different reason. He spent his whole life trying to obtain wealth, hoping to buy back his family’s favor. And Pacifica already had that wealth. She had it but she would have given it all up for a loving family. And in the end, money meant everything and nothing. Because it was the reason they were both kicked out of their homes. But money didn’t matter when it came to finding people who truly cared.
“I-I hated seeing you and your family, Mr. Pines” Pacifica whispered shamefully “… because it just.. reminded me of what I couldn’t have…”
Stan suddenly remembered something Pacifica had said to him. I want you to say that the Northwest family is the best family in Gravity Falls. She had been acting like an entitled brat then, but there was always something below the surface. Bullying people because she couldn’t stand her own life.
Stan rubbed her shoulder, swallowing hard. “I’m so sorry, kid.” Pacifica suddenly turned and buried her face in Stan’s chest, and sobbed into the fabric. It was as if his words had given her permission to release her emotions. Stan sat in shock for a moment, staring down at the weeping girl. He wondered if he was the first person she had ever told any of this to, and felt awful he couldn’t do more to help. Then he enfolded his arms around her in a hug. It only lasted a minute, but it was a storm and Stan had never expected to see this kind of rawness come from the girl. Pacifica pulled away, wiping angrily at her tears, soft hiccups escaping her.
“I just feel so s-stupid…” Her face was hopelessly smudged with her smeared make up , and she was smudging it further with her sleeve. Stan fumbled around in his pocket and found a handkerchief that he carried with him.
“Here ya go. You may wanna use this instead of your sleeve.” Pacifica stared at the handkerchief, as if she couldn’t believe it was in front of her. Then she took it gingerly, and began to dab at her face. After few moments it was as if she hadn’t been crying at all. It would have been impressive if it wasn’t so sad. The only sign she had been crying were slightly red-rimmed eyes. Stan recognized the mask, because he had worn it innumerable times in his own life.
Pacifica stared into her bowl of now completely mushy cereal, her face red from embarrassment.
“Pacifica, look at me for a sec.” She turned toward him, uncertainty in her expression.
“You didn’t deserve this. This isn’t your fault, okay?”
Her eyes went impossibly large, in shock and disbelief. It broke Stan’s heart. He was almost positive he was the first person to tell her that.
“I-I guess. But I could’ve, I dunno…”
“No,” Stan interjected gruffly. “None of this crap is your fault. You shouldn’t have been kicked out by your own parents. Believe me, for the longest time I blamed myself for what happened to me too. It wasn’t until later I realized that I didn’t deserve bein’ treated like that.”
Pacifica looked away from his steady gaze, unconvinced. “I know you’re right but…”
“It’s gonna take some time to process. That’s fine. But if there’s one thing you remember me sayin’ to you, just remember that, okay?”
Pacifica nodded silently. Then she turned back to him and gave him a small smile. “Thank you, Mr. Pines.”
“Ah, jus’ call me Stan, kid.”
“Okay, Stan. Um, is this a duck on your handkerchief?”
Stan grinned proudly. “Yup, Mabel made that for me. Pretty neat huh? She makes all sorts of wacky things like that, but I love 'em. The other day she even told me she was makin’ you a sweater-” Stan clamped a hand over his mouth. “Shoot. That was supposed to be a surprise.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep it a secret,” Pacifica responded. She was smiling now, and Stan figured that was a step in the right direction.
“Good. Now why don’t you see what those rugrats are doin’. I’m sure Mabel would love company to watch that terrible tv show with her.”
Pacifica slid off her chair, and turned to go. Then she looked back at Stan, a grateful smile on her face. “Um… thank you, Stan.”
“Don’t mention it kid.”
-
There was a steady rhythm that she fell into at the Shack. She learned at approximately what time the bathroom was available, and how long she had before the hot water ran out (which wasn’t long). She was no longer surprised by Waddles sleeping on staircase, or Gompers the goat wandering through the living room. The family was weird, but Pacifica grew to accept, even appreciate the weirdness.
It was odd, but Pacifica could have sworn something was off between Dipper and Mabel. Most of the time, everything seemed okay, then one would make an offhand comment to the other and it would cause a tenseness she hadn’t known existed between them.
The other day Mabel had given Pacifica her handmade sweater. It was lovely and soft and had a llama stitched on the front. Pacifica decided to bring up the subject to Mabel then, knowing it probably wasn’t the best idea.
“What, no way, Pacifica! Me and Dipper are like peanut butter and jelly, especially if the jelly is strawberry!”.
“I don’t know… it just seems kind of weird between you two..”
“Nope! Why don’t we not talk about this ever again? Hey, I’ll show you how to make a sweater!” After that, Pacifica didn’t bring it up again. but couldn’t help but notice the strained moments between them.
Sometimes she would find herself chatting with Stan, who never seemed to mind her company. Since the Shack was closed for repairs after the earthquake, he seemed rather bored without much to occupy his time. After that morning in the kitchen, Pacifica felt like she could trust the man in a way she had never been able to with other people. She was still embarrassed she lost control like that, in front of Stan Pines no less, but he was remarkably understanding of her. Stan was someone she never thought she would make a connection with, not in a million years. But her life had been turned upside down recently, and after some of the crazy things she had experienced in this town, it wasn’t the strangest.
Speaking of strange… Pacifica paused at the foot of the stairs. She heard raised gruff voices coming from the living room that could only be from Stan and his brother, Ford. This wasn’t the first time she had overheard them squabbling. In fact, it seemed like every interaction they had with each other was bickering.
“Well, at the end of the summer what do you propose to do, Stan? Are you expecting to raise this girl?”
Pacifica’s eyes went wide and she pressed herself against the wall to listen. A part of her knew she shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but from the sounds of it this was about her future.
“I… I don’t know, Ford.” Stan sounded exhausted. “The only thing I do know, is that it’s not fair for her to be dragged away from everything familiar to her.”
There was a silence before Ford spoke. “Stan…”
“Look… I gotta go… bother Soos to fix the door hinge. Damn thing won’t stop squeakin’ and I’ve already asked him like, fifty times.”
“Stan, I know this is hard for you…”
“Yeah, since when did you care about that,” Stan snapped, and stormed out of the room. Pacifica stood frozen in place as Stan passed her. He did a double-take and stared at her for a moment. Then he sighed in defeat. “How much did ya hear?”
“Just the end,” Pacifica answered honestly. She figured there was no point in lying.
“Sorry you heard that… I don’t want you to think you’re not wanted 'round here.”
“I don’t think that,” Pacifica smiled. Stan blinked at her then smiled back. “Ah, well, my brother can be an annoying jerk, drives me crazy sometimes…”
“You know, he still cares about you.” Pacifica wasn’t sure why she said that, but it seemed like an important thing he needed to hear. Stan froze and stared down at her.
“Yeah, and how would you know that?”
Pacifica shrugged. “I can just tell.” It was a strangely specific skill she had picked up in her lifetime. Seeing affection and care in other families, and comparing them to her own where there was none. Even though Stan and his brother would constantly fight, it was obvious (to her at least) that there was still a bond between them. “This family is having a rough patch, but it’s obvious you guys care about each other. Something like that doesn’t just… disappear into thin air.”
Stan had a faraway look in his eyes before answering quietly, “I guess it doesn’t.”
-
“Score! Mark that one down for Mabel,” Mabel hooted and pumped her golf club in the air. Pacifica smirked at her and twirled hers expertly in her hands. “Not so fast! Watch a pro at work.”
Stan sat on the front porch, sipping a can of Pit and watching the two girls face off in a match off in mini-golf. It was a far cry from the match from a while ago, held with resentment and rivalry. The two of them looked like they were having a blast, and it was refreshing to see.
“FORE!” Pacifica shouted, as a golf ball zoomed toward Stan and knocked the fez off his head.
“Hey! Watch where you’re swingin’ those things!”
“Sorry, it was an accident!”
Mabel and Pacifica giggled conspiratorially, which made Stan roll his eyes at how obviously it wasn’t an accident.
“Can you believe these two, pickin’ on their poor grunkle?” Stan grumbled to Dipper, who was sitting on the steps of the porch and scribbling something in his notebook. Dipper didn’t respond and kept writing. Stan frowned, his eyes flicking between Dipper and the girls.
“Hey, aren’t ya gonna go play with them?”
Dipper waved a hand half-heartedly. “Meh, you know I’m no good at mini-golf. They seem to be having a good time without me.” Stan’s frown deepened at the words. He had noticed the kid spending less time with his sister, more time with Ford or by himself. Stan chalked it up to Dipper being excited about his idol now walking amongst them, but Stan couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling there was something more going on. His thoughts were interrupted when he saw a cloud of dust rising from Gopher Road, and he heard a vehicle approaching.
“Huh, wonder who that is. Everyone in town knows the Shack is closed for repairs.”
A black limo pulled up next to the house. Suddenly, he felt a small tug on his coat. Stan looked down to see Pacifica staring at the car, eyes wide with fear. She had stepped behind one of his legs, as if seeking shelter. “It’s him,” Pacifica whispered.
Stan knew who she meant, without even looking. His blood boiled.
“Mabel, Dipper, stay here with Pacifica,” he snapped, and quickly stood up. He didn’t mean to sound harsh with them, but anger began to coat his world red. To their credit, the twins nodded and hurried next to Pacifica. The girl looked sick, like she was going to throw up. Stan growled to himself, his fists clenched at his sides, and stalked off the porch toward the man who was now getting out of the limo.
Preston Northwest strode toward them, hands clasped behind his back. Just the sight of him caused Stan’s hackles raise, and a rage boiled in the depths of his chest that he hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Ah, Stan Pines. I hope this isn’t a… bad time,” Preston greeted nonchalantly. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Mabel and Dipper step in front of Pacifica.
“What do you want,” Stan fairly hissed, pleasantries the last thing on his mind.
“Hm, skipping the chitchat are we? Fine then. I came for Pacifica. Now if you’ll excuse me.”
Stan took a step forward to block his path, shouldering him hard. Preston stumbled back and narrowed his eyes.
“Get off my property, ” Stan growled, low and dangerous.
“You don’t know who you’re talking to, Pines. I can have this entire piece of land leveled to a garbage dump if I wanted.”
“Hey, that’s suitable for you,” Stan snarled, “A garbage dump would fit you so well, Preston.” Every muscle in his body was tense, his nails were digging into the palms of his hands.
Preston glared at him over the bridge of his nose and moved to walk past him. Stan blocked his path again, looming over the man. Stan knew he had the bulk and size to be intimidating if he wanted to, and he was using it to his full advantage now. Preston sighed in exasperation.
“I heard Pacifica was staying with the Pines family. I’ve come to take her back. Turns out there are too many questions flying around, and this whole situation is getting rather messy for me. Who would have thought? The boarding school excuse can only fly for so long. Now excuse me, I am trying to retrieve my daughter-”
Throughout Preston’s explanation, Stan’s fingernails had steadily broken skin and drawn blood from his clenched fists. If Stan didn’t want to kill this man before, he did now. His body react automatically, he grabbed Preston by his collar with both hands and dragged him forward until they were face to face. “YOU DON’T GET TO CALL HER THAT. Not after the way you treated her.” His voice was unrecognizable to himself, and adrenaline screamed through his entire body. “Like she’s one of your goddamn possessions!” He saw fear bloom in Preston’s eyes and felt a sick satisfaction from it. Good. Make him scared, an inner voice coaxed. Make him scared like he made Pacifica scared.
“You can’t threaten me like this! I’m going to call the police-”
“OH? Are ya now? I’m sure Sheriff Blubs would be on my side, especially when there’s a cut n’ dry case of child abandonment!”
“Child abandonment? Please, I hardly think-”
Stan sent a solid punch into Preston’s face. He felt his fist connect with the cartilage of the man’s nose and heard it break with a gratifying crunch. Preston tumbled to the ground clutching his broken nose in pain, blood spewing from between his fingers. Stan vaguely heard people yelling behind him, but everything was just a haze of fury. All he saw was red, all he could hear was the blood pounding in his ears.
“You don’t do that to your kid,” Stan roared, continuing to advance on the man even as he scrambled back in fear. He didn’t give Preston the chance to get away. He grabbed him by the collar again.
“She’s just a girl, she’s still a child,” Stan screamed in the man’s face. “And you threw her out like she was trash!” He raised his fist to strike again. “Do you have ANY idea… what could have HAPPENED to her!?”
Preston cowered as Stan sent his punch toward him again. Then all at once another hand caught his arm before he could deliver the blow.
“Stan, stop.” His brother stood behind him, firmly holding his arm. Where the hell had he come from?
“Ford, let me go,” Stan snarled, trying to break free. “Let me teach this sorry excuse for a human a lesson!”
“He’s not worth it, Stan. It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay! Do you know what he did, Ford!?”
“I know, Stan. I know.” His brother’s voice was gentle next to his ear. It was enough to bring Stan down a peg from his out of control anger. Ford continued to speak evenly to him. “Beating him up isn’t going to help anyone. You’ve already done so much for Pacifica.”
He released his grip on Preston, who fell to the ground and scrambled away from him. Stan took a deep shuddering breath, slowly regaining his composure. Oh no, Pacifica. The kids. He turned and saw them huddled together on the porch, a mixture of shock and fear on their faces. Great, now they’re afraid of me.
He turned back toward back to Preston who by now had picked himself up, and was clutching his nose in pain. “Leave, Preston. I better not see your skulking sorry ass around here again.”
“This isn’t over,” Preston hissed, turning to go and pointing a finger at Stan. “No one attacks me, and gets away with.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Stan snapped . “Get the hell out.”
Preston stumbled back to his limo which promptly drove away, sending small dust clouds up in its wake. Stan felt a grim satisfaction knowing he was probably bleeding all over those expensive limo seats.
His brother gently took his hands and turned them over, palms upward. There were small half-moon cuts along the hand where his nails had dug into his skin. Blood seeped from them and covered the palms of both his hands. Stan blinked down at them. He hadn’t even noticed the injuries, but now they stung something fierce. What the hell?
“Oh, Stan,” Ford sighed, taking his elbow. “Come on. Let’s get you back inside to patch you up.” Stan allowed himself to slowly be maneuvered him back toward the Shack.
“Are… are you okay?” Ford asked, with what sounded like genuine concern, and Stan figured he should get his hearing checked.
“Yeah, I’m fine, Poindexter,” he grumbled, looking around distractedly. He spotted the kids standing on the porch, speaking in undertones to each other. He paused, then hesitantly walked toward them. A sudden mortified feeling entered his stomach for losing his temper in front of them.
“Uh… Pacifica?” The girl looked up at him apprehensively, and he swallowed, the feeling worsening. “I’m sorry you had to see that. You okay, kid?” She nodded, still staring up at him, her eyes flicked down to his hands and her frown deepened. Stan sighed and looked around at the three kids and his brother. They all had similar expressions of worry on their faces.
“Why are ya all lookin’ at me like I ate someone’s puppy?” he asked snippily, although he knew the reason, it was just a poor attempt to cover his own increasing anxiety. They probably wouldn’t want to be around him anymore, now that they saw his anger issues in full display.
“Grunkle Stan, are you okay?” Dipper asked in a small voice. That wasn’t the answer he was expecting. He realized that their worry wasn’t because of him, it was for him. That was surprising.
“What’s with everyone giving me the third degree? I’m okay, you’re okay… everyone’s okay! Let’s jus’ go inside."
Dipper, Mabel, and Ford entered the Shack, still casting worried looks over their shoulders. He felt a small hand grip his arm. He looked down to see Pacifica, biting her lip, eyes gazing downward.
"Stan… I wanted to say… thank you.”
Stan blinked. “For what? Knockin’ that jerk’s block off? He had it comin’, but I shouldn’t have lost it in front of you like that.”
“It’s just..No one has ever stood up for me like that, especially to my parents.”
Stan felt a small smile appear on his face. He knelt down, about to place his hands on her shoulders. He thought better of it, and kept them at his sides.
“It’s no problem, kid. I wasn’t about to let him take you away after the way he treated you.”
“I’m… I’m scared though. You don’t know my dad, Stan. He won’t just give up on this.”
“Well, neither will I,” Stan replied fiercely. “I’m not givin’ up on you, Pacifica. I’ll make sure they don’t bother you again. Everyone here will make sure of that. You’re part of the ol’ Mystery Shack family now.”
“F-Family?” Pacifica asked in kind of breathless disbelief. “You really want me as part of the family?”
“Kid, we’ve got a large gopher handyman, a pig, a goat, and a redhead with sarcasm up the wazoo, it’s not like this family can get any weirder. No matter what happens, you’ll always have a home here.”
Pacifica eyes sparkled with tears of happiness. She flung herself forward and hugged the elderly man around the middle.
“I’d hug ya back, but… ya know.” Stan raised his hands. “Blood and stuff.”
“Heh,” Pacifica wiped a tear of joy from her eye. “Yeah. We should go inside and take care of that.”
“Good idea. After Ford is done playin’ doctor with me, I think Mabel mentioned somethin’ about Mabel’s Macaroni Surprise for dinner, so that’ll be an adventure."
"That’s a bit disturbing, but I don’t think it can be worse than Mabel juice…”
“I wouldn’t underestimate her.”
The two of them walked together back into the Mystery Shack to join the rest of the family.