Reverse Falls
By: Carol Molliniere
(A/N: Gravity Falls fever has taken over me, as well as their AUs! Time to write about my favorite one! I guess.
I hope this is an appropriate take on the AU, as well as an appropriate entrance into the GF fandom.)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that Alex Hirsch and the creators of this AU may recognize as their own.
Cigarette smoke puffs around the magician like little storm clouds coming out of a snorkel. He closes his eyes, and takes the little stick of death out of his mouth, exhaling and polluting the room. He opens his eyes and stares contemplatively around the kitchen, at the nearly empty fridge (not hungry), at the peeling wallpaper (boring), and at the phone, where a thin layer of dust was collecting (no one calls).
At this thought, the little kitchen phone rings. (Speak of the devil.)
He supposes he has no other choice but to answer it, so he brings the ash tray over to the spot below the phone, and catches it on the fourth ring.
"Y'ello?" He sticks the cigarette back inside his mouth.
"William? Is that you?"
(Preston?) He nearly chokes on the smoke, and catches the burning tobacco stick before it falls out of his mouth. "Well, well, well." (Hide surprise, sound smart.) "You've finally decided to call!" He puts on a smile, even though no one can see him.
"Bill, this is a matter of consequence," his older brother begins. "Don't think I called just because I missed you." "Really?" The snark is back. He exhales. "I'm flattered that you love me," the magician says flatly.
A sigh. (The expected response. How Preston-like.) "I don't know what to say to that, but at least hear me out. Sorry about the short notice, but I might as well...My daughter's staying over at your house for the summer."
This time, the magician really does choke. He coughs, thumping his chest, slightly glad that his cigarette had not been in his mouth. He takes a few deep breaths before picking up the receiver that banged against the wall in his fit. "D-daughter?" He tries not to sound more nervous than he already is, and takes another drag from the stick of death before continuing. "You never told me you had a daughter!"
"Really?" (Why does he sound so surprised? Or is that just the past twelve years catching up to us?) "Well, your niece's name is Pacifica. I bet you'll like her."
"If that bet involved money, I would take it," the magician says dully, frowning. (A twelve-year old girl? Here? All summer?) "Anything else I should know?"
"You might have to prepare for two kids, actually." the disembodied voice on the phone says – and before he can process, Preston continues. "Pacifica says she'll bring her friend over."
(Darn it. Two girls?!) He exhales more smoke, even chews a little on the cigarette. Ash falls into the ash tray. "You expect me to take care of a few kids for the summer? What, am I gonna have to start a day care now?"
"Be glad it's just the summer, Bill," the disembodied voice scolds. "And Pacifica says she and her friend Gideon will be able to behave themselves around you."
He sighs, making it sound more like a scoff. "Fat chance." (One of them's a boy. Like that'll help my case.) "How soon're they coming over?"
"Next week, Saturday." He wedges the phone between his head and his shoulder to look at the calendar from across the room. (Next week. Gives all of us just enough time to prepare.)
(Maybe not all of us.) "So, when do I get paid for this?"
"Very funny, Bill."
"No, seriously." He breathed out a puff of smoke. "Tell me this'll be worth it in the end."
"It will. Just promise me one thing."
"Hm?" (Not sure what to expect.)
"Don't feed her with any of your crazy conspiracies."
(Pause. Million things running through mind all in a split second. 2000. Journals. No, no, no, no.) Almost instantly, the magician responds.
"Yeah, sure. Don't expect they won't find out, though."
"Bill."
"Just kidding, just kidding!" He forces a last smile, and shoves the cigarette onto the ash tray, effectively killing it in his hand. "Nothing freaky will happen to Patty and Geronimo, I promise."
"Pacifica and Gideon."
"Same difference."
"Alright then, Bill. I trust you." With that, the disembodied voice of Preston turns into the beep of a heart monitor telling one their heart is dead (dead, dead, dead).
He turned around, hanging the receiver back into place, and stared again at the calendar. (I really need a smoke.)
Hot breath met cold glass. The glass fogged up in response, and a finger reached out to draw a little llama-like illustration on it.
"How long've you been doin' that?" a voice beside the finger's owner asked. The finger's owner turned towards their friend who had surrounded himself with their backpacks and suitcases, as if building a wall.
"Long enough to be sure I'm accumulating germs on this finger."
"Pacifica, please."
"Don't worry about it, Gideon," Pacifica reassured the boy. "It's gonna be fun at my uncle's place. It's our first summer away from home; maybe things'll be different there."
"I guess so," Gideon said, returning to looking out the window at the passing trees. Pacifica stared at her friend for a little while, a concerned look on her face.
The nine-year old had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice a hand reaching out for his hat until it was too late and out of his reach.
"H-hey! Pacifica!" Gideon shouted, trying to grab his hat. "Gimme that back!" His friend only giggled and held it over his head. "Then stop being such a killjoy and try to have a little fun!"
Gideon flailed his arms around for his cap in vain, and fell over his belongings. Pacifica laughed heartily, and then put the hat back on his head. "Just relax, Gid. The town's probably not as bad as it seems."
The boy nodded and sat back upright, putting the bags back in place around him. "As long as you don't do anything stupid 'round there."
"Don't worry about me, Gideon! I'll have you around; that alone is protection from stupidity."
Her friend laughed, shaking his head. "What kind of town will Gravity Falls be like, anyway?" he asked. Pacifica had to shrug just a little. "We'll just have to wait and see."
As she was saying this, the bus pulled over. "Entering Gravity Falls," the automated voice on the bus said. The two kids grabbed their heavy bags, and walked through the bus, past the empty seats and out the door. Before they had much time to think about it, as soon as they were both out, the doors slid shut, and the bus drove away.
Pacifica stared after the bus, while Gideon looked up at the sign in front of them that said, "Welcome to Gravity Falls". He eyed it for a long time before Pacifica called out for him, and they had to walk from there to the strange building at the end of town called the "Magic House".
(A/N: So, what did you think? Not exactly conventional Reverse Pines, but that's how it works for me. Don't get me wrong, I do respect the original AU, and I think it's just fine. I just want to show you guys my own take on things. So everyone in this AU is reversing roles, and not just Gideon/Pacifica with Dipper/Mabel; and it's Stan and Bill who switch places, instead of Stan and Bud. It would probably be acceptable for you to tell me if you have issues with this, but if it makes you feel any better, I do think the blue Bill Cipher is cute.)
Leave anything behind in the form of reviews!
And Merry Christmas!)