On a quiet summer afternoon, Dipper assisted his Grunkle Ford in finding some appropriate leisure reading at the local bookstore. Ford was perusing through the Paranormal Romance section and picked out such intriguing titles as Finding the Light with Mothman, Aroused by Bigfoot, An Evening with Nessie, Hodag Honeymoon, and Fouke Monster Love. Dipper wasn't surprised at his Grunkle's unusual taste in literature. Ford had a romantic fling with a siren, which was heavily documented in one of his journals.
Ford placed the last book into his arms. "I think that's enough books to add to the archives. Well my boy, is there anything you want to buy while we're here?"
Dipper looked up at his uncle with excited eyes. He almost expected Ford to be as comically frugal as Grunkle Stan, who only occasionally treated him and Mabel whenever on their family outings to the movies or the bowling alley. "Seriously?"
"Absolutely." Ford answered with a smile.
"Yes!" Dipper cheered, raising his fists in the air. The boy immediately booked it to the magazine display in the hopes of finding a new issue of Current Cryptids.
Dipper perused through the magazine rack and found the most unusual cover of Better Families Than Yours. Pacifica Northwest, covered in slime and garbage, grinning at the camera as she hugged her disgusted parents. Above the photo there was a bubble captioned "Pacifica goes Pacifi-Crazy!" What struck him the most was the way Pacifica smiled. Not in the smug, look-at-how-much-better-i-am-than-you smile she used during Pioneer Day. Her smile on the magazine cover was incredibly sincere and joyful. The last time she looked this happy was during the party at Northwest Manor, when they ruined her parent's white rug with their muddied shoes and proceeded to trash the carpet with beverage stains.
Dipper also recalled the recent adventure he and Pacifica had together. How a distressed Pacifica came to the house to find a magical cure for her first wrinkle. While Dipper brushed off her problem with a laugh, the young aristocrat desperately wanted to find some way to erase her imperfection before the family photo shoot for the Better Families Than Yours magazine. The Northwest girl resorted to using magic from the Journal, going against Dipper's clear warnings not to. But things went awry when she accidentally summoned a face-stealing creature by the name of Mr. What's-His-Face, who stole Mabel's face.
While on their adventure to rescue Mabel, Pacifica was more focused on getting rid of her wrinkle, much to Dipper's frustration. But when they were both captured by the creature and placed in a old sack, Dipper learned that Pacifica had been fed lies by her mother about how looks are everything. To drive that point home, she changed the ending of The Ugly Duckling to instill the damaging idea that no one would love you if you are anything less than perfect. Pacifica's self-worth clinged onto having a beautiful cover.
In an effort to alleviate her woes, Dipper reminded her of how smart, creative and confident she could be and that she was more than just a pretty face. His motivational words rendered her speechless as she catapulted him into a hug. When they were released, Pacifica was able to outsmart the creature and she, Dipper, and Mabel's face were able to escape from the beast's clutches.
By the time they returned Mabel's face to its proper place, Pacifica looked like a living dumpster fire. Quite literally as part of her hair was on fire, as well as being covered in garbage, dirt and green slime. But she couldn't bring herself to care about her outward appearance after everything she went through. She looked at her reflection in the puddle and smiled back. Pacifica looked more and more like her true self.
Dipper pondered about his unusual friendship with the young aristocrat. During both adventures, they engaged in witty banter and teased one another. But at the same time, the two of them were able to help each other out. When Pacifica was sorrowful due to the expectations brought upon by her parents, Dipper comforted her by saying the right things and lifting her up on her feet. In return, Pacifica was able to save Dipper from the monsters they were up against through her bravery and resolve.
What surprised him from the two situations was how Pacifica hugged him twice. Sure she tried to deny it, but Dipper was able to read past her surface and see that she truly cared about him. And he cared about her as well. Their feelings for each other were mutual at this point.
Looking back at the magazine cover, he noticed the stark contrast between the cheerful smile on Pacifica's face and the disgruntled frowns of her uptight parents. His eyes faltered with great concern for the young Northwest. He was well aware of how terrible her parents were, from conditioning her with the bell to depriving her of the happy endings to the most famous fairy tales. At this very moment, Pacifica could be punished by losing her credit card privileges at this point, or worse.
Dipper shuddered at the thought of his new friend facing the wrath of her wicked parents. He knew that Pacifica deserved better than the treatment she received from her folks, and he would do anything to make her genuinely smile again.
His deep reverie was interrupted when a six-fingered hand gently rested on his shoulder. "So Dipper, do you have everything you're looking for?"
Dipper turned over to Grunkle Ford. "I want to get this," He answered determinedly as he showcased the magazine. "Also, could I get one more thing for a friend?" He asked while observing the Children's section.
Ford smiled at his nephew. "Well of course, my boy."
The following day, Dipper invited Pacifica to spend the afternoon at the Mystery Shack, which was a great relief for the young Northwest who had all of her credit cards confiscated as punishment for her 'disgusting appearance' at the family photo shoot. Though they didn't say that she couldn't go out of the house. So she took the opportunity to get away from her folks to spend more time with the Pines boy.
The two sat outside on the old couch on the back porch. They had snacked on some chips and drank some Pitt Soda (which was considered an act of rebellion to Pacifica) as she discussed in great detail about how cartoonishly upset her parents were during the photo shoot for the stuck-up magazine. When there was a lull in the conversation, Dipper took the opportunity to present her with his gift from the bookstore.
"So I've got a bit of a surprise for you." Dipper said.
"Oh really?" Pacifica slyly asked as she raised her eyebrow. "So what nerd thing do you have up your sleeve this time?"
Dipper chuckled at her answer. "I hate to disappoint you, but there's no nerd stuff today. But I've got something better." Shuffling through the interior vest pocket, he retrieved a colorful picture book of The Ugly Duckling.
Pacifica's eyes widened in awe at the soft, watercolor illustrated cover of the story her mother once told her.
"Now this is the real deal Pacifica," Dipper told her as he gave the book to her. "No lousy endings about judging people by their cover. Do you want to read from the beginning?"
"No!" Pacifica blurted. "I don't want to relive the horrible treatment that poor duckling went through. I need to know what actually happens!"
Dipper gave a concerned look at Pacifica. He couldn't help but think of that night at Northwest Manor where he witnessed the creepily controlling nature of her parents, especially with the use of that damned bell. Dipper wondered if Pacifica identified at the titular Ugly Duckling.
"Alright, I'll skip past the intro then," He muttered as he flipped through the pages of the poor duckling being harassed by the other animals, finally stopping when he reached a wonderful illustration of the main character standing by the placid pond on a bright sunny day, observing the other swans.
He looked over at Pacifica. "So, do you want to take turns reading?"
"Okay." The blonde responded with a nod.
Dipper began to read aloud. "Spring finally arrived. The sun is shining, the grass is green, and the swans swam together in the pond."
The preteen suddenly felt a soft, warm sensation surrounding his hand only to realize that Pacifica was holding his hand into her own. Dipper tried to ignore the rising heat of his cheeks as he heard the girl pick up from where he left off.
"The Ugly Duckling looked from afar, wanting to be with the swans." Pacifica read, her voice slightly wobbling. "But he knows that they would hate him. But the Ugly Duckling would rather be hated than be alone."
As Dipper turned the page, he felt Pacifica's hand squeezing his own. He hoped that there wasn't much sweat in his palm to drive her away. Dipper placed these thoughts on the back-burner in favor of continuing the story. "So the Ugly Duckling swam in the pond and took a glance at the water. The ugly duckling looked at his reflection and noticed a Swan looking back at him."
Pacifica stared at the page as she concluded the story. "He was no longer an Ugly Duckling, but a Beautiful Swan." She gently let go of Dipper's hand to turn the page only to see a detailed illustration of the now Beautiful Swan happily joining the other swans in the pond.
Dipper studied her face while she wordlessly inspected the illustration. When he took a glance at the monogamous bevy of swans, he realized the mixed messages of the story's ending. Even though the Ugly Duckling grew to become a Beautiful Swan and found love, he was only accepted because he had a certain cover, not because of his character. Perhaps he was sending the wrong message to Pacifica, someone who was so much more than a pretty face.
Dipper looked back at Pacifica, who continued to stare at the illustration. "So the Ugly Duckling did manage to find some friends after all…"
Dipper rubbed the back of his neck, assuming that the duckling only found friends because of his looks. "Yeah. Well the reason why he was mocked by the other animals was due to the fact that he was a swanling this entire time and was raised as a duckling. Although this story could be interpreted as a puberty metaphor, meaning that who we were when we're younger doesn't necessarily stay the same when we grow older."
Pacifica looked up at Dipper and gave a small laugh. "I don't care about metaphors. I'm just glad that the duckling was no longer alone and finally felt loved."
That was when Dipper realized why Pacifica was so moved by the ending. It wasn't about covers at all. To her, it was about finding people who cared about her and feeling content in their company. And much like the Ugly Duckling finding happiness with the other swans at the end of the story, Pacifica found happiness with Dipper.
"So I'm guessing you liked the story then?" He asked carefully.
Pacifica graciously smiled at Dipper. "I loved it." The Pines boy was thrilled to see that beautiful, sincere smile on the Northwest girl again. Mission accomplished.
What Dipper didn't expect was for Pacifica to pull him into another hug. Before he could react, she gently kissed his right cheek. The preteen's eyes widened in shock and was rendered silent by her spur of the moment display of affection.
"Thank you so much, Dipper." She said gratefully while still holding onto him.
Pacifica's soft-spoken words brought Dipper back to reality. He did more than just make her smile. He managed to fulfill her wish of hearing the happy end to a fairy tale that her parents deprived her of. Will Pacifica feel embarrassed of showing her true emotions and try to shrug this off by paying him to pretend that their tender moment never happened? Maybe. Will the two go back to their playful bickering and throwing shade at one another? Most likely. But Dipper is absolutely certain that his bond with Pacifica will be stronger than ever because he was able to provide her with the care that she deserved. Seeing her this happy made his heart swell with joy.
Dipper brought his arms around Pacifica and gently hugged her back. "You're welcome, Pacifica."