Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls!
Title: March On, Or the Fear Wins
Summary: Time goes on, even when friends are apart. The Mystery Shack ends up becoming Wendy's pet project as she helps her friends through the seasons.
Chapter Title: Summer.
(The last day thereof)
...
Wendy doesn't get much sleep that night, seeing how she'd been in a war just days prior, and now her friends are gone. But that's okay. She'll be drowsy the next day; a good rest is in her future.
She must've conked out eventually, however, because sunlight is streaming into her room when she opens her eyes. She feels that kind of numb you get just before a headache rubs your temples, and her chest is hollow.
Her alarm goes off.
Right. Life things.
Wendy sits up and takes a swipe at her gummy eyes, trying to remember what classes she had. She crawls out of bed to pull on her boots and jacket, resolving to put deodorant on and hope that's enough. Today is just one of those days.
She hesitates only a second before grabbing her axe and stuffing it into her belt, resolving to hide it in her backpack. She feels too vulnerable to go without it.
Wendy stumbles into the kitchen, yawns, and slumps against the door frame. The lack of her father making pancakes and shouting at them to get up is disconcerting. Maybe, in light of recent events, he's decided they can fully fend for themselves, or something.
"Hey. Hey, you."
Wendy jolts and snatches her weapon from her waist. "Who's there?"
A small hand pops up over the windowsill, then disappears. "You got a stool? It's kinda hard to talk to someone when you can't make eye contact."
She doesn't dignify that with a response. "Don't scare me like that, man." Wendy leans out the open window, wrinkling her nose at the familiar mug of a gnome. "What do you want?"
"You got any pie?"
"Shouldn't you be scurrying back to the forest?" Wendy raises an eyebrow. "Somebody might see you."
"Who cares?" He shrugs. "Everyone knows we exist; we're past the denial phase in this town." Touche. "Now, about that pie..."
"Well, uh..." Rifling through the fridge- although lord only knew why she was going along with this- Wendy quickly came to the conclusion that they didn't even have the supplies to make a pie. Also, they really need to go shopping. "We've got bread?"
"That'll do." The gnome hums. "Got any lunch meat?"
"Consider yourself lucky I'm even giving you this." Wendy snaps, tossing the bread- plastic baggie and all- at his head.
"Sheesh, testy." He grumbles, stuffing it into his mouth. The gnome scampers away. "Thanks!"
Dan smashes the wall threateningly, stomping into the kitchen before she has the chance to reply, wielding a bat. "I heard voices."
"Gnome." She shrugs nonchalantly. "He took the rest of our bread."
"Stupid vermin!" He roars, sticking his head out the window in hopes the fleeing creature will hear.
"Eh. It was only half a loaf. Not even; the ends don't count."
"Are gnome traps a thing?" Dan muses, sticking his head into the fridge like she had moments prior. "I feel like that should be a thing."
"Dude, it's too loud." Her oldest sibling moans, followed by noises of agreement from the younger two boys as they all cram into the kitchen. Wendy feels a migraine coming on. "It's too early for any of this."
"Why are we awake?" The youngest mumbles.
"Why are we alive?" The middle sighs.
"Because we have to go to school. You know, to learn things."
The three boys groan. Dan starts the coffee pot with a shrug.
"Not today. Tyler called for the school year to be pushed up a day this year. Something about 'reconnecting with family and getting help with trauma.'"
"Blech." One of the boys states. "Mushy stuff."
"We're Corduroy's." He slammed his fists down on the counter. "We don't do sentimental. We're gonna spend our day looking for jobs. Forget sitting around and talkin' about our issues."
Wendy immediately raises her hand. "I'd better go check up on the Mystery Shack." Anything is better than going door to door.
Her father smiles toothily and ruffles her hair. "Go out there and make a profit, honey!"
Her head feels cooler than normal during her walk to the Mystery Shack. She reaches up to adjust her hat, snatching her hand away when she hits a brim.
Right. She's got Dipper's hat now, which is both a lighter fabric and a lighter color. Wendy wonders if Dipper's having the same problem.
She hesitates only a second before pulling open the door. Stan may have been a jerk sometimes, but she'd always known where she stood with him. Always knew she had a job to come back to. Wendy had never been able to imagine the day Stan Pines left Gravity Falls; it felt like he'd been there from the very beginning, always stealing groceries and scamming the cops.
And now he's gone.
"Hey, Wendy!" Soos appears from the back, effectively jarring her from her thoughts, wearing the Mr. Mystery suit, a familiar old fez perched on his head. Wendy had never imagined such a look for him; he rocks it, oddly enough. "What do you think?"
"It looks good on you, man."
He visibly preens at her words, chest puffing out. "Thanks!"
Wendy shifts her feet and glances around the room. So familiar; so different. "How's the move-in going?"
He paused and twiddled his thumbs. "We haven't really unpacked yet. And there's a buncha stuff that needs fixing up."
"Want some lumberjack help?" She crosses her arms across her chest and grins at him. "I can get you some boards cheap. We can work from the ground up."
"Sounds good, dude." Soos smiles earnestly. It's not hard to tell he's still in the surreal stage of things. "But, uh, if you wouldn't mind? I gotta open shop, and Abuelita needs help unpacking."
"Soos, everything else is closed. Literally, everything. It's okay to take a day off."
He hesitates for a moment, like he's honestly considering it, then reluctantly shakes his head. "If there's one thing Mr. Pines taught me, it's that, no matter what the occasion, tourist traps should never close. Besides, Abuelita can do anything- she's awesome like that- but I don't want her lifting heavy stuff if she can help it, you know? I don't want her to get a back ache."
Wendy lazily salutes "You got it, new boss."
It's strange and oddly appalling to see the boxes piled high in Stan's old living room. Other than the newest attractions, nothing had ever really seemed to change.
"And, lift." Wendy strains to yank a heavy box off the top of the pile. It's heading for the bedroom upstairs. "Jeez, ma'am." After all these years, she still doesn't know the woman's name. "Are there bodies in here?"
"Of course not." Abuelita hums. "Hiding a body in a box in the middle of a moving van is silly."
Wendy laughs awkwardly. She's never really known what to say or what to do when it came to Soos's grandmother.
"This place could certainly use a more feminine touch, but I'm proud of Soos." She continued, trailing behind as a sort of guide, despite Wendy having been in the house more than her. "This has been his dream for many years now."
"Some love certainly won't do this place any harm." She agrees. She gets the feeling that the repairs are gonna end up coming out of her paycheck, but hey. Labors of love, and whatnot.
"The attic will be left alone, obviously, but that doesn't mean we can't renovate the walls and such."
For Dipper and Mabel. It goes unsaid. Wendy wishes it hadn't. It wasn't like the kids were dead, after all.
Wendy stops abruptly at the thought, flashes of moment they almost did die coming to mind. Abuelita lets out a small yelp and steps way back.
"I'm sorry." She says warily, eyeing her waist. "I'm just- I keep thinking I'm going to run into you and cut myself."
"Cut your- Oh."
Wendy feels a flash of embarrassment as she finally took notice of her uncovered axe, gleaming menacingly in the light. Why hadn't Soos told her? Surely he'd noticed? "Sorry, ma'am. I totally forgot."
She goes to pull it out and set it aside, then pauses, thinking of all the times the tool had saved her life in recent days. Her fingers shook at the thought of leaving it quite yet.
"It's okay, dear." Abuelita gently patted her hand. "Whatever helps you feel safer."
Wendy's shoulders loosen, if only a little bit. Without another word, she moves aside so the older woman can lead them up the stairs. It doesn't matter that she knows this house better.
Whatever helps her feel safer.
Author's Note: Because I have to, after the finale we had. =)
I know Abuelita is grandmother (I think that's the right spelling; if it's not, please tell me), but they never have her an official name, as far as I know.
This'll be five chapters long; one for every season, and an epilogue.
-Mandaree1
