Dipper walked up to the ledge and pulled out another cigarette, lit it and took a deep drag of it. His lungs tickled as the smoke settle in and his breath forced it out. The smoke swirled above him then slowly made its way towards the portal coming alive in the middle of the roof. He wanted to leave this world behind, wanted to abandon all connections to it, but suddenly his wants had changed. Pacifica had stepped back into his life and he wanted her back, even needed her back. He was going to wait no matter how long she took.
A blueish point of light formed just above the centre of the roof. It slowly expended and began to swirl, the event horizon of a new portal. He watched it grow and listened to the whistle of the wind as it picked up speed. Suddenly the roof door flew opened and Pacifica stepped through it with wild hair and a grin from ear to ear. She wore a purple t-shirt with black jeans and a pair of white sneakers on her feet. Over her right shoulder was slung a large and very stuffed backpack and in her left hand, she cradled her favorite longboard. Who knew her exercise of choice would become dancing on a plank of mobile fiberglass. One more reason he was in love with her.
As she made her way towards him, Dipper saw another person stand in the doorway behind her, Mable. Dipper watched his twin sister step out onto the roof and his feelings exploded. Tears welled up in his eyes and a deep longing grabbed his heart. He wanted her to come with them and for a moment, he believed she would.
"I found her on the stairs, she wants to say good-bye." Pacifica stepped aside and motioned for him to go to his sister. He did. Slowly. They met in the middle between the door and the void beyond the edge.
"I thought you gave it up." Mable commented as she pointed to the cigarette.
"Yeah well, it's a hard habit to quit."
"So Bro-Bro, you're off to see the multiverse…" With wet cheeks and glistening eyes, Mable strained to keep her voice steady, she had been crying. Just as tall as he, her eyes caught his and her arms wrapped themselves around her. This was harder than he imagined. "Is Grunkle Stan coming?" Stan would be coming through while Ford operated the controls.
"Yeah, he's coming…" She should be coming with them.
"I… uhm… I wanted to say good-bye…" As the wind began to pull her hair towards the portal, she yanked it back. Dipper walked around her, pulled a loose ribbon from it and tied it together. "Thanks Dipper, you always know what to do." He stood behind her and tried to think of words that would convince her to come with them. That is when he spotted the ring on her finger. She was beyond herself the day Fernando proposed and ran around the dorm shrieking loudly. He could not ask her to leave that much joy behind for a life of uncertainty and deadly peril.
"Uhm, Mable, I know this is painful and…" He had to force himself to say good-bye. "I just want to… you know…" She turned around and flung herself at him. He held her tight with her arms wrapped around him. He loved his sister to the ends of the earth and beyond.
"I don't want you to go." Her muffled voice spoke into his shoulder. "I still need you, Dipper."
"I know."
"So why are you going? Why are you leaving me?"
"Mable, I told you I need to do…" She cut him off.
"No you don't need to do this!" She backed away from him and stood glaring at him. "I thought you told me we'd always be together, always close." Tears streamed down her face as she sniffled. "I can't do this alone, I need you…" She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself. "I need a sweater." He watched as she slowly calmed down, and recalled all those years before when he first thought of joining Ford as his apprentice. Her reaction then was strong and it resulted in Bill's release. Yet this time things were different. Her eyes opened and she wiped away the tears, looked around the roof and approached Pacifica.
"Take care of him for me Pacifica, he's a bit of an awkward dork at times and needs someone to look after him." The women gazed back at him and smiled.
"You know that I will girlfriend, I promise." They hugged. "But it's not like he means anything to me or whatever." They both laughed. Dipper rolled his eyes. He was proud of his sister and the maturity she had grown into, she had accepted his decision.
The portal expanded rapidly now and the gravitational pull grew much stronger. They all stepped away from it as far as they could and watched its blueish glow spread over the roof. It was a hypnotic sight as the boundaries between dimensions came apart in a beautiful swirling vortex.
"It's almost time." Dipper turned to Mable and looked into his twin's glistening eyes. His own too swam with tears. In all the years since their birth, they have never been apart for more than a week. Two years ago Mable, Candy, Grenda and surprisingly Pacifica, had decide to go on a weeklong camping trip. That was it. Now they were about to be separated for probably years at a time. "One last awkward sibling hug?" He spread his hands apart and waited as a tear ran down his cheek.
"Yeah, one last awkward sibling hug." The twins came together.
"Pat, pat." They spoke simultaneously and clapped each other on the back. Pacifica chuckled.
"When will you two come back?" Mable took hold of both their hands, Dipper's and Pacifica's, and held them close to herself.
"I don't know. In the letter Ford mentioned something about this being a life long quest, but I hope he was exaggerating." The message was short on details.
"Life long? Oh…" Pacifica let go of Mable's hand and gazed at the portal. "Then this truly is a good-bye, to everything." She gave the city a wide-eyed look, yet she did not appear to be troubled just surprised. "I'm not sure if I'll miss this place."
"You know you don't have to come. As I said you have a life here, maybe somehow you can overcome your troubles." He looked at her and wondered how her parents will react to their daughter's disappearance. She was the only heir to a massive fortune her leaving was sure to cause problems. "There is always ano…"
"No!" She cut him off. "I have made my choice; I'm coming with you what ever the circumstances." She took a deep breath and stood her ground. Mable placed a hand on Pacifica's shoulder and the two of them exchanged a knowing look. Dipper realized then that Pacifica must have shared her troubles with Mable. He knew they grew close, but did not realize how close. Yet despite confiding in his sister, Pacifica still considered jumping. She truly does need to come.
The portal had grown to its full size and now sizzled with static electricity. In a moment, Stan would be here. Dipper needed a cigarette something to calm him down as he searched for his pack Mable pulled him aside.
"Dipper, the last time I went back home I spoke with mom and dad about you leaving with Stan and Ford. They're not happy about it but," she held out her hand and in it was a small pendant, "yet they recognized that it is not their decision to make." It was a silver and gold compass rose. "They gave me this to give to you with this letter." With her other hand she pulled out a thick white envelope. "There are also pictures in there to remember us by. Don't forget…" Her eyes began to tear up again however she managed to hold it together, but only just. "I will miss you," she choked back a sob, "brother." He could have counted on one hand the times she called him brother to his face and it brought on his own waterworks. He took the pendant and envelope and took his sister in his arms.
"Now isn't this a pretty picture." The gruff voice startled them all.
There in front of the portal and wearing big grins stood both Stan and Ford. "Hugs and tears, must you three great us with such a show of emotion." Stan's face held mock disgust.
"Grunkle Stan!" Mable ran to him with open arms.
"Hello pumpkin, ugh…" Mable wrapped her arms around Stan's neck and in her enthusiasm almost knocked him over. "Wow there honey, it's nice to see you too," Stan managed to squeak out, "but please take it easy with me; I'm not as young as use to be." Seven years on and the two brothers were now into their eighties.
"Grunkle Ford, what are you doing here?" Dipper looked to the other man. "I thought you were staying back to man the controls." Something had changed and Dipper began to worry. "Are we still leaving or is something wrong?" Ford's gaze was steady as he approached Dipper and Pacifica.
"Well my boy, you two are leaving but Stan and I," he looked back at his twin, "well, we're taking our retirement. It's high time the next generation took over the family business."
