Chapter 7

Clink-clink.

Hmph. Someone downstairs? Probably Dipper getting a midnight snack.

Stan rolled over in bed and got comfortable.

THUD.

Stan sat up in bed. Yeah, snacking on his sister!

He looked at the clock. Three AM.

He threw off the blankets and swiveled around to slide on his slippers, then quietly made his way to the bedroom door.

Slowly walking towards the living room on tip toe he could now hear Mabel's voice, saying something without any attempt to hide her voice. What was she doing downstairs? Never mind, one guess. He prepared himself for what he might see, and got his temper ready to let loose. What was that…that smell? He saw nothing in the dark living room, but didn't need to look there anyway, the kitchen light was on. He peeked around the corner and saw…

"There Waddles, all better now? Finish your milk."

Mabel, wearing a long lavender tee in front of the refrigerator holding…a pillow?

She closed the refrigerator and turned around as Stan stood out from behind the kitchen door with his hands on his hips. Then he noticed: her eyes had a glazed unfocused stare. She didn't even seem to notice him. Her hair was a mess, and from the night shirt that barely covered her she must have gone straight from bed to the kitchen downstairs, sleepwalking.

She walked to the door without hesitation, bumping Stan before he could get out of the way and she snuggled the pillow.

"Time for you to go back to bed now Waddles."

Stan didn't want her to fall down the stairs in such a state, so he carefully walked behind her to make sure she was OK.

When Stan reached the top of the stairs and began guiding her towards her bedroom, Dipper jumped out from behind the living room chair and began to tip toe to his room. But wait, that smell! He panicked, then grabbed the chair cushion, and flipped it over. He grabbed the TV guide from the coffee table and fanned all around the chair a half dozen times, then slipped back to his bedroom.

Stan tucked Mabel and "Waddles" back into bed and went downstairs. Better check on the boy too.

He peeked in Dipper's door, the boy's thickly hairy head could be seen dimly on the pillow and a slight breathing snore could be heard. He closed his door and went back through the living room to his own bedroom, sniffing. Hmph. Whatever it was, it isn't there anymore. He went back to bed.

When Dipper heard his Grunkle close his door, he sighed relief. Mabel pushed me back so far on the chair the front legs lifted up and slammed down. That was what woke up Stan. Note to self: no more making out in the yellow living room chair.

When Mabel heard her Grunkle Stan close the door she smiled. I am so good I should be in movies! She wondered if Grunkle could smell their love. She had been soaked when she got carried away on top of Dipper and pushed them both so hard against the chair that it lifted up and slammed down. There had been no time to clean up. When her and Dip exchanged panicked looks she whispered

"Hide! Don't worry about me, I can handle Grunkle Stan!" And tip toed to the kitchen quickly grabbing the throw pillow.

When Stan closed his bedroom door and climbed back into bed he thought: is this what it is going to be like until they go back home when school starts? Am I going to have to be on my guard all the time?

He grumbled. Nothing had been going on, Mabel was sleepwalking and Dipper was asleep. I am just being paranoid. And he went back to sleep.

Wait a second. Wasn't that pillowthe throw pillow from the living room couch?