AVAVA

( Author's Note )

VAVAV

This is just a short chapter. Just something I forced out. Do enjoy it though.

AVAVA

( Mabel's PoV )

VAVAV

The person they had spoken with over the CB had been right with their prediction about when the blizzard would hit Gravity Falls. Yes, it had been snowing fairly hard when Wendy and Dipper had arrived back to the cabin, while she had never seen snow like that. It was the pacific north-west, not uncommon, or at least that's what Wendy said. But what followed was so much more. During her bath the snow had went from a few inches that was on the ground, to about two foot after she had taken her bath.

"Ungh! Really?" Mabel muttered looking over at the couch. She and Dipper were supposed to sleep on the couch, until they braved the snow in the morning to bring a couple of the mattresses. However, Dipper and Wendy seemed to both be asleep on the couch.

Mabel was sure that they hadn't planned to fall asleep on the couch. Though as aggravating as it was, it was an adorable sight. It looked like They had been watching a movie, considering the TV was on, and a logo screen saver for the dvd player bounced around the screen. She turned back to the sleeping pair on the couch. Dipper's head leaned back against the couch, Wendy was leaned over, her head on Dipper shoulder. Both sleeping peacefully. She had to admit, it was cute. But...

"Where am I supposed to sleep?" Mabel muttered to herself. Then she decided that the only place that there was for her to sleep, was the room that was supposed to be Wendy's. A bed, instead of a couch? Let Wendy and Dipper have the couch. She'd have a bed, at least for the night.

AVAVA

Oh this is soooo much fun, Mabel thought during breakfast the next morning. Tambry and Pacifica were, good-naturedly, teasing Wendy, whose face was almost as red as her hair, about how they woke up this morning. Mabel had been around the first to wake up, she wasn't sure why, but before this infection spread, and even during it, she still got up too early for most people.

Mabel had come down stairs in her PJ's to start breakfast, to find Dipper and Wendy snuggled up together, both laying on the couch now, like two little puppies. A sight that she deemed worthy of a picture. She had her instant camera, and several packs of photos that she'd managed to find for it. While she loved taking pictures, she now had to limit herself. If she didn't, she wouldn't be able to record moments... like that.

She tossed a couple logs into the fireplace, the cabin had electricity, at least it did at the moment, but still only used the fireplace for heating. Something that Dipper had mentioned they needed to start gathering as soon as the blizzard let up. And that hopefully the trees wouldn't be too frozen to cut. Luckily they had Wendy. Her being a lumber jack's daughter, she actually knew how to fall a tree, and knew how to use the chain saw that was in the barn behind the cabin. But he also mentioned, that between most of the furniture in the barn, that they could break up and burn if need be. Coupled with the few heater's they had they'd most likely survive the winter, even if they had to all bunk, and live mostly in one or two rooms together. And even if it wasn't enough, he mentioned they could take the truck... slowly... into town to the Shack, which had wood piled up behind it.

"Sooooo Dipppppper?" She walked up to her brother, who was busy working with the camera system. He looked up at her, his cheeks turning pink. Ahh, so he did know why she was here, she thought to her self, good, he can't say that he didn't see it coming now.

"Don't you start Mabel." He groaned. Pacifica and Tambry had teased him first... which Wendy had been all too happy to join in. Until they turned their attention on her. Mabel assumed that if Wendy had of just left well enough alone, she would have gotten away with it. Or would have been forgotten about for the time.

"What?" She asked innocently, though she knew full well that she had been caught. Maybe she could still salvage it. "You don't seriously think that I... your beautiful, kind and sweet..."

"Yes, I do." Dipper just stared at her.

"You didn't even let me fin..."

"Nope. Sure didn't."

AVAVA

( Dipper's PoV )

VAVAV

Dipper had managed to get out of the cabin, and get out of the fence, even if he had to squeeze through. He closed the gate behind him, swing the hunting rifle over one shoulder, along with a duffel bag. His duffel bag held his lunch, drinks and extra ammo for the rifle. Along with two extra handguns, and several clips. A blanket, extra food, couple bottles of water, and a walkie-talkie. He planned this outing for a chance to practice with the hunting rifle. For the moment, they had enough meat and canned food.

On one of his previous walks, pre-infection, though the wood, he had noticed a couple of deer stands in the woods. Perfect for what he was planning. He didn't want to kill any deer, he didn't want to waste the meat, it would keep for the winter, but it would keep better if it stayed alive. No, he was going to practice his aim with the infected. And the deer stand would keep him safe, at least he was pretty sure it would. Worst case, he could run out of ammo, but still be safe enough.

"Alright." He said to himself once he was up in the deer stand. Inside wasn't too big, it was a six by six foot room, built between two trees. There were two windows, well he associated them with windows, but in reality they were just foot tall 4 foot wide holes on either side of the stand. Oil lanterns, with a couple bottles of oil, matches. And a small propane range cooker, that he didn't have propane for. But the cabin might have bottles for it. He'd bring it back just in case.

He lit the lantern, not that he needed the light, it would help with the cold. Or at least he thought it would. He could always 'spotlight' the deer, meaning he could use a bright light to shine at the deer. For some reason deer stood still in the bright light, as if in a trance. It was illegal, and unsporting. But he would be hunting for sport. If he actually hunted, it would be for survival.

He pulled the rifle off his shoulder and let it rest on the sill of the 'window'. He was far enough away from the cabin to not have to worry about anyone hearing the gunshots. Or at least he hoped. The only people he wanted hearing the gunshots were the infected. He wanted to lure some of them to him. He loaded the rifle, took aim with the scope, at a nearby tree and fired. The sound reverberated throughout the woods.

"That should bring them around." He said aloud to himself as he looked though his bag for the bag of beef jerky that he'd brought. Go figure, Dipper thought, the jerky was one of the snack foods that Robbie's group didn't take. He bit off a piece and waited.

AVAVA

The infected had showed up. About twenty of them. Currently nine of the twenty were dead. Shooting a moving target was much more difficult from a distance. It didn't take him long to figure out that he had to shoot where the infected was going to be, instead of where it was. Then, once he figured out how, he had to try and adjust the scope. Once he managed to get it like he wanted it, it made it a bit easier.

Only problem was that more infected were showing up. He reloaded the rifle again, and took out five more infected. Then three more before reloading. There were still about ten out there. He wasn't sure if he had counted any of them twice. But he assumed that there were about ten left. Fifteen laid dead on the ground. He wondered if it would end if he continued to shoot. Maybe he should try to find a silencer, or muffler, for the gun. If the sound attracted this many in winter, he didn't want to know what it would be like to have to hunt in summer, and then try to drag the deer back to the cabin. He would be a sitting duck.

After a few hours and about three fourth of his ammo was gone. Many bodies laid around the stand. With that Dipper felt more capable with the rifle. A few more days like this, and he was sure he could hunt for their food if needed. He shouldered his rifle and duffel, climbed down the latter. Once down he drew his handgun, in case stragglers showed up, and made his way back to the cabin.