Chapter Eleven:
AN: Okay. I'm not going to call anyone out, but you know who you are, I promise THERE WILL BE DIPCIFICA IN THIS STORY! I will get it to you, just be patient. I warned y'all in the beginning that they'd be taking it slow because, until this point, they only saw each other during the summers and were only friends. At the beginning of this story they hadn't seen each other in two years. They haven't had time to become romantically involved yet, but now that they are spending every day together, sparks are igniting. (And, if you haven't noticed, I've been dropping hints and teeny tiny sparks the last few chapters.(Pacifica slightly swooning in the last chapter when Dipper tore his shirt was not because of blood loss *hinthint*)). So, please stop bugging me every single chapter for dipcifica, I will get it to you when I get it to you, so just enjoy the journey towards it.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Pacifica slowly opened her eyes and found herself staring at a blank, white, ceiling. Her neck, left should, wrists, and right heel ached and itched. She looked down and found a blue hospital blanket covering her. She lifted it up and found bandages covering said areas of her body. An I.V. was stuck in the back of her right hand. Looking around her, she saw a T.V. mounted on the wall, two doors, one leading to a bathroom, on leading to a hallway, a couch set under a window with a crinkled blanket on it, indicating someone had been sleeping there. There were two other blankets on the floor in some sort of makeshift sleeping bag, and a chair with Dipper sitting in it. His head tilted back, and a blanket covering his lap. Quiet snoring came out of him as he chest raised and fell.
Pacifica sat up. She felt a bit dizzy, and ran her hands over her face and through her hair trying to work the wooziness out of her. Her cheek stung at her touch, and she could feel scrapes on her face. They didn't feel to be deep of large enough to be considered serious. Memories of the night before were slowly coming back to her. She couldn't remember anything after Dipper had picked her up, though. Obviously he'd gotten her to the hospital. The blankets on the bed and floor seemed to indicate that Ford and Stan had been there, but she had no idea where they were now. She just hoped-
What happened to the little boy?
Dipper began to stir next to her, and he began stretching, his joints cracking as her worked the stiffness out of his bones. He lazily opened one eye, and smiled at her.
"Morning," he said. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm a bit dizzy," Pacifica answered.
"It's probably the pain meds," Dipper answered as he stood up. "Water would probably help a bit, though," he walked over to a small table in between the hospital bed and the couch where a pitcher of water and some cups were sitting. He poured a glass and gave it to her. She sipped on it before asking.
"What happened to the little boy?"
"He's fine," Dipper answered. "He made it back to the hotel and he's home."
Pacifica sighed in relief. "And El Cuco?"
Dipper chuckled. "In an ice trunk on the way to the University for studying."
"You killed it?"
"No, Stan did."
Pacifica sighed. "I guess it's for the best, seeing how it was eating kids."
"Yeah."
Pacifica ran a hand over the bandage over her shoulder and neck. "What happened after-after-"
"You passed out?"
"Yeah."
"We met up with an ambulance about ten minutes later and they took you here. They gave you about 45 stitches and bandaged you up, and put you on a pain med I.V. We stayed the night with you, Stan and Ford had to go out looking for a Ahuizotl-"
"A what?"
"Basically a water dog," Dipper explained. "They should be back tonight, though."
Pacifica nodded. "How long am I going to be here?"
Dipper shrugged. "I'm not sure. You should be able to take out your stitches in about three weeks."
Pacifica nodded again. "Did I need a blood transfusion?"
"Nah," Dipper began folding up the blankets and stack them on the couch arm.
"Why'd I pass out, then?"
"Shock I guess," Dipper answered.
Pacifica sniffed. "Wow, so I basically fainted like a damsel in distress."
"Sure, a damsel in distress that looked a man-eating monster in the eye and stabbed him in the face," Dipper replied with a bit of a sarcastic tone. "You did better than most would have given your situation."
"Whatever," Pacifica smoothed her blanket.
"Really, Pacifica, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself."
"Can I watch T.V.?" Pacifica tried to change the subject.
"Sure, but it's all in Spanish," Dipper handed her the remote.
"Maybe you can translate for me?" Pacifica asked.
"I dunno. They speak pretty fast on movies. It's hard to translate and watch at the same time."
"Aw!" Pacifica fake pouted as she flipped through the channels.
A nurse opened the door, she said something in Spanish and Pacifica turned to Dipper with a clueless look on her face.
"She says you have a visitor," he told her. The hotel worker came up from behind the nurse, she walked to Pacifica's bedside. He eyes grew moist as she covered her face and began crying. She reached for Pacifica's hands and held them tightly.
"Gracias!" she cried. "Muchas gracias!"
She pulled a bronze bracelet with several charms in the shape of hearts, cows, donkey, crosses, birds, praying saints, praying hands, angels, moons, suns, and stars. She slipped it onto Pacifica's wrist, then kissed both of Pacifica's cheeks, and hands.
"Gracias!" she cried again. "Dios te bendiga!"
She then dried her eyes and ran out of the room. Pacifica stared at the bracelet in wonder as she ran her fingers over the shining charms.
"She said thank you for saving her son," Dipper translated. "And she hopes that God blesses you."
"Yeah, I figured that one out," Pacifica answered as she continued to stare at her bracelet.
"Those are Milagros," Dipper explained.
"Milagros?" she asked.
"'Miracles.' Good luck charms that are used for protection," he explained.
Pacifica chuckled. "I can definitely use some protection."
Dipper chuckled along with her. "You hungry?"
"A little bit."
"I'll be back."
After breakfast, she spent the next few hours flipping through until she found a movie that had subtitles. Once that movie had finished, she'd begin hunting for another. Dipper stayed with her most of the day, except when he went out to buy food for lunch, dinner, or snacks. After lunch, he bought a stack of cards, and they spent a few hours playing kings in the corner, black jack, and war. After a little while, though, the bending of her writs began agitating her stitches, so she went back to watching TV.
At about 9, Dipper had slipped out to get a new water pitcher. Pacifica got tired of lying in her bed, so she slipped out of the bed and stepped to the window. She opened it and inhaled deeply. The window overlooked a river, and the gurgling noise relaxed her. She closed her eyes and let herself relax.
After a few minutes, she heard a crying noise. Opening her eyes she saw a translucent, glowing woman floating over the river, crying into her hands as her white hair flowed behind her. Pacifica gawked at the sight.
"Pacifica?" Dipper questioned as he entered back in the room.
"Dipper come look," she called. Dipper walked to her side and gasped at the sight.
"Oh, wow!" he pulled out his phone and began recording the ghost wandering over the water, her arms outstretched as if she were looking for something. The woman hovered for a few minutes longer before slowing disappearing, letting out one final cry as she dissolved away.
"Was that…?" Pacifica began.
"La Llorona," Dipper answered.
"Oh, I thought it was a ghost."
"La Llorona is a ghost," Dipper explained. "Just a particular ghost with a particular story."
"Tell me?" Pacifica asked.
"Well, I don't remember all the details, but the basic gist is that there was once a single mother who was desperate to marry her sweetheart, but he refused because she had children. So she took her children to the river, saying they were going to take a bath, but instead she drowned them. When her lover found out he refused to marry her and told the whole town what she'd done. Heartbroken and filled with guilt, she drowned herself in the same river she'd killed her children. Now she's cursed to wander the earth forever as she searches for the souls of her children."
"Wow," Pacifica sighed. "I guess I'm not the only one with horrible parents."
Dipper frowned at her statement.
"At least La Llorona was sorry, I don't think mine are."
"Pacifica…" Dipper bit his lip and turned away. "Never mind."
Pacifica sighed and began to rub her back. Through the low cut in the back of her hospital gown Dipper saw several white circular marks going up and down her back.
"Pacifica, what are-"
"Cigar burns," Pacifica answered. "Or the scars that are left anyways."
Dippers insides grew cold.
"How did you get those?"
"How do you think?" she sniffed.
"Your parents did that to you?"
"Yup," Pacifica answered.
"I thought the night you came to us after your engagement was the first time they'd every physically hurt you."
"No," Pacifica closed her eyes and sighed. Dared she tell him?
Yes. She did. "They smoke cigars when no one is looking. And if I misbehaved when I was little they'd stick them on my back. That's why I can't where bikinis or low back dresses, because someone will see them."
Dipper could only stare at the scars in horrid wonder.
"They stopped when I was around eight though, because then I started listening to the bell. After I stopped though, they would beat me." She sighed a bit. "Remember the night you helped me get rid of that ghost?"
"Yeah?"
"You remember seeing me for a while after that?"
"No."
"That's because they locked me in my room for a week."
"Why?"
"Because that's hoe long it took the bruises to go away."
Dipper gasped. "Why didn't you tell us then?"
"What good would it have done?" Pacifica sniffed. "They would have just bribed off the cops and I would have gotten another beating."
"Well…" Dipper sighed. "Good point."
Pacifica hung her head, a few tears trickling down her face.
"Doesn't really matter now. It's all done."
"Does it still hurt?"
"The scars? No. They're a decade old, they're just ugly to look at is all."
"They're not ugly," Dipper told her. "And I wasn't talking about the scars."
Pacifica sighed. "I know you weren't. And…" She bit her lip and looked up at the stars to try and hold back sobs. "Yeah. Yeah, it still hurts."
A few more tears rolled down her cheeks. Dipper set a hand on her shoulder.
"It's just…" Pacifica took a shaky sigh before continuing. "Why? Why did they hate me so much that they would burn me? Hit me? Lock me up? What did I do to deserve all that?"
"Nothing," Dipper gave her shoulder a small squeeze. "You didn't-"
"Did you know they had three miscarriages before me?" Pacifica asked.
Dipper stared at her in shock.
"Yeah. It took them four tries to have me. You'd think they'd treat me a little better because of this. But you know how I found out about the miscarriages? When we were moving out of the manor, I found the medical files they'd saved. They never even told me. You know what caused them?"
Dipper shook his head.
"Smoking. Drinking. My mom refused to give up her party lifestyle for nine months. The first time she did that? Okay, you made a mistake. Don't make it again. But no. She made the same mistake not twice, not three times, but four times, because guess what else I found in those files? A picture of my mom going to have a check-up while pregnant with me. Guess what I could see peeking out of her purse in that picture? A bottle of vodka. She could have killed me too, but by some miracle or divine intervention I made it."
Pacifica paused to take a breath before continuing. "So, they didn't care to take care of themselves when they were carrying me or my brothers or sisters, so why did they want me? Maybe they really want did want me and just had issues? But they beat me, threatened me, broke me, so clearly not. And then two months ago, I figured it out. They needed a child so they could have an heir that they could marry off to get more money, and so they could ensure the continuation of their fortunes and image. I wasn't their child. I was their possession. Their chess piece. Just a good they could trade off to the highest bidder."
Pacifica wiped her face off on the back of her hand. "I'm nothing to them. I was just something there to support and serve them. I, myself, didn't matter."
Dipper gently grabbed her arms and pulled her in to a hug.
"Sh," he whispered as he rubbed her back. "You know that's not true. You do matter. You are more that just a chess piece."
"I know, but why-"
"There is no reason. Some people are just heartless and uncaring."
"But, is there anything that I could have-"
"No, there is nothing you could have done."
Dipper smoothed her hair.
"Did I ever tell you about my parents?" he asked.
Pacifica shook her head.
"Well, not much to tell really," Dipper said. "For as long as I can remember my regular days consisted with Mom waking us up and bring us to school. Then she'd pick us up, turn on the TV and set us in front of it. She'd turn it off for dinner, if she wanted to, sometimes she'd just bring our plates to us. Somewhere in there Dad would come home, he'd pat us on the head, then start making phone calls, even at the table. We'd watch TV until bath time. Then we'd wash up, go to bed, and start it all over in the morning. Weekends, we'd go to daycare, but it would be the same routine. I can't remember a single meaningful conversation I've had with my parents. They didn't even show up to any of my award ceremonies, or mine or Mabel's graduation. They weren't even there when Mabel won homecoming queen."
"I know it's not as bad as your situation. They didn't care about us, but they didn't actively try to hurt us. And I had Mabel, then later Stan and Ford. To be quite honest Stan and Ford were the ones who raised us. Point is, you can't make your parents love you. They should. If they can't love kids they shouldn't have kids, but that's the way things are in this messed up world we live in. "
"But you can't let that destroy you. If you want to make a good life for yourself, then you've gotta be able to pull yourself together and make it happen."
Dipper pulled her back and wiped her tears away with his thumb. "And you've done a pretty good job in starting that."
Pacifica sniffled as she cleared her throat. "Yeah, sure. Nearly drowned myself, then nearly gotten myself eaten by the boogie man-"
"Pacifica, please, stop downing yourself," Dipper told her. "What happened last night was a freak incident. And you saved a child's life. That little boy would be dead without you."
Pacifica glanced down at her bracelet, a small smile curling on her lips.
"You are doing a world better than I thought you would. Honestly, I didn't expect you to take up my offer. I thought you'd be too scared. But you proved me wrong. You're brave, Pacifica. Braver than I could have ever imagined."
Brave?
No one had ever called anything like that before. It made her smiled.
Dipper wiped her tears away again. His touch was soft and warm.
"You'll be okay, Pacifica," he told her. "You've got me, and Stan, and Ford, and Mabel, and Soos, and Melody, and Abuelita, and Wendy, and Candy, and Grenda, and Marius. You're going to be okay."
And for the first time in her life, as she relaxed in Dipper's arms, she believed that she would be okay.