DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN GRAVITY FALLS NOR AMERICAN DRAGON
Inside the Northwest Manor
"And these are my special deviled eggs and my famous mushrooms caps," Susan offering a sample tray of hor d'oeurves to current clients the Northwests. Preston Northwest and his wife each took a some of food.
"Why these are simply delicious," Priscilla complimented.
"So is it to your liking?" Susan asked nervously. This is her biggest gig since she moved to the west coast and couldn't afford to mess this up. A successful engagement would mean many high profile customers, a poor performance could spell the end for her catering company forever.
"Don't sweat the details. If you can do for us what you did for Thad and Jasmine wedding then we'll be more than satisfied." Preston assured her. "Anything that make people forget about that nasty business last year." Preston whispered in a more menacing tone. Susan's eye twitched nervously as she recalled the near disaster that party was. Not that she blamed her son Jake what so ever for what happened or anything like that.
"Yes when we told them that you were in the area they couldn't recommend you enough," Priscilla chuckled amusingly. She loved to see common folk freaking out to please the rich.
"So I was thinking of..." Susan was about to ask about ask about the decor when she spotted their daughter Pacifica with a strange boy walking around the room with with a metal detector. Judging by the way the boy was dressed, she assumes that he's not part of the household. "Who is that?"
"Oh him," Preston scowled. "That's young Mr. Pines. He's my daughter's current ugh, boyfriend."
Susan immediately caught Preston's sour expression. Taking it as the normal father's disapproval of a daughter's choice in boyfriends. "So what is he doing?" Susan had to ask. She wasn't sure why but there was something familiar about his actions.
"Oh he's um doing security checks," Preston said nervously. "Just as a precaution."
"Wait you have a little boy in charge of security?" Susan asked skeptically.
"Oh don't let his youth confuse you. He's actually quite the detective. In fact he actually solved a little problem we had last year." Preston grinding his teeth. Not sounding if he was glad or annoyed by that fact.
"Yes if only he'd get over that crazy obsession with monsters he'd might actually be worth of our daughter. As if." Priscilla mused. Preston shot his wife a warning glare but she missed it.
"Monsters?" Susan finally understanding why Dipper's actions were so familiar. While she never actually had any formal dragon training, since dragon powers skipped her generation, she has been taught about the magical world. That is why she could tell that what the boy wasn't just playing, he's doing are real monster hunting techniques.
"Oh you know boys and their dreams of grandeur. Always trying to hunt a dragon to rescue the beautiful princess." Priscilla joshed. This time Preston nudged his wife silently telling her to 'shut up'. Getting the message, Priscilla didn't say another word after that.
At that point Susan started eyeing the boy suspiciously. Recalling how her daughter often complains about some kid hunting monsters. It seems too much of a coincidence that she would encounter the boy here and now, just as she's preparing the biggest party of her career. She can only hope is that he doesn't cause as much of a commotion as her own son Jake usually does.
Since the Northwest have given her free reign to do whatever she wanted for the party, it didn't take Susan long to finish the menu and hand out duties to her employees. Never the less there was still a lot for her to do to get ready. Susan drove to the market to get some things she'll need to prepare the food. "I sure hope that Sun got those special ingredients," Susan muttered to herself as she loaded her car.
The drive home was surprisingly calm, peaceful, and quick. With a population of about 100, there's barely any cars on the streets. Making a very smooth and relaxing ride. Yup, traffic is the one thing about New York that Susan doesn't miss. Upon arriving home, she noticed a strange car at her driveway. Obviously it's not one of the Northwest's vehicles, in fact judging by the airline sticker Susan is pretty sure that it's a rental. Susan cautiously entered her house when...
"SURPRISE!" her husband Johnathan, her father Lao Shi, her son Jake, and his friends yelled. Almost causing her to drop her groceries.
"Oh my what are you all doing here?" Susan asked.
"We came to see you dear. Aren't you glad to see us?" Johnathan asked sounding more than a little disappointed at his wife's lukewarm reaction.
"Oh of course I am, but I'm afraid you're timing is a little bad. You see I really have to get ready for this big party." Susan explained putting her groceries down on the table.
"Can I help?" Jake offered.
"NO!" everyone yelled. Mostly as a natural reaction due to them knowing his track record when it comes to helping with Susan's business. Only to feel guilty seeing Jake's dejected expression. Susan desperately tried to think of a way to defuse the situation without hurting her son or her business. Fortunately her salvation came bursting through the door.
"Unbelievable! I can't believe it!" Haley snarled as she stormed into the house. She was so angry that she walked right pass her guests without even noticing them. Not wanting to get caught in Haley's tantrum, Jake and the others decided to stay quiet until the storm blows over. Even Sun seemed reluctant to inform her student that her family was in the house.
"Um welcome home sweety," Susan greeted.
"Hi mom, got your stuff," Haley said angrily tossing the bag of ingredients that Mabel gathered for them. Which made her angrier knowing that Mabel helped her again. "Not once but twice I need to be rescued by HER and now this too!" Haley continued ranting on as she paced back and forth.
"But at least we caught 88 and 89," Sun quickly added hoping to pacify her young ward.
"Yo those two losers were here," Trixie blurted out which finally caught Haley's attention.
"Jake! Dad! Grandpa!" Haley rushed over to her loved ones.
"Hey kiddo," Johnathan greeted as he gave this daughter a hug. It was a warm heartfelt reunion, just what Haley needed after a bad day.
Later after dinner, Jake followed Haley up to her room. "Hey Haley," Jake whispered knocking on her door.
"Hey Jake," Haley sniffed trying to hold back her tears.
"So how's everything going for you?" Jake asked.
"Oh it's great!" Haley putting on a forced smile. The same one she had during dinner. "Didn't you hear, I captured 88 and 89."
"While it's always good to take down members of the Huntsclan, taking those two down isn't really much of an accomplishment." Jake joked.
"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW! YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF HOW DANGEROUS THOSE TWO IDIOTS BECAME!" Haley snapped throwing her pillow at Jake.
"Whoa take it easy," Jake said trying to calm his sister down. He's heard that she's been having trouble, but if 88 and 89 can set her off this much then it must be worst than he thought.
"Sorry Jake," Haley apologized. "It's just that things have been..." Haley found herself unable to finish it.
"Difficult, yeah I see that." Jake answered for her. "Have you thought about getting some help like I said?"
"Actually I did kind of sort of got someone," Haley said avoiding eye contact. After spending most of her life playing the good little daughter, Haley finds it is almost impossible for her to lie. Especially to family.
"Oh and what is that suppose to mean?" Jake eyed her suspiciously.
"Nothing!" Haley insisted. "I uh agreed to share my secret with um the Pines twins."
"Twins?" Jake said clearly impressed. To be honest he didn't really think that his sister's pride would allow her to ally with even one human let alone two, and twins no less.
"Oh yeah, they are great at solving mysteries. People even call them the Mystery Twins." Haley said mainly to justify her decision to share her secrets with them.
"Sound like they're going to be great help," Jake supported. A couple of mystery solvers would be great allies.
"Yeah," Haley whispered. Ashamed to tell him that she's actually blackmailing them, or in Mabel's case, deceiving them.
"So I'm going to be here for the next couple of days. Want to go patrolling together? Maybe I can...meet your new friends?" Jake offered. He was about to say 'give you a few pointers' but he didn't want to bruise his sister's ego more than it already has.
"Sorry but tomorrow I have to go shopping," Haley reluctantly said.
"Shopping? Since when were you into that?" Jake laughed.
"Since Mabel is dragging me to this party," Haley gagged.
"Oh hold up, is this the same party that mom is working?" Jake asked.
"Yup," Haley nodded. "And Mabel told me last year some tree ghost crashed it."
"Tree ghost eh?" Jake's interest started to peak. "Maybe I should"
"NO!" Haley jumped. Again more out of a natural reaction to the idea of Jake 'helping' a party, and again only to regret it after seeing his face. "What I mean," Haley trying to apologize.
"No I understand," Jake sighed sadly. Even though he understands why they don't want his to help for parties, it still hurts.
"But I think I can get you an invite," Haley offered. "That way you don't have to be a busboy or something."
"Yeah I'd think I'd like that," Jake smiled. While he never found the type of parties that his mom usually caters to be any fun, he still likes to be involved and supportive of his family's affairs.
"So do you want to come and help me pick out a dress? We probably should get something for you to wear as well? Knowing you, you didn't bring any clothes other than what you're wearing now." Haley smiled mischievously. Jake chuckled nervously, already regretting this.
Over at the Mystery Shack
Mabel was happily laying on the floor of her room drawing several dress designs. After finding out that Haley is a dragon, Mabel was inspired to do several lizard themed clothing. Of course that meant having to scrap her earlier designs that she and her friends made. "I'm home!" Mabel heard her brother's voice. Mabel immediately dropped what she was doing and rushed to meet with her twin.
She found Dipper in the living room trying to relax by watching some TV. "So how was your day?" Mabel asked grinning ominously.
"Oh okay, didn't find any trace of monsters or ghosts this time; and Pacifica went through her library, didn't find anymore family curses. So I think it's safe to say that this will be a monster free party." Dipper sounding like one of those sleazy salesman.
"Oh I wouldn't be so sure that it will be totally monster free," Mabel snickered.
"Huh?" Dipper eyeing his sister curiously.
"Oh nothing, It's not like I invited a new magical friend to come to the party," Mabel winked. "Well I better be going. I still need to finish our new dresses." Giggling in such a way that kind of made Dipper nervous. Usually she only giggles like that when she found a new boy to drool after or when she thinks she's found the perfect couple for her to play match maker with. Either way it usually ends in tragedy.
After Mabel left, Dipper had to wonder what that was all about. At first the thought that his twin might have actually invited some magical creature to the party, but he immediately dismissed the idea. After all Mabel, and the townsfolk in general, aren't exactly on friendly terms with the monsters. Especially with the town's look the other way policy. So the chances that Mabel could invite one is highly unlikely; and there's no way she could be talking about Haley since Haley made it clear that she has no intention of revealing herself to Mabel. So Dipper merely chalked this up as Mabel being Mabel again and didn't give it another thought and went back to watching TV.
Meanwhile a group of sinister shadows began gathering around the outskirts of town. "Sire we traced the thief here," one of the shadows reported.
"Do you know exactly where?" another inquired.
"I'm afraid that we lost the trail within the crowds," the first apologized. "But we believe that the thief might be up there on that house on the hill." Pointing to the Northwest Manor. "Shall I prepare the raiding party?"
"No, we cannot afford any mistakes. Send in our best trackers first. We need to be absolutely sure so that we can take back what is rightfully ours!"