This chapter took way longer than expected to write. Between all the dresses I had to make, the Youtube videos, and real life interfering with everything. If you're interested, I posted some Gravity Falls cosplay videos on Youtube under the channel name Amber Amethyst.
A special shout out goes to Nifty Swifty who guessed correctly. Marjorie's physical appearance is based on Mrs. Heinous from Star vs the Forces of Evil!
Thank you to Energy witch, Fantasy Fan 223, Blister123, young red-winged soul, Berrybanana05, Marisol777, ImpossibleJedi4, Nifty Swifty, MoonLover765, HardcoreLadyType, Reederwolf7, and Frostbite Flurry for your reviews on chapter twenty eight.
I wanted to add a bit more on Bill's trickery and manipulation, which is an essential part of his character. So in this chapter he gets to use some of his skills a little more.
Ford and Bill stood dumbfounded at the other man in their party. The two exchanged glances before returning their stares to Stan.
Stan's smile stayed strong while he was met with the opposite reactions to what he expected.
"Stanley, I'm afraid I misunderstood," Ford said when he regained his ability to speak. "Could you repeat that?"
"Sure," Stan said. He clapped his brother on the back. "I'm gettin' hitched to this sweet thing named uh...Stacy," he answered. "Tonight."
"Stan, don't you think you're being hasty?" Ford asked.
"Look, Poindexter, if I learned one thing from my break up with that weird-eyed broad, it was I ain't got time to waste," Stan answered. He straightened out his shirt and brushed away the wrinkles. "Now if you don't mind, I got a tournament to get to."
Ford turned to Bill with wide eyes and his mouth open. He found himself at a loss for words yet again. Stan exited the hotel. Ford looked at his boyfriend once more then rushed out after his brother.
Stan hailed a taxi. The vehicle passed on by him earning the driver a crude hand gesture from Stan.
"Stanley, hold up!" Ford called.
Stan turned to see Ford and Bill step up next to him.
"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Ford questioned.
Stan ignored him by raising his arm to catch the attention of the next cab that rushed by him. Stan went to kick the tire, but the vehicle sped up before his foot could connect. The language muttered under his breath included the kind he often forced himself to mask around the children.
"I mean, where would you even find a chapel in such a short time?" Ford asked.
"We already got that set up," Stan answered.
He stepped into the road with his arms stretched out. Ford yelled his brother's name while Bill held out his hands to encase the old man in a forcefield. The driver of the next cab slammed on his brakes, nearly crashing into the man. Before he could drive off, Stan threw open the door and climbed in. Ford beckoned for Bill to follow and the two joined Stan in the other two seats.
"Stanley, are you insane?" Ford cried as he threw on his seatbelt.
The driver rubbed his head. He picked up the walkie talkie to signal for help when Stan snatched it out of his hand. He yanked until the chord snapped then threw the broken device on the floor.
"Take me to Caesar's Palace and step on it," Stan demanded.
"Please," Ford added. "We'll make it worth your while." He then turned his attention to his twin. "Stan, what do you even know about this woman?"
"She's pretty, she's funny, and she's good in bed," Stan answered. "What else I need to know?"
"How about her last name," Ford replied.
Stan dismissively waved. "Who cares, it'll be Pines by the end of tonight."
"Do you even have a marriage certificate?" Ford asked. "You know no one will marry you without one."
Again Stan waved him off. "It's nothin', we'll get it after the tournament."
"This isn't a joke, it's your life," Ford pressed.
"Then let me live it!" Stan snapped.
Ford jumped at the intensity in his brother's voice. Stan looked out the window with crossed arms. Ford sighed, but silently agreed he wouldn't interfere with whatever his brother planned. What's worse, he didn't know how he'd face Mabel back home knowing he had failed.
The three men entered Caesar's Palace. Bill nodded as he took in the architecture and artwork of a time a couple thousand years ago he barely remembered. How much he wished to return to the Mindscape and reenter that room where he'd hopefully regain the entirety of his memories.
Stan approached an employee who instructed them where to go to sign up for the tournament. As they walked Ford continued to glance over at his brother. Each time he reminded himself he needed to stay focused if he wanted any shot of winning the prize money.
They reached the casino. To the left sat a table where all the contestants signed up. Stan and Ford moved to the back of the line. For a moment Stan considered using his old man having a heart attack scheme to move to the front of the line.
Fifteen minutes later Stan stood at the front of the table. He wiggled his hands and grabbed for the pen. The employee running the table snatched it out of Stan's grasp.
"I remember you, you're banned from here," the man said pointing to a list of names and pictures of people no longer allowed in the casino for cheating. He looked beyond Stan and saw a man who bore his face. "Either one of you."
"Hey, you ain't bein' fair," Bill said. "Sixer here is a good boy."
"Get out of here," the casino employee demanded.
"You ain't got no right," Stan growled balling up his fist.
The employee wagged his index and middle finger in unison. Two security guards promptly stepped up to the front of the line. One restrained a struggling Stan and the other grabbed Bill's shoulder with one hand and Ford with the other.
Stan was thrown out the door.
"Way to treat an old man reachin' the end of his life," Stan cried.
Ford rolled his eyes, but chose not to put up a fight. Bill, however, grinned.
"Yeah, what a waste of a trip this was, Stanny Boy," Bill said with a nod.
"What you mean?" the security guard asked as he let go of Bill.
"What he said," Bill replied. He crossed his arms. "Stanno may have three months left to live if that."
"Yeah, doctor said I can croak any day now," Stan said with a shake of his head. He leaned on Bill's shoulder. "Just wanted to play in one more tournament before I go."
Bill patted Stan's back whispering, "There, there, Stanno."
Clutching his chest Stan looked up at the sky. He lifted one arm towards the clouds. "Just wanted to have one more glorious memory to make me smile as I fade away."
Bill embraced Stan and pretended to cry as Stan hung his head. He patted Bill on the arm. Bill pulled a tissue from his pocket and dabbed away the fake tears. For extra measure he blew his nose.
The two security guards watched, the heart of one who had pushed Stan outside overflowed with guilt. Ford, however, watched with an open mouth.
"Hey, hey, it's okay," one of the security guards said. "Maybe..." he looked over to the other then back at Stan and Bill. "Maybe we can overlook the rules this one time."
The other security guard nodded. He then stepped behind the actors and ushered them back inside. Ford shook his head, yet followed after. The three took their spots at the tournament table. The security guard who had escorted Stan outside wished him a good game then he and his colleague returned their posts.
"You two should be ashamed of yourselves," Ford said once they were alone.
"I'm not," Bill said. He high-fived Stan as they took their seats.
"And I got us a spot in the tournament," said Stan. He stretched his fingers then leaned back in his chair. "I do like having a scamming partner."
"Of course, I just do it 'cause it's fun," Bill replied with a laugh.
Ford rolled his eyes.
"What are you gonna do with all that money if ya win it?" Stan asked Ford.
"Continue my research, what else?" Ford responded.
"Nerd," Stan replied. He folded his hands up under his head. "If I win I'm gonna take Sus-I mean Stace on a long romantic honeymoon."
Bill shrugged and Ford sighed.
"Let's just focus on one thing at a time," suggested Ford.
The dealers moved to their tables to signal the start of the tournament. An official went over all the rules. He stopped when he took a good look at Stan's face, almost certain that man had been banned. However, he figured he mistook him with someone else, and didn't want to face a possible lawsuit for publicly accusing the wrong person.
Once the rules were spoken the game began. Ford cleared his mind, focusing only at the game. The first round ended with a win for Ford. Another round claimed Stan as the victor. The third round went to Ford, and the fourth to another competitor named Hank.
On the fifth loss Bill lamented his dwindling amount of chips. He glanced over at Ford who paid him no attention having won his fifth round. The dealer asked if he wanted another hit to which Bill nodded. In the middle of his turn Bill noticed the dealer glance over at Ford twice. The floorman also kept his eyes on Ford, watching his lips move in unison with his eyes as the dealer produced Bill's next card.
The slap of the card against the table claimed Bill's attention. The new card brought his total to seventeen. Ford went over and Stan only had thirteen. The chance of Stan winning ended when he went over by one.
Again it was time for Bill to call. The others at the table chuckled as they wondered why someone so inexperienced wasted time and money to enter the tournament. Bill frowned at the hecklers and asked for another card.
The dealer smiled when he produced a six of clubs.
"Looks like I win," the employee gloated.
"Hmm, I'd check again if I were you," Bill said. He tapped the card with a single finger and it instantly switched to a four of clubs.
The others at the table leaned in to see the card different from what they all immediately thought. However, Bill wore short sleeve and no gloves to indicate cheating. The dealer nodded at the floorman who switched his attention from Ford to Bill. He signaled the pit boss who radioed for the surveyor to review the video.
From the surveillance room they saw nothing wrong with the card as Bill managed to change it before the camera picked up the initial number. Nevertheless, the game continued with both the dealer and the floorman keeping a closer eye on Bill. Bill glanced over at Ford and winked. Ford thanked him with a smile and continued on counting.
A little before noon Dipper managed to sneak away from the Mystery Shack for his hour-long lunch break. If he happened to take a little longer than sixty minutes Soos wouldn't say anything. A part of him wished Stan would never come back as Soos made for a better boss.
He selected a quiet spot in an opening in the woods where he first found the journal. He sat down on a sturdy log and opened up the bag that contained his turkey sandwich and a bag of Cheetos. Popping the crunch, orange snack in his mouth, the thirteen-year-old opened up his own journal Stan had bought for him on his last birthday.
Fingers flipped through the pages he had written in detail the strange findings of the forest his great-uncle had yet to record. For a moment he considered playing hooky the rest of the afternoon and exploring the forest for other anomalies roaming about just waiting to have their existence jotted down on empty pages.
Dipper opened to the page on the ghostly encounter during Spring break. He hoped that Loretta ultimately fished the letter out of the trashcan and read her late husband's apologies. After hearing about Ford and Bill's adventure two nights prior Dipper felt the urge to visit that haunted cabin in the woods. The idea was quickly pushed away for if the ghosts within didn't kill him, Ford would.
Too caught up in rereading his own words Dipper never heard the approaching footsteps. He took a long swallow from his water bottle. The sound of a woman clearing her throat caused Dipper to yell and throw the book in the air. It bounced off the log then landed facedown in the grass.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," the woman said.
She bent down to pick up the fallen item for the boy, but Dipper quickly snatched it up. He hid it in his vest pocket then took two steps back.
Now that Dipper finally had a chance to catch his breath and look upon the cause of his most recent startle, he took her in. A slim woman of athletic build wore a skin-tight blue jeans and a flowing white blouse. Her blonde hair hung just above her shoulders. Her eyes were shielded by a pair of Oakley sunglasses.
A few moments passed in silence save for the sounds of the forest.
"Can I help you?" Dipper asked, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.
"If you could that be great," she said and tucked the hair behind her right ear. "I think I'm lost."
Dipper's heart stung and stomach twisted at the horrible thoughts he harbored a moment ago. It wasn't the first time he had encountered a lost tourist, but usually Stan used their unfortunate circumstance as a means to empty their pockets.
The woman unzipped the pocket on her pants. She reached a hand inside then pulled out a piece of paper folded into eights.
"I'm looking for a Dr. Stanford Pines at the Mystery Shack," she said. She looked beyond her paper, down at the boy and asked, "Do you know where I can find it?"
"Stanford Pines is my great-uncle!" Dipper exclaimed.
"Are you serious?" she asked. Her voice raised an octave. "Tell me you're not joking?" Dipper shook his head. The woman laughed and placed a hand against her chest. "The signs only got me more lost. To think I'd run right into his relative."
"I'm staying at the Mystery Shack for the summer," Dipper explained. His smile fell. "But he's not here right now. He won't be back for two more days."
The stranger sighed and hunched her shoulders. "Oh, what bad timing," she groaned. "I don't know if I'll be in town that long." She dug in the pocket on the opposite side and pulled out a white smartphone. "Let me check my schedule."
For an unknown reason the boy shivered.
"Did-did he know you were coming?" Dipper asked.
"I tried calling him twice," the woman said not taking her eyes off her phone's screen.
"Oh, right, he broke his phone in the..." he trailed off before revealing too much. Slowly he looked over at the woman who stared at him with a perplexed look upon her face. Dipper quickly replied, "We-we were out hi-hiking." He rubbed at the back of his head. "He fell and broke his phone."
"Oh, I hope he wasn't hurt," the blonde said. Dipper shook his head and she smiled. Her finger pressed down on a button on the screen then pocketed her phone. "That's a relief."
"Who are you anyway?" Dipper asked.
The woman extended her hand. "Stephanie Wallace," she introduced. "I'm a publisher." She stood up straight and crossed her arms. "Your uncle sent me a few pages of a manuscript he wrote on the strange findings in this town. I have to say, I was fascinated to know more."
"Grunkle Ford didn't..." Dipper stopped when he recalled Mabel telling him that Bill mentioned sending out a few copies of Ford's writings to the publishers for him. Mabel had been on board despite the ethical concerns of going behind Ford's back. Dipper never thought Bill would go through with it. He smiled at the upcoming spectacle of his grunkle telling Bill off.
He looked back up at Stephanie. "Wait, you're actually interested?" he inquired.
"I can't wait to read more," Stephanie replied. "I actually came out here myself to take a look around." She held her arms out to indicate their surroundings. "I'm almost certain I saw a few things myself. May be the imagination though. If it is a hoax, your uncle's writing is impressive enough to fool me."
"No!" Dipper exclaimed. "It's-it's all true."
"That's what I was hoping," the blonde replied. "The paranormal is a hot subject right now. Everyone's wanting in on the market." Again she held her arms out towards the trees. "This remote location has been untouched as far as literature. The first one to be published will bring in tourism..." She looked over her shoulder at the grinning boy. "And earn the big bucks."
Dipper's grin expanded. He paced in a circle. "Oh my gosh. This is-this is Grunkle Ford's dream." Wallace turned around. He stared wide-eyed up at the publisher with hands folded. "And-and you're going to make it come true."
Stephanie held out her hand. "I didn't say that," she explained. "I'll have to see more of his book. Have an interview with the author himself." She crossed her arms. "Or at the very least validate his findings." While looking at the boy out the corner of her eye she said, "Perhaps if I can see the original research his book was based on."
"You-you mean like a research journal?" Dipper asked.
"If there was one," Stephanie answered. Her arms dropped by her side. "I was really hoping to talk to Dr. Pines." She put her hands on her hips and slightly turned towards the forest. "I can't say when I'll have another chance to come out here."
"But...you'll still talk with him, right?" Dipper asked. He inched closer to the woman. "You can talk to him over the phone."
Stephanie removed her shades and smiled down at him, but Dipper could see the glimmer of sorrow in her eyes.
"It's possible," she answered. "But if I'm here I can see the sites myself. Or could compare them to his notes, if he had any." She slipped the sunglasses back over her face. "But I doubt anyone else would send me, or another company a manuscript with notes from here."
"What happens if they do?" Dipper asked, not wanting to hear the answer.
Stephanie shrugged. "What do you think?"
Dipper didn't answer.
"Even if it's not better than your uncle's work...well...something is better than nothing, right?" she asked and grinned at witnessing all the hope vanish from his face.
"I'll give him a call another time," Stephanie said. She passed by Dipper who still stared where she previously occupied.
He felt her brush by along with the reward for his great-uncle's lifetime work. He quickly turned and his mouth opened.
Before he comprehended what he did Dipper blurted, "What if I bring you the journal?"
Stephanie stopped. The wind blew through her blonde hairs and the hem of her shirt. Dipper found himself short of breath.
He swallowed and added, "If I can find it, can I bring it to you?" She stared without a word. Dipper moved in closer and continued, "Will you please consider publishing him?"
Stephanie grinned. She reached into her pocket and produced a crisp, white card that had her name and number written in black letters. "If I see that journal, I promise your uncle will be famous."
Bill was the third person to lose the game. He then tried distract the other players by making seductive gestures. Eventually he was forced to stand outside the casino until the tournament ended.
Stan and Ford made it to the final twelve by the time the man in charge recognized the brothers and had them removed from the tournament. Stan cursed the whole way to the door claiming he'd sue the casino. The owner dared him to try.
At that point they all knew that would be the last time they'd ever step foot inside Caesar's Palace. Stan sighed at the fact that he was now officially banned from three of Vegas' casinos.
"Well, Susan's gonna have to settle for a small honeymoon after our small weddin'," Stan said. He tossed the engagement ring he had retrieved from the car earlier in the air and caught it again.
"You mean Stacy?" Bill asked.
"Dammit, I keep sayin' that dumb broad's name," Stan grumbled. "With her weird eye and her naggin' self, and always wearin' that dumb smile." He gripped at the ring that he had once given to the very woman he spoke of. "Which suits her 'cause she is dumb."
"Look, Stanley, I understand you're hurt, but you're making a mistake," said Ford.
"Can it," Stan snapped. "I didn't say nothin' when you started datin' that thing." Stan pointed his thumb back at Bill.
"Hey," Bill cried.
"That wasn't a hasty decision," Ford argued.
"Oh, and what about summoning him in the first place," Stan retorted.
Ford knit his brows. "And what a mistake that was," Ford replied.
"Hey, I am standing right here," Bill said tapping his foot with his hands on his hips.
"And do you want to spend the rest of your life bound to someone like him?" Ford asked.
Bill gasped.
Stan stared his brother in the eyes. "To have someone love me the way you two do, yes." He pointed at Ford before the latter had a chance to rebuttal. "And before you say somethin', you two didn't love each other at first and now look."
Again Ford was stunned into silence.
Bill rubbed Ford's arm and said, "He's got a point."
Ford sighed. "Fine, do what you want," he relented. "But is this what you want?"
It was Stan's turn to be silent. He thought of the woman he was about to bind himself to for the rest of his life. He then thought of the smiling waitress back home who threw away their engagement. He tightened his hold on the ring. How sorry she'd be to see a new Mrs. Pines in town. He'd be forever happy with his new bride and Susan would forever regret.
"It is," Stan finally said.
They reached the courthouse where a sandy-haired woman in her forties stood outside the door. One hand held onto her purse strap and she stared down at her sandals. She wore the necklace and bracelet that Stan purchased her the night before.
She looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. A sad smile crossed her lips when Stan held out his arms to embrace her. She rubbed her hands on his back. The two parted and shared a smile, although to the two onlookers, both of them looked forced.
"Here's our witnesses," Stan said motioning to Ford and Bill. "My brother Stanford and his...what exactly is your status?"
"Stanley," Ford snapped.
"I'm just kidding, Sixer, give me a break," Stan said with a roll of his eyes. He clapped Bill on the shoulder. "This is Bill. He's really not that bad once you get to know him."
"Of course by then I'm horrible," Bill said with a smirk.
Stacy nervously laughed.
"Well, sugar plum, let's get this party started," Stan cheered.
Stan dropped to his knees causing his future bride to gasp. He took hold of her left hand and slid the ring that once belonged to Susan on the woman's slim fourth finger.
"It looks good on you," Stan said. He jumped up and took hold of her hand. Stan held the door open with his back and guided her on inside. Bill and Ford followed behind.
A couple was currently with the county clerk leaving the group to wait on the bench outside the office.
Stan's legs bounced as he recalled being in the same place almost forty years ago. He was certain that he and Marilyn had something before she tried to make off with his heart and car. He now wondered if she was still alive, and if so what became of her.
Stacy looked down at the diamond adorning her finger. Her heart ached as she thought of how a ring had bound her into a twenty year marriage when the love died after the eighth. Brown eyes landed on Stan and wanted to weep as that same void that kept her twelve years passed its due threatened to claim her again.
The door to the office opened and a young couple hollered and cheered as they exited, both sets of hands clasping the other's. They kissed seven times before they disappeared from the group's eyes.
Stan jumped up. He held his hand out towards the bride. Stacy stared at his open hand for a few seconds then hesitantly accepted. Stan dragged her inside the office. Bill and Ford followed inside.
The clerk ordered them all to sit. Stan and Stacy sat in the chairs closest to the desk while the other two sat in the ones lining the wall. The clerk gathered all the necessary paperwork. He collected identification cards from both of them.
"Mr. Pines and Ms. Werner," the clerk greeted. "You desire a marriage?" he asked.
Stan nodded firmly. Stacy looked over at her husband-to-be then back to the clerk. She nodded with hesitation.
The clerk gave her a look, but raised his eyebrows and continued to fill out the paperwork. Stan reached over to gently grasp Stacy's hand. She jumped, but relaxed upon seeing his smile.
"After this we can pick any chapel you like," Stan said. "And then we can go anywhere you want for our honeymoon. Money's no option." He winked earning him a half smile.
"Mr. Pines, sign here," the clerk said tapping the line with the pen.
Stan leaned over and pressed the tip of the pen to the paper.
"Stanley," he heard Ford call from behind. "Are you sure?"
Stan gripped the pen. "For the last time, Stanford, this is what I want," Stan spat. He pointed to the woman seated beside him. "Let me and Sue do what we want."
Stacy shut her eyes. "I can't," she said. She stood, all eyes watching her rise. "I'm sorry, Stan, you're a great guy, but I just can't." She shook her head. "This is too sudden."
"Stace," Stan said and took her hand.
Stacy placed her other hand atop Stan's. "You're still in love with Susan," she said. "Don't use me to get back at her." Stacy pulled off the ring and placed it back in Stan's palm. He curled his fingers around the jewelry. "If I do get married again, I want it to be to the right one."
Stan sighed, yet nodded.
Stacy went to undo the clasp of her necklace.
"No, keep it," Stan said. "I bought it for you."
"Give it to Susan," she said and laid the necklace atop the desk. She sat the bracelet on top of it. "I wish you a good life, Stan."
She kissed him on the cheek then fled from the office.
After a minute of quiet the clerk said, "Well, that's that."
Stan nodded and stood. He gathered all the discarded jewelry in his hands. There was no chance of returning it to the store. There was no chance Susan would let herself be bribed by fancy jewels.
"Look, Stanley, it's for the best," Ford said. He put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Find someone who loves you."
"Yeah, not everyone's that lucky," Stan replied. He shoved the jewelry in his pocket and stormed out of the office.
The other two followed after. They fought to keep up with Stan for nearly a mile until he finally stopped.
"Stanley, please, let's talk this through," Ford pleaded. He put his hand on his brother's shoulder.
"There's nothing to discuss," Stan replied. He lowered his eyes to the sidewalk. "Susan rejected me, Stacy rejected me." He took a deep breath. "Carla McCorkle, Marilyn, Amanda, Grace, countless others."
They all stood silent for a moment. Stan's heart burned with grief. He took another sharp breath and pushed away all the hurt. He wouldn't let them win. Despite what life threw his way, no one could ever proclaim that Stanley Pines stayed down for the count.
"You know what, I'm glad we didn't get married," Stan said. His mouth curved into a smile. "I don't wanna be tied down to one woman anyway. There's still some dice needing a good roll, and perhaps a few more girls too. There's plenty of pretty ladies here." He pumped his fist. "And tonight I'm gettin' trashed."
Ford opened his mouth to protest when he stopped. He chuckled then said, "You know, Stanley, that doesn't sound like a bad idea."
"Sixer, you feeling alright?" Bill asked.
Ford glanced over at Bill then back to Stan. "After all the crap we've been through lately, why not?"
"I'm in," Bill said. "If I turn on the charm I can get us all free drinks."
"I love this guy," Stan said and threw an arm around Bill. "You're comin' with me everywhere now."
The three headed to the nearest casino Stan hadn't been banned from.
"Too bad Fiddlesticks isn't with us," Bill said. He nudged Ford in the side. "Remember last time you two got so wasted here."
"Bill, not now," Ford hastily replied.
"What exactly happened last time?" Stan asked.
They walked through the entrance of the casino. The lights and sounds filled the room and Ford hoped it was enough to drown out anything that poured out of Bill's mouth.
"Let's just say it involved those two drunk off their asses, a trashed hotel room, and four hookers," Bill said.
Ford groaned and hid his red face in his hands if only to keep them from strangling his boyfriend.
The three sat down at a poker table where two other men finished up their game. A cocktail waitress stepped up to gather their drink orders.
"Don't let Fiddle Dumpling's innocent act fool ya," Bill continued after the group ordered. He elbowed Stan in the gut. "The guy's into some freaky stuff."
"Bill, please stop talking," Ford groaned from behind his hands. "I can't remember much from that night and I don't want to, so stop talking."
"Damn, Ford," Stan said. He laughed and shook his head. "Damn."
"A night of bad judgment, and I promise it hasn't and won't happen again," Ford explained. He glared at Bill. "Now keep the rest of the details to yourself."
"I actually don't wanna know anymore," Stan said.
The waitress returned with their beverages. Ford accepted his martini and downed it in one gulp. The waitress' eyes widened when he placed the empty glass back on her tray and asked for another.
She acknowledged his request then turned to give Bill his drink. He thanked her with a wink then kissed her on the cheek. She giggled and with a wink of her own told him his was on the house.
"You're good, Cipher," Stan complimented.
Bill tilted his electric lemonade in Stan's direction then took a long sip.
The round ended allowing the dealer to bring the new three into the next game. Stan grinned as he planned to show them all why he never lost a hand in poker.
Later that night Stephanie Wallace returned home. She hung her purse on the hook in the living room then peered into the kitchen where her husband finished up the spaghetti.
She stepped over to her darling husband and kissed him on the cheek. He told her he still needed a few minutes to fix the plates and set the table.
She moved into the bathroom where she shed the blonde wig in addition to the identity of Stephanie Wallace. The hairpiece was placed back on its stand and released her red tresses from its captive bun. The glasses back on her face she smiled at her reflection. Everything had gone according to plan and all she had to do now was wait for Dipper Pines to call the number she left with him.
Dressed in a more comfortable outfit Caroline returned to the kitchen where her husband sat down the last dish. He waited for his wife to take her seat before he sat down.
"I have good news, dear," Caroline said. She twirled the tomato splashed noodles around her fork. "Before this week is up, we will finally have proof that you were right and those Pines brothers will be put in their place."
How fortunate she had been in her decision to follow a lead based off of something Gideon had said months ago regarding the Northwest heiress. Pacifica hadn't wanted to talk, but she made it worth her while. The girl didn't hide her discomfort talking about the earthquake last summer, or the subject of an apparent supernatural event at her family's party the previous year that involved Dipper Pines. Even more she flinched at the name Bill Cipher. Pacifica was eager to tell her about the journal Dipper carried around with him last year that helped him during those paranormal encounters, if it meant ending the interview short.
That very same journal that apparently belonged to Stanford Pines himself. The one her husband had barely looked upon, unaware of the evidence he had held in his hands for those brief seconds.
"Are you ever going to tell me what exactly it is you're doing?" he asked.
Caroline giggled. "Oh, you'll see soon enough." She bit the noodles slightly danging from her fork. After three chews and a swallow she added, "And then our lives will be back to normal."
