HAT: Sorry that it didn't come out yesterday- I did say hopefully and I was right to do so since we went to stay the weekend at a house with a nice TV, DVR, and no internet. Basically, that's why none of the stories got updated until today. *hides behind Stan* I'm sorry.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls because if I did: 'Ford would have that couch be a pullout bed and I'd show him sleeping before last night's episode (he was just so adorable!). Anyway... I just own the plot and... I have OCs in this one, right? Yeah, and the OCs.
"Got any homework?" Stanford asks as the children enter their home from Stanley's usual spot.
"Yeah," Pacifica groans while the twins pull out paperwork and hand some to Stanley. "They've got loads more than me, I bet."
"Don't remind us," Dipper groans.
Pacifica walks over to Stanford and pulls out her science homework. "Do you mind helping me with my science homework? I didn't really get what the teacher was saying."
Like always, she thins irritably.
He takes the paper and looks over it before lowering the paper and raising an eyebrow. "What about this is confusing you?"
She jumps and sits on the arm of the chair and leans over to look at her homework. "Well, I get the concept basically, but what I don't get is what we're supposed to do here. I read the instructions five times and it still doesn't make any sense."
I don't know why they give us homework on the first day back- at least wait until the second or third day, Pacifica thinks grumpily while frowning at the paper.
Stanford sighs. "Okay, let's break this down. Basically what you're doing here is using this formula when it's phrased like... this question here- number four- and the inverse when it's phrased like this question here. The trick is the placement of these two words. Got it?"
"I... think so," she mutters.
Why is there math in science anyway?
He pulls a pencil out of his trench coat's inner pocket and hands it to her. "Do this one and this one real quick so I can see if you can do it."
Pacifica writes the formula in the blank space first and then inputs the numbers. Stanford refuses to give any sign whether she's doing it right or wrong- like always- and just watches her through the problems(A/N: And here's where the writer's block fully kicked in). Only after she's done does he show her what she's done wrong and then sends on her way to do her homework. It takes about thirty minutes to finish all of her homework so she's semi-free to do what she wants- Stanley reground her so she couldn't go out except for taking Shmebulock for walks and going to track and such.
"Pacifica, could you help us with our homework?" Mabel asks.
The blond shrugs. "Sure. What do you need help with?"
"Which one of these should we concentrate on?" Dipper asks, gesturing to all of the paper.
She looks at each of the papers and the due dates and considers the amount of work that has to go into them. "Okay, so these are due first, do this one, this one and this one first because they'll take the most amount of time- go to sparknotes and shmoop for that one and that one. These two you can either do after you're gone with the hard work or you save it for the morning. These two are gonna take some time so if you put an entire half-a-day's energy into them, you can get them all done with no sweat. As for the rest of these, I just got the papers back for those so you can cheat off of me on those- but turn them in bit by bit and don't copy it word for word so it isn't suspicious."
Dipper and Mabel tackle her in a hug while praising their blond cousin.
"Thanks, Pacifica!" Mabel shouts.
"You're the best!" Dipper choruses.
Pacifica smiles and nods. "Yeah, I know." She gets the papers out and then place them on the desk for when they're ready to use them before walking past Schebulock who has doing the pee-pee dance. "Okay, Shmeb, we're going."
She walks to the bathroom and knocks twice before immediately opening the door to let Shmebulock into the bathroom. Okay, you're turning into both Stans... this needs to stop.
"Finish your homework?" Stanford asks while munching on an apple.
"Uh-huh," she replies while waiting for Shmebulock to knock on the door to let her know that she has to hold him up to the sink to wash his hands. "I even helped Mabel and Dipper with theirs."
"That's good... Shemb in the bathroom?"
"Yep," she replies while checking her fingernails- her cuticles are horrible.
"I swear, I had him go only an hour ago!" Stanford groans while rolling his eyes and walking back down the stairs..
Suddenly the small knock comes and Pacifica goes inside and picks up the small creature and holds him up at the sink much like an one would do for a child while he washes his hands. Once that's done he's set down and she walks out to the living room to see if McGucket's there. Upon discovering that he isn't, she knows that he's probably hiding in the exhibit sleeping again- and Stanley had yelled at him about that more than a handful of times.
She really wanted his advice on how to get Tiffany off her back and keep her away from the twins, but since it'll be another hour or so before he comes out of hiding to eat. Sure, she could've asked Stanford, but he would probably make her figure it out herself by giving her a riddle or something and she's not in the mood to decipher his cryptic advice. There's also Soos, who's really good at giving advice, but he's either off chasing raccoons out of the house, fixing something important, or on a date with his girlfriend so she feels it's best not to bother him. Wendy was at home doing homework or something- she's off on weekdays unless there's a holiday- so there goes that option. Stanley? Who knows what he's off doing. And she doesn't want Dipper and Mabel to know what Tiffany threatened so she'll just wait.
"Guess I've got the living room," she says as she sits down on her guardian's recliner.
"Guess you were wrong," Stanley says, picking her up and putting her on the couch to take his recliner back as he undoes his tie and jacket.
"Awww, c'mon, Papa Stan," she complains.
"Do you wanna watch TV at all or do you wanna go back to your room?" Stanley asks with a raised eyebrow.
With a sigh she gets herself comfortable in the seat. "Fine."
"That's what I thought," he grunts before reaching down into the cooler beside his seat and tossing her a Pit-Cola. "Here."
"Thanks," she replies and taps the top and bottom before opening it with the bubbles "boiling" over just a little, but she quickly drinks that up. "Hey, Papa?"
He seems a bit surprised at the drop of his name, but he simply glances at her. "What is it, kid?"
What am I gonna say? Should I come up with something else? "Um... nothing, never mind."
He frowns and turns his torso towards her slightly. "Alright, Pep, what's really eatin' atcha?" She bites her bottom lip and wonders how long she has until he gives up. He huffs and turns to the TV. "Fine, don't tell me."
Is he really giving up? No, he's still looking, that means he's waiting for me to break... should I break? I mean, he does give good advise sometimes... you're thinking about this way too much, you should- but what if-
"There this girl at school that used to be my friend before you guys took me in," she says- she can't bring herself to say "before I got kicked out by my father" even now, "and she threatened to ruin Mabel and Dipper's lives to get to me and I got my other ex-friend to back off, but this one's still determined. I tried to intimidate her and tell her I could ruin her family- but I don't really think I can without help form you and Uncle Stan- and then I also said I could hurt her- you know, physically and she's still not backing down and I'm wondering what I should do to nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand and one of the twins gets hurt."
He takes a moment or two to think about this and then scratches his chin. "Well, if this girl needs to be taken down a notch or two to get that you aren't messing around... I think we can do that."
She blinks. "W-we can?"
"Of course we can! You think I didn't get connections bwing as old as I am? I know a guy who can... get things done in the financial department. In twenty-four hours, this girl's gonna wish she never crossed us Pines," he says while ruffling her bangs affectionately.
Pacifica smiles at being included in being a Pines because sometimes she feels like she's an outsider intruding on the Pines family and that she doesn't belong there. "Stop, you're messing up my hair."
He laughs. "Oh, yeah, you're definitely picking up on my and 'Ford's habits."
He's right. They obsess over their hair.
"Pfft, whatever. I just didn't want it tangled- I don't care what it looks like," she mutters while crossing her arms.
"Ohh, really?" He asks before grabbing her and pulling her towards him so he can ruffle the hair on her entire scalp. "C'mere!"
She laughs and tries to escape fruitlessly. This is what she's needed- something she's needed her whole life- and she's glad she can get it from the Pines and McGucket: a family. She promises that she'll do everything in her power to keep her family safe and stay with them because she doesn't know what she'd do without them anymore.
HAT: Sorry it's so short, inspiration was lacking until I thought of an idea so, just a head's up, I'm not patient enough to go through the entire first part of second semester when it comes to school so I'm gonna do a time skip.
Dipper: How'd I know that was gonna happen... hey, is that a picture of my sister holding her pet unicorn?
HAT: What?... I'm rewatching the episode- leave me alone.
Dipper: Uh-huh... how old are you again?
HAT: Just because I'm not twelve doesn't mean I can't watch a kid's show without pride! I mean, this show turned into something more for teenagers and adults anyway!
Dipper: Kid's show is still it's category.
HAT: ... just say the thing and send your sister in for the next story I'm updating.
Dipper: Review everyone!
